Global War on Terror: A Critical Study of Post-9/11 Terrorism and US-Led Multilateral Counter-Terrorism Approaches

Abstract

This article analyses the historical and ideological bases of terrorism, the technological advancements, and its modern manifestations in the terror landscape, focusing primarily on how the 9/11 incidents transformed the nature of terrorism. It also critically examines how the US and the UN approached the subject of terrorism with utmost seriousness after the US mainland was directly attacked during the 9/11 attacks. The 9/11 attacks described the evolution of neo-terrorism and its destructive nature in the age of innovation. The article also studies the role of the concerned institutions and stakeholders in determining the successes, failures, controversies and unintended consequences of the operation dubbed as 'War on Terror'. Since the dawn of the 21st century, non state actors have been the major perpetrators of terrorist activities around the world.