Terrorism is defined as the intentional use of violence against civilians by an individual or group

to achieve a political or social goal. It can be international or domestic in nature, and can
include assassinations, skyjackings, suicide bombs, armed attacks, kidnapping and hostage
taking, threats, and different types of explosions. Death and disability, rape, forced prostitution,
and displacement of women and children are among the social difficulties linked with conflict,
war, and terrorism, as are social-psychological costs, diversion of economic resources, and
environmental degradation. War and terrorism have far-reaching consequences, with one
million people killed or handicapped by land mines globally. The Mine Ban Treaty, which
requires states to destroy stocks within four years and eliminate land mine fields within ten
years, entered into force.

Rape and forced prostitution are prohibited under the Geneva Convention, but both continue
to occur in modern conflicts. The Japanese military forced 100,000 to 200,000 women and
teenage girls into prostitution as military "comfort women" during WWII. Congolese
government forces have been fighting Ugandan and Rwandan rebels since 1998, and women
have paid a severe price for this civil war. Humanitarian workers also report an increase in rape
and sexual abuse against men as a tactic used by armed groups to humiliate and demoralize
Congolese communities. According to feminist studies of wartime rape, the practice reflects not
only a military strategy, but also ethnic and gender dominance. Terrorism, conflict, and living
under the fear of war all have a negative impact on social-psychological well-being and family
functioning.

Global military expenditures exceeded $1.46 trillion in 2008. The decision to spend $567 million
on a single Trident II D-5 missile is a political one, as is committing $2.3 billion for a "Virginia"
attack submarine. The damage of the environment during conflict has long-term consequences
for human populations, as land mines degrade and dangerous substances flow into the earth.
650 oil wells were set on fire by Iraqi troops during the Gulf War, spilling oil that covered the
surface of the Kuwaiti desert and continues to seep into the ground, threatening subsurface
water supplies. Combatants frequently use natural resources to fuel their operations, and
mining can be extremely damaging to riverbank eco-systems or places around open-pit mines.

The ultimate environmental catastrophe facing the planet is a massive exchange thermonuclear
war, which would lead to human casualties, poisoned air, poisoned crops, and radioactive rain.
Dust storms and concentrations of particles would block vital sunlight and lower temperatures
in the Northern Hemisphere, creating a nuclear winter. Overpressure created by a nuclear blast
and the resulting blast wave would destroy reinforced-concrete buildings, factories and
commercial buildings, wood-frame and brick houses, and lightly constructed structures. Fear of
nuclear war has contributed to the military and arms buildup, which causes environmental
destruction even in times of peace. Bombs exploded during peacetime leak radiation into the
atmosphere and groundwater. The last decade's arms control and disarmament accords have
called for the disposal of massive stockpiles of weapons, but no entirely secure nuclear
techniques of disposing of weapons and ammunition exist. Activists have advocated for storing
weapons until safe disposal methods can be developed, but the longer they are held, the more
they decay, raising the risk of harmful leakage. A federal judge granted authority in 2003 to
incinerate 2,000 tons of Cold War-era nerve weapons and mustard gas. Techniques and policies
aimed at achieving and preserving global peace include economic resource redistribution, the
establishment of a world government, United Nations peacekeeping missions, mediation and
arbitration, and armaments control. Economic progress does not take place at the expense of
the environment, and methods that restrict population growth are more likely to result in
higher levels of economic well-being.