The War on Terrorism

Three Middle Eastern issues have dominated people&s;s attention since 2001: the first is the so-called War on Terrorism; the second is the US war in Iraq; the third is the debilitating struggle between Israel and the Palestinians. Popular opinion in the Arab countries of Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan has turned against the massive invasions and bombing raids that have been called the "War on Terrorism". Hassan Nasrallah gained even more support in the Arab world, especially after his paramilitary forces were able to hit many Israeli targets in Haifa and other cities. He argued that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)&s;s success in Iraq and Syria poses a danger to Lebanon, Jordan, Sa&s;udi Arabia, and the other Gulf states. After the 1991 Gulf War, though, both the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations maintained the UN-imposed sanctions against Iraq, which crippled its economy and cost more than 1 million lives.