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"War on Terrorism"
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Bush administration declared a worldwide “war on terror,” involving open and covert military operations, new security legislation, efforts to block the financing of terrorism, and more. Washington called on other states to join in the fight against terrorism asserting that “either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” Many governments joined this campaign, often adopting harsh new laws, lifting long-standing legal protections and stepping up domestic policing and intelligence work.
Critics charge that the "war on terrorism" is an ideology of fear and repression that creates enemies and promotes violence rather than mitigating acts of terror and strengthening security. The worldwide campaign has too often become an excuse for governments to repress opposition groups and disregard international law and civil liberties. Governments should address terrorism through international cooperation, using international law and respecting civil liberties and human rights. Governments should also address the root causes of terrorism, notably political alienation due to prejudice, state-sponsored violence and poverty.
This site deals with the idea and practice of the "war on terrorism." Materials critically analyze the "war" and its consequences. The site looks at terrorism's history and root causes and how the concept has been used and abused.
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Articles and Documents
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 2008
“Remember Pearl Harbor!” (December 7, 2008)
The author of this article draws parallels between the attacks on Pearl Harbor by Japan in 1941 and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because it perceived the US as a threat to its national interest. According to the “preemptive war” doctrine, which the US used to justify the 2003 attack, the US has the right to use force whenever its interests may be threatened. Both actions are breaches of international law, as the use of military force is illegal unless used in response to a prior attack. (Truthout)Secret Order Lets US Raid Al Qaeda (November 10, 2008)
In 2004 president George Bush issued an executive order authorizing military action in Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and several other Persian Gulf states. Using this order, the US military has conducted nearly 12 previously undisclosed attacks. This broadened the ground rules in the “Global War on Terror” and also removed sensitive military operations from the previous process of oversight and review. (New York Times)Legislating Tyranny: Bush’s War on Civil Liberties (June 3, 2008)
The Bush administration assaults civil liberties under the guise of the “war on terror,” and not many US citizens express alarm. With vague definitions of “terrorist” and “enemy combatant,” police can arrest and imprison any US citizen based on suspicion and without evidence. President Bush also abuses power in the executive branch by sidestepping the Supreme Court, weakening Congress, and disregarding the Constitution. With his exercise of arbitrary and undefined power, the US is “sliding toward dictatorship” and falling away from democracy. (Counterpunch)US Accused of Holding Terror Suspects on Prison Ships (June 2, 2008)
The US military holds detainees on secret “floating prisons”, before transporting them to undisclosed detention centers, according to human rights organization Reprieve. The US uses ships such as the USS Bataan, Peleliu and Ashland to hold prisoners without legal representation or a right to trial. Reprieve reports that the US military keeps many of the prisoners in cages and subjects them to physical abuse. Since 2001, the US has held approximately 80,000 detainees, 26,000 of which remain in secret prisons. (Guardian)Al-Qaeda and the “War on Terrorism” (January 20, 2008)
This Global Research article argues that propaganda for the “war on terrorism” disregards the historical link between al-Qaeda and the US. The CIA created al-Qaeda during the Soviet-Afghan war in 1979 and also brought the heroin drug trade to Afghanistan. Further, the CIA used the Pakistani military intelligence apparatus (ISI) as a “go-between” to provide funding, arms, and training to groups in Chechnya, Kashmir, Kosovo, and China. The author argues that the “war on terrorism” is instead an excuse to expand US military domination.2007
Just Counter-Terrorism (July 5, 2007)
“Only when we put terrorism in proper perspective can we start to think about appropriate solutions,” argues this Foreign Policy in Focus article. With regard to its “acuity, its scope, and its likely duration,” terrorism does not pose as great a threat as global warming, nuclear proliferation, disease, and conventional war. The authors claim that the Bush administration has used US citizens’ fear to amplify the threat of terrorism and initiate a preventative war against it – a campaign as “meaningless” as “declaring war on serial murderers.” Instead, they suggest that Washington tackle detrimental political and economic injustices.Introduction to "Selling US Wars" (March 2007)
This excerpt from the book “Selling US Wars” by Tariq Ali analyzes the theories and mechanisms employed by the US to “ensure indirect domination” worldwide. One of the justifications the US gives for the extension of its sphere of influence is the “global war on terror,” which the author states is an unacceptable form of “political violence terror.” Ali also asserts that Washington’s selectivity in enforcing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is another tactic in its pursuit of regional and global ambitions. Moreover, the author criticizes the use of “humanitarian intervention” and “democratization” as reasons for military invasions. (Transnational Institute)2006
The Axis of Intervention (July 27, 2006)
