The location of these terrorists is unknown. The second reason we should not use the containment policy is the Soviet Union never directly attacked the United States of America. These are reasons the containment policy would not have worked with the War on Terror.
The first reason containment would not have worked is the enemy is unknown during this war. Anyone in the Middle East or anywhere in this country could be a terrorist. America does not know which countries these people reside in and therefore cannot prevent it from spreading. There is no definitive enemy.
The second reason is during the Cold War, Americans were never attacked or provoked to attack. Had the Soviet Union attacked America, the President at the time, whether it be President Reagan (R) or President John F. Kennedy (D), would have immediately abandoned the containment policy and counter-attacked. This is what President Bush did with Iraq. After the terrorists attacked American people on American soil, he had to respond with military action to end the attacks. He had to defeat the enemy, not contain it. Containment is to prevent attacks. Once one happens, military action against the enemy must be used.
Containment did not apply to the situation that America is in today. The circumstances were changed dramatically and could not compare to what it was like during the Cold War. There was no Mutually Assured Destruction and the attacks against Americans had already happened. Containment would not work.
