The article examines the process of framing the concept of the “War on Terror” in the United States during the 1980–1990s and demonstrates the continuity of its key ideas and principles over two decades. The basic components of the concept, like the perception of the terrorism as a form of asymmetrical warfare, the declaration of the U.S. global mission to terminate the terrorist threat, the emphasis on use of military force for fighting against terrorism, the justification of a preemptive strike, were developed in the Ronald Reagan administration, adopted by George H. W. Bush and developed during the presidency of Bill Clinton. In 2001 George W. Bush had a ready set of tools to justify the “War on Terror” and to turn this concept into part of the US strategy of global dominance.