Graphic Truth: The US's "Global War on Terror" never ended

December 10, 2023

Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden all pledged, on some level, to narrow the scope of the global war on terror and reduce US overseas military commitments.

In 2013, Obama said the US should not define its fight against terrorism “as a boundless ‘global war on terror.’” In 2019, Trump said: “Great nations do not fight endless wars.” And on the campaign trail the same year, Joe Biden vowed to “end the forever wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East.”

Yet, the number of countries where the US conducts counterterrorism operations and training has largely remained steady under all three presidents, according to data from the Costs of War project at Brown University. The study includes an array of factors, such as where troops involved in combat or potential combat were stationed, where air and drone strikes occurred, and countries where the US offered counterterrorism training or assistance.

Costs of War found that under Biden the US has conducted air and drone strikes in at least four countries – Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Syria (and likely Yemen). Its latest report also shows that from 2021 to 2023, US service members engaged in combat and detention, using force on the ground against militants/terrorism suspects in at least nine countries: Afghanistan, Cuba, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, Somalia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Comparatively, the data from 2015 to 2017 showed 15 countries hosted US combat troops involved in counterterrorism operations, and air and drone strikes occurred in seven.

The forever war continues. Biden did pull US troops from Afghanistan, ending the longest conflict in US history, but the war on terror still grinds on in other countries under his watch – though often in far more covert ways than when the military campaign first began.

American taxpayers continue to foot the bill of this war, which has already cost more than $8 trillion. Meanwhile, there hasn’t been a terror attack in the US on the same scale as 9/11 in the time since, but critics of the war on terror say it’s locked America into an unwinnable, never-ending conflict.

Can the IMF change to help more women?

Matthew Kendrick

When a country hits rock bottom financially, the International Monetary Fund is meant to step in with funds to stabilize the economy without damaging its society — or the gender gap. But studies show that these programs often push women out of work at a disproportionate rate to men as the economy contracts. Matthew Kendrick reports from the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings on a push to build more equitable programs.

North Korean troops move into Russia’s border area with Ukraine

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a farewell ceremony before Putin's departure at an airport in Pyongyang, North Korea June 19, 2024.

Gavriil Grigorov/Reuters

Kyiv says that roughly 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, a far greater number than reported by the US, though it remains unclear precisely how many have entered what Ukraine referred to as the “combat zone.”

Will Japan’s LDP lose its grip on power?

October 23, 2024, Kamagaya, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shigeru Ishiba reacts to his supporters after he delivered a campaign speech for his party candidate Hisashi Matsumoto for the general election at Kamagaya in Chiba prefecture, suburban Tokyo on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.

(photo by Yoshio Tsunoda/AFLO)

As Japan heads to the polls this Sunday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to call an early election just weeks after taking office is turning out to be a high-stakes gamble.

Global economy at risk if Middle East conflict expands, says World Bank's Ayhan Kose

- YouTube

youtu.be

While the global economy shows signs of growth and decreasing inflation, the near future involves risks, including the escalation in the Middle East impacting oil prices, strained China-US relations, and an increasingly challenging tariff and trade environment, said Ayhan Kose, World Bank Deputy Chief Economist. He discussed the geopolitical tensions influencing the global economy with GZERO's Tony Maciulis at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, DC, in a GZERO Global Stage interview.

Graphic Truth: The US's "Global War on Terror" never ended

GZEROMEDIA

More from GZERO Media

Can we achieve gender equality by 2030?

This week World Bank announced a bold initiative to bridge the gender divide by creating more economic opportunity, broadening female leadership, and reducing gender-based violence in the next 5 years as 2030 approaches.

Can the IMF change to help more women?

Opinion: Colors, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and the use of your eyes

There are times when we need more context, and there are times when we do not. How do we tell the difference?

Hard Numbers: Turkey retaliates for terror bombing, Boeing workers reject deal, Biden to issue historic apology, Brand new prime number, Los Angeles DA recommends resentencing for Menendez brothers

North Korean troops move into Russia’s border area with Ukraine

Kyiv says that roughly 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, a far greater number than reported by the US, though it remains unclear precisely how many have entered what Ukraine referred to as the “combat zone.”

GZEROMEDIA

Georgia’s vote: A contest between Russia and the West

Georgian Dream insists the country is still on track to join the EU, as critics accuse the party of pushing Georgia in an increasingly anti-Western, authoritarian direction.

Graphic Truth: BRICS economies eclipse the G7

In 2001, a Goldman Sachs economist coined an acronym for the four largest and most promising “emerging market” economies: Brazil, Russia, India, and China became known as the “BRIC” countries.

Texas showdown: Trump and Harris target the different sides of gender divide

With the latest polls still showing Donald Trump and Kamala Harris neck and neck in the swing states, both candidates are heading to Texas, a far less competitive state, with hopes of reaching key voter groups nationwide.

Will Japan’s LDP lose its grip on power?

As Japan heads to the polls this Sunday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to call an early election just weeks after taking office is turning out to be a high-stakes gamble.

Global economy at risk if Middle East conflict expands, says World Bank's Ayhan Kose

Graphic Truth: The US's "Global War on Terror" never ended

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

This week World Bank announced a bold initiative to bridge the gender divide by creating more economic opportunity, broadening female leadership, and reducing gender-based violence in the next 5 years as 2030 approaches.

There are times when we need more context, and there are times when we do not. How do we tell the difference?

Kyiv says that roughly 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia, a far greater number than reported by the US, though it remains unclear precisely how many have entered what Ukraine referred to as the “combat zone.”

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Georgian Dream insists the country is still on track to join the EU, as critics accuse the party of pushing Georgia in an increasingly anti-Western, authoritarian direction.

In 2001, a Goldman Sachs economist coined an acronym for the four largest and most promising “emerging market” economies: Brazil, Russia, India, and China became known as the “BRIC” countries.

With the latest polls still showing Donald Trump and Kamala Harris neck and neck in the swing states, both candidates are heading to Texas, a far less competitive state, with hopes of reaching key voter groups nationwide.

As Japan heads to the polls this Sunday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to call an early election just weeks after taking office is turning out to be a high-stakes gamble.