Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Timeline of the War on Terror


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was   keep. Consensus is clear here. Moreover, the fact that such timelines have been published elsewhere has been established, refuting the validity of the sole "delete" argument. Sjakkalle (Check!)  09:02, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

Timeline of the War on Terror

 * – ( View AfD View log  •  )

AfDs for this article: 

Listing here per Deletion review/Log/2010 April 18, which was closed as List at AfD. The primary argument for deletion appears to be that the article is original research by synthesis. Procedural nomination, I am neutral. Tim Song (talk) 04:17, 26 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of History-related deletion discussions.  -- --Darkwind (talk) 05:10, 26 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Military-related deletion discussions.  —Nick-D (talk) 05:20, 26 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Keep - sourced as a whole by reliable published timelines, preventing original research/synthesis. The inline citations seem to help further link the events to the War on Terror, although they are not the primary means of referencing.  The timeline and its events are very sourceable without using original research, and it seems sizable enough to merit an article separate from the War on Terror.  Regards,    A rbitrarily 0    ( talk ) 11:59, 26 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Keep: much better than the previous iteration. It is well-referenced, NPOV, and balanced: it merely presents a list of significant events without any conclusion or editorialization. Synth doesn't seem to be an issue since they are all inherently related to the WoT by design.  bahamut0013  words deeds 13:17, 26 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Terrorism-related deletion discussions.  -- • Gene93k (talk) 15:27, 26 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Lists-related deletion discussions.  -- • Gene93k (talk) 15:27, 26 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Delete per nom. This list topic appears to be an entirely novel, as it does not have a verifiable definition and contravenes the prohibition on original research as illustrated by WP:MADEUP. As far as I can see, this list, or anything like it, has not be been published anywhere except within Wikipedia, so there is no evidence that it is verifiable, let alone notable. To demonstrate that this topic was not created based on editor's own idea, a verifiable definition is needed to provide external validation that this list complies with content policy. --Gavin Collins (talk|contribs) 21:30, 1 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Comment: It would seem that War on Terror Timeline, and Homeland Security War on Terror Timeline explicity contravenes the notion that this list, or anything like it, has not be been published anywhere except within Wikipedia, so there is no evidence that it is verifiable, let alone notable. Do you agree?--Mike Cline (talk) 23:41, 1 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Comment: also note that the nomination was neutral. Best regards,    A rbitrarily 0    ( talk ) 01:51, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Comment Not that none of the sources cited by Mike Cline are in anyway reliable. He should know better. Reliable sources should be cited, not crap. --Gavin Collins (talk|contribs) 21:05, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Comment Having made no claim as to the quality of these sources, I am not sure what I should know better. That said, the idea that a topic entitled Timeline of the War on Terror has never, ever been published before except in WP, isn't consistent with the existence of the above sources and additionally this one: The Terror Timeline. If I am missing something here, I am not sure what it is as almost every book (popular as well as academic press) related to the WOT, contains some timeline or chronology element which is a typical part of most historical treatises. It just seems highly doubtful that the topic: Timeline of the War on Terror is made up. --Mike Cline (talk) 21:35, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Comment It should not concern us here as to what Mike Cline believes to be the truth or not about the existence of this list topic. What should concern is is whether the existence of this list topic is verifiable, and this list does not provide evidence from a reliable source that it is. If almost every book contains such a timeline, why is that fact not cited here? I think Mike's assumptions about inclusion are his own unless he can provide evidence that this list topic exists in the real world. If there is evidence that it does exist, such as a verifiable definition, then we can throw our weight behind it. But if there is no evidence, then it fails WP:MADEUP, and there is no rationale to support the view that this topic should have its own page in Wikipedia. --Gavin Collins (talk|contribs) 22:37, 3 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Comment: I'm not an expert, but I do admit I've done a fair amount of research on the topic.  One of my personal favorites, Encyclopedia of Terrorism (ISBN 0-8160-6277-3), for example, offers a nice verifiable definition of the subject (and with a detailed and discriminating 'terror timeline', beginning page 417).  Best regards,    A rbitrarily 0    ( talk ) 00:09, 4 May 2010 (UTC)


 * Keep. Synthesis applies only to mixing sources to promote a particular point of view, which has not happened here. Stifle (talk) 08:25, 4 May 2010 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.