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The events from September 11, 2001 can certainly be described as tragic, horrific, devastating, and for many, confusing. It was a shock to many citizens of the United States that there were terrorist groups who hated what the US stood for so much that they would kill innocent people. When President George W. Bush declared a War on Terror, many people were relieved to have the opportunity to prevent another attack like it from happening. Today, the War on Terror continues. Since identifying Al-qaeda as the terrorist group responsible, we have rid Afghanistan, the country who harbored this group, of the oppressive and corrupt Taliban regime and have helped to create a new government. In Iraq, we have declared war and captured the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, as part of the effort to maximize US national security and protect against possible terrorist acts involving weapons of mass destruction. Still, many questions as to the correlation between Iraq, Afghanistan and 9/11 remain vague. Furthermore, the reasons for the 9/11 attacks or how this War on Terror will prevent another terrorist attack are also unclear. We have been misinformed or not informed at all about policies in the US, the war on terror, who the enemy is, and what this all means. If we take a look at the whole situation through a "gender lens" and find out what it signifies for men, women, and children in the US, Afghanistan, and Iraq; many things are brought to light. Terrorism, human rights, militarism, foreign policy and national security all have unexpected gender implications; examining these implications reveals curious similarities that may otherwise go unnoticed, yet these implications paint a startling picture of a continuing cycle.

The War on Terror, like other wars in US history, has brought with it a patriotic militarization. Going to war to "protect" women and children has had the contradicting effect since it simultaneously identifies them as being vulnerable and therefore intensifies that vulnerability. Militarism has always been gendered masculine; it involves the idealization of heroism, strength, violence, toughness and even sexism. Prostitution and the soldiers have long history together. In the US, the military seems to assume that soldiers need sexual release in order to boost morale and perform better during war. Since war zones are usually not in the US, this "built in benefit" for soldiers (at the expense of the women who live near the US bases), doesn't really affect

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