In efforts aimed at improving the diplomatic ties with some Middle East countries like Pakistan, the United States embarked on strategies of cooling hostilities with these countries. For a long period, some Middle East countries have been considered as nations which sponsor terrorism particularly against the United States. This notion has always contributed to diplomatic hostilities between the United States and these countries. Diplomacy is an effective way of fighting terrorism that yields positive results. For instance, the improvement of diplomatic ties between the U.S. And Pakistan has transformed the public image of the U.S. The United States has also continued to strengthen friendly ties with most of its friendly and non-friendly nations like the South Korea, a hardliner in its bid to developing nuclear weapons. Due to the improvement of diplomatic ties, the United States dropped North Korea from its terrorism blacklist in October 2008. The then U.S. President, George W. Bush decided to drop North Korea from the terrorism blacklist because North Korea earned the move by showing enough cooperation on broad principles (Kessler par, 3). North Korea was deleted from the U.S. list of state sponsors not only as a result of its broad cooperation for verifying its nuclear claims, but because of improved diplomatic relationships also. President Bush made this decision contrary to his 2002 declaration that nations such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq constituted an axis of evil because of their terrorist allies. The decision to drop North Korea from the terrorism blacklist was a striking development in the administration's foreign policy geared toward a more realistic effort to open contacts and strike understandings with countries like Iran and Syria. These countries were once considered too belligerent for diplomatic contact but the diplomatic ties with North Korea proved otherwise.

A further diplomatic effort in the fight against global terrorism is the involvement of the intelligence unit in improving diplomatic ties with other nations. Currently, the intelligence unit is working tirelessly in its cooperation with some leaders in the Muslim world who are perceived to be non-partisans to the harsh stands taken by their countries. The intelligence unit is involved in cooperation with such leaders who also seem to command a large support from their fellow country men.

Impacts of U.S. Presence in Iraq and Middle East:

As part of its strategy in fighting global terrorism, the presence of the United States in Iraq and the Middle East has yielded both positive and negative impacts. However, there are varied opinions everywhere concerning this strategy by the United States. For instance, the presence of the United States in Iraq has been perceived by some as civil war while other people consider it to be sectarian violence. Regardless of the difference in opinion, one of the biggest dilemmas is what would happen if the United States was to leave Iraq and the Middle East. Most probably, if the United States left these countries, there would be some internal war and the rise of global terrorism.

Many people think that the United States is in Iraq and the Middle East for its regional interests as well as being the self-elected policeman of the world. This is despite of the fact that the presence of the United States in both Iraq and the Middle East has not only reduced global terrorism but also protected America from terrorist attacks. Those who argue that the presence of the U.S. In these countries for the reasons mentioned above downplay the significance of the positive effects.

On the positive note, the presence of the United States in Iraq and the Middle East has helped to control the threat and growth of terrorism. Through deployment of its military, the United States has provided protection in these areas and controlled attacks against America. This control of the threat of global terrorism has been as a result of a number of positive factors that include:

Restoration of Peace:

As mentioned earlier, some governments' policies in helping the youths of their...

As a result of their dissatisfactions with the government's efforts, young men have not only turned into civil war but also terrorism. The presence of the United States in Iraq has helped to control the threat of terrorism through the restoration of peace after the civil war that erupted following the arrest of their then president, Saddam Hussein. The presence of the U.S. military in this country has managed to restore peace, which has in turn reduced global terrorism.
In fact, it is reported that there has been a gradual decrease in violence levels due to the increase of deployment of U.S. troops in Iraq since 2007. These military troops have also enabled the election of the Iraqi transnational government that has slowly helped in the regaining of political stability in Iraq. The election of this transnational government saw the participation of majority of the Iraqis including the Sunnis, Kurds and Shia.

Stability in the Region:

The presence and involvement of the United States in Afghanistan has not only affected Afghanistan but also holds the future of Pakistan and stability in south Asia region. The United States doesn't look quite so all-powerful these days because insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan have discovered how to counter-attack U.S. war-fighting machine. In fact, contrary to the assumptions of the previous administration, it has been discovered that violent and illiberal movements such as Hamas, Hizballah and the Taliban have deeper roots in native soil (Beinart par, 1).

Consequently, it is thought that United States will not manage to realize a calculated defeat of the Taliban and their followers as well as the annihilation of Al-Qaeda strongholds in Afghanistan. In reality, the United States can't defeat all the terrorism-supporting movements and regimes even with the addition of more troops in the Middle East region. However, the United States presence in the Middle East has helped to control the threat of terrorism through efforts of reversing Taliban's momentum and denying it the ability to overthrow the Afghan government.

Promotion of Democracy:

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the United States presence in the Middle East has helped to provide protection against terrorism through the promotion of democracy in the region. The United States government adopted the promotion of democracy in the Middle East as a national security policy. Democracy provides greater political freedom which destabilizes the forces of Islamic Radicalism which is one of the major factors that contribute to the rise of global terrorism. By destabilizing and weakening Islamic radicalism, the United States controls the threat of terrorism and terrorist attacks against the nation.

Conclusion:

Terrorism is one of the major challenges faced by governments around the globe. As the world's super-power, the United States should be on the fore front in the fight against this threat. Though the presence of the United States in Iraq and the Middle East is somewhat controversial, it is apparent that it has helped in the fight against global terrorism.

Works Cited:

Beinart, Peter. "Obama Shrinks the War on Terrorism." TIME: In Partnership with CNN. Time Inc., 7 Dec. 2009. Web. 4 May 2010. .

Kessler, Glenn. "U.S. Drops North Korea From Terrorism List." The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company, 12 Oct. 2008. Web. 4 May 2010. .

Taylor, Francis X. "TERRORISM: U.S. POLICIES and COUNTERTERRORISM MEASURES." IWS - the Information Warfare Site. Iwar.org, Nov. 2001. Web. 4 May 2010. .

"What Is Terrorism?" Terrorism RESEARCH: International Terrorism and Security Research. Terrorism-Research.com. Web. 4 May 2010. .