How were the Cold War conflicts fundamentally different from more recent conflicts involving terrorism? What were the principal Cold War conflicts, and who were the principal combatants? How have recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan differed from

Question

the Cold War conflicts? What changes in the approach to national security have been required because of terrorism?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1, Identify the main Cold War combatants as the United States and the Soviet Union.
2, Describe the fundamental differences between the Cold War and conflicts involving terrorism, including the types of combatants, the types of warfare, the goals, and the weapons used.
3, List the main characteristics of the Cold War, which included a period of increased tensions (but not live combat) between the United States and the Soviet Union, the desire to contain Soviet influence (and the accompanying spread of communism), and heavy buildup of nuclear weapons.
4, Detail the principal Cold War confrontations that involved strengthening those trying to ward off communist influence, such as in Greece, South Korea, and Berlin.
5, Describe the Vietnam War as a direct military conflict driven by the Cold War mentality about the need to stop the spread of communism in Asia.
6, Identify détente as the beginning point of transformation from conflict thinking to cooperative thinking in foreign policy strategy.
7, Reveal how the Cold War conflict was finally resolved with the collapse of the Soviet Union, although the tensions had somewhat subsided during the détente.
8, Discuss recent terrorist attacks and show how they reveal the main characteristics of terrorism, which include attacks by nongovernmental actors on civilian targets in order to demoralize populations and governments, the use of stealth and surprise, and the decentralized nature of the terrorist threat.
9, Review how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were seen as efforts to prevent future terrorist attacks before they had fully developed.
10, Discuss how the wars had mixed results, with reconstruction in Iraq straining America's defense resources and the war in Afghanistan prompting Al Qaeda to transform itself into an umbrella organization that provides a focal point for loosely affiliated terrorist groups in various countries.
11, Conclude that the fight against terrorism will continue, that military force alone is not likely to suffice, and that political changes that erode and undermine support for the ideology and strategy of terrorists will be required.