War Termination

On August 31, 1994, the Provisional IRA (PIRA) declared a cessation of military operations. For the past
thirty years, the conflict in Northern Ireland has been raging almost without pause.1 British security forces
have attempted to control the violence by establishing road blocks, conducting house searches, altering
the judicial system to allow conviction on informant testimony, instituting internment without trial for
paramilitary suspects, garrisoning over thirty thousand British soldiers in Northern Ireland, instituting
broadcasting bans of Sinn Féin, and conducting intensive interrogation of suspects. Despite the best
attempts of the British government over the past few decades to thwart PIRA, the conflict persisted. To
sustain a low-intensity war under these conditions requires more than guns and ammunition; it requires
the support of a political community, extensive organization of economic resources, and cultural values
that give meaning to the conflict.

Abstract The war on al-Qaeda and its affiliates appears to be endless but every war must end. Winding down the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq has been difficult, but both were embedded in what was then called the ‘war on terrorism.’ What does ‘success’ in that war mean? With the death of bin Laden and the increase in drone operations, how far is the US from achieving it? Can this war end? The article analyzes the ongoing US response to the 9/11 attacks in historical context, revealing four patterns common to all prolonged wars: means become ends, tactics become strategy, boundaries are blurred, and the search for a perfect peace replaces reality. It concludes by laying out an effective strategy for ending the war.

Abstract The war on al-Qaeda and its affiliates appears to be endless but every war must end. Winding down the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq has been difficult, but both were embedded in what was then called the ‘war on terrorism.’ What does ‘success’ in that war mean? With the death of bin Laden and the increase in drone operations, how far is the US from achieving it? Can this war end? The article analyzes the ongoing US response to the 9/11 attacks in historical context, revealing four patterns common to all prolonged wars: means become ends, tactics become strategy, boundaries are blurred, and the search for a perfect peace replaces reality. It concludes by laying out an effective strategy for ending the war.