The War on Terror is an international campaign to end terrorism. The effort is overseen by the United States and the United Kingdom and also receives much support from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. The effort has included several wars, most recently the Iraq War and also the War in Afghanistan. It is being fought predominantly in the Middle East, but also in Southeast Asia and the Horn of Africa.
The War on Terror officially began on October 7, 2001 and was spurred by the attack on the World Trade Center of the United States on September 11, 2001. The initial phase of the War on Terror was the War in Afghanistan. This resulted in the fall of the Taliban government as well as the destruction of the Al 'Qaeda camps. The Iraq War began in 2003 and has resulted in the overthrow of the Baath Party government as well as the execution of Saddam Hussein, the nation's former leader. Free elections and a democratic government have been instated in Iraq, but insurgency and loss of civilian lives continues.
The phrase "War on Terror" was initially used by President George W. Bush. However, it has not been used by the administration of President Barack Obama. Instead, this administration prefers to refer to the effort as the Overseas Contingency Operation. This is largely because the concept of a war on terror has been criticized for its lack of a framework and defined enemy.