Editing World War III (section)

===War on terror===
{{Main|War on terror|List of modern conflicts in the Middle East}}
[[File:WTC smoking on 9-11.jpeg|thumb|[[September 11 attacks]]]]

The "[[war on terror]]" that began with the [[September 11 attacks]] has been claimed by some to be World War III<ref>{{Cite web |last=Micallef |first=Joseph V. |date=24 January 2017 |title=Are We Already Fighting World War III? |url=http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/24/are-we-already-fighting-world-war-iii.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416051031/http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/24/are-we-already-fighting-world-war-iii.html |archive-date=16 April 2017 |access-date=15 April 2017 |website=[[Military.com]]}}</ref> or sometimes World War IV<ref name="Podhoretz-2004"/><ref>{{cite news |author1=Charles Feldman |author2=Stan Wilson |name-list-style=amp |date=3 April 2003 |title=Ex-CIA director: U.S. faces 'World War IV' |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/04/03/sprj.irq.woolsey.world.war/ |archive-url=http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/04/03/sprj.irq.woolsey.world.war/ |archive-date=11 August 2024 |publisher=CNN}}<br />{{cite news |last=Coman |first=Julian |date=13 April 2003 |title='We want them to be nervous' (That means you Ali, Bashar and Kim) |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/1427428/We-want-them-to-be-nervous-That-means-you-Ali-Bashar-and-Kim.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/1427428/We-want-them-to-be-nervous-That-means-you-Ali-Bashar-and-Kim.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |access-date=9 November 2009 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London}}{{cbignore}}<br />{{cite web |author=Elio A. Cohen |date=20 November 2001 |title=World War IV |url=http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=95001493 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040406043752/http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=95001493 |archive-date=6 April 2004 |access-date=9 November 2009 |website=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> (assuming the Cold War was World War III). Others have disparaged such claims as "distorting [[History of the United States|American history]]". While there is general agreement amongst historians regarding the definitions and extent of the first two world wars, namely due to the unmistakable global scale of aggression and self-destruction of these two wars, a few have claimed that a "World War" might now no longer require such worldwide and large-scale aggression and carnage. Still, such claims of a new "lower threshold of aggression", that might now be sufficient to qualify a war as a "World War" have not gained such widespread acceptance and support as the definitions of the first two world wars have received amongst historians.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-op-beinart9dec09-story.html Is this really World War IV?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422135730/http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-op-beinart9dec09-story.html |date=22 April 2017 }} Los Angeles Times. By Peter Beinart. 9 December 2007. Downloaded 21 April 2017.</ref>

====War on the Islamic State====
{{Main|Islamic State|War against the Islamic State}}

On 1 February 2015, [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iraq)|Iraqi Foreign Minister]] [[Ibrahim al-Jaafari]] declared that the [[war against the Islamic State]] was effectively "World War{{nbsp}}III", due to the Islamic State's aims for a worldwide caliphate, and its success in spreading the conflict to multiple countries outside of the [[Levant]] region.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/video/2015/02/01/fight-against-islamic-state-is-world-war?videoId=363066236 "Fight against Islamic State is World War 3 – Iraqi foreign minister"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620212733/http://www.reuters.com/video/2015/02/01/fight-against-islamic-state-is-world-war?videoId=363066236 |date=20 June 2017 }} Reuters, video</ref> In response to the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]], [[King of Jordan]] [[Abdullah II of Jordan|Abdullah II]] stated "We are facing a Third World War [within [[Islam]]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-Threat/Jordans-King-Abdullah-We-are-facing-a-Third-World-War-434408|title=Jordan's King Abdullah: We are facing a Third World War|date=17 November 2015|access-date=17 February 2016|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214091201/http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-Threat/Jordans-King-Abdullah-We-are-facing-a-Third-World-War-434408|archive-date=14 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

In his [[2016 State of the Union Address|State of the Union Address]] on 12 January 2016, US President [[Barack Obama]] warned that news reports granting ISIL the supposed ability to foment a third World War might be excessive and irresponsible, stating that "as we focus on destroying ISIL, over-the-top claims that this is World War{{nbsp}}III just play into their hands. Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped. But they do not threaten our national existence."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Obama|first1=Barak|title=2016 State of the Union Address|url=https://medium.com/@WhiteHouse/president-obama-s-2016-state-of-the-union-address-7c06300f9726#.6rytyu7a2|website=The White House|publisher=government of the United States of America|access-date=9 February 2016|date=13 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209085124/https://medium.com/@WhiteHouse/president-obama-s-2016-state-of-the-union-address-7c06300f9726#.6rytyu7a2|archive-date=9 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>