This Foreign Policy in Focus article cites a growing trend towards unilateral military action as opposed to multilateral diplomacy in solving conflicts. The US and Israel have justified “preventative war” under the “War on Terrorism.” Meanwhile, Japan threatens to preemptively attack North Korea, jeopardizing its “peace constitution.” This dangerous policy threatens to undermine the institutions of international law and global agreements such as the Geneva Conventions.Global Responses to Global Threats: Sustainable Security for the 21st Century (June 2006)
This Oxford Research Group report argues that the main causes of conflict stem from global climate change, competition over resources, “marginalization of the majority world,” and global militarism. These issues, combined with a military approach to terrorism, and the spread of fear-inducing propaganda, detract from realistic peace-building solutions. The authors report that unless world leaders tackle these four causes and refrain from promoting global militarism and waging wars on terrorism, the global system will become irrevocably unstable.2005
The Logic of Suicide Terrorism: It's the Occupation, Not the Fundamentalism (July 18, 2005)
This interview from the American Conservative showcases expert Robert Pape’s detailed analysis of the roots of suicide terrorism. His central finding is that, overwhelmingly, “suicide-terrorist attacks are not driven by religion as much as they are by a clear strategic objective: to compel [foreign occupiers] to withdraw military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland.” A "demand-driven" phenomena, Pape notes that "the suicide terrorists have been produced by the invasion" in Iraq and other countries.On Suspicion of Not Being One of Us (April 2005)
The intelligence services are working hand in hand with industries who profit from war to create a dangerous environment of paranoia. These “merchants of fear” have filled the post-cold war “vacancy for a subversive global conspiracy” with a new enemy, Islam. Their own obsessions and the desire to justify their continued power have led to the framing of community tensions and other social issues as security threats, and a pervasive climate of distrust. (Le Monde Diplomatique)US Terror War ‘Over-Reaction,’ Top Judge Says (January 17, 2005)
Richard Goldstone, first chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunals for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, says the global “war on terror” threatens international justice. He points to Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisoner abuse as reasons for more judicial oversight, and suggests UN Security Council reform as a way of “protecting the rule of law.” (Toronto Star)Poverty, Disease, Environmental Decline Are True 'Axis of Evil' (January 12, 2005)
The State of the World 2005 Report from the Worldwatch Institute argues that the “war on terror” is diverting world’s attention from more serious threats to global instability. Poverty, infectious disease and environmental degradation create conditions in which extremism thrives and new conflicts emerge. Dealing with these challenges requires preventive engagement rather than use of brute military force.2004
The Making of the Terror Myth (October 15, 2004)
This Guardian article states that a general consensus between governments, security services and the media has created a "terror myth," an imagined danger of organized terrorism, maintained through a "jittery media-driven democracy."Al-Qaida Brand Name Ready for Franchise (September 1, 2004)
This article compares al Qaeda to a transnational business organization with a “promising future as a brand name.” It gives several examples illustrating that the terrorist organization’s reputation acts as self-recruiting function for activist groups wishing to commit acts of violence in its name. (Le Monde diplomatique)The Clash Thesis: A Failing Ideology? (August 24, 2004)
The discourse of hate is an ongoing theme in the “war on terrorism.” More than a motive it now comprises an ideology justifying all actions against entities representing the ever-growing category of “terrorists.” The article claims that this has created a new right for “great powers” “to convert phony wars into real ones.” (Dissident Voice)'The Lesser Evil': Fight Fire With Fire (July 25, 2004)
Michael Ignatieff believes that the use of pre-emptive war, assassination, limited torture and indefinite detention without trial might be “the lesser evil” in the fight against terrorism. In this review, Ronald Steel charges that Ignatieff’s latest book lacks “any serious political analysis” of terrorism, and ultimately amounts to “an elegantly packaged manual of national self-justification.” (New York Times)The Politics of Poverty, Aid in the New Cold War (May 2004)
Governments that divert aid relief funds to anti-terrorism efforts exacerbate the suffering of the world’s poorest people, argues Christian Aid. This report points out that the US government diverted a US $2.2 billion aid program for Afghanistan in 2004 to military projects and emergency relief.G7 to Combat Terrorism with Airline Cash Inspections (April 27, 2004)
G7 officials are discussing ways to tackle cross-border cash movements as part of the "war on terror." According to the Financial Action Task Force, the proposal includes making international travelers file currency declarations and X-ray scan for cash, as well as weapons at airports. Will these attempts really help preventing terrorist attacks? (International Relations and Security Network)Terrorism in Historical Perspective (April 22, 2004)
This article seeks to explain the concept of terrorism during different periods of time stretching back to the 20th century. The author argues that terrorism is a global problem in cause and in impact; therefore, understanding the background of terrorism is one of the important ways in addressing this world security threat. (OpenDemocracy)Banker Presses Aid for Poor to Fight Terror (April 22, 2004)
World Bank President James Wolfensohn highlights an increasing imbalance in world governments’ spending, noting that governments spend $900 billion annually on defense and only $56 billion on development assistance. Wolfensohn argues that changing spending priorities focusing on development of poor countries would help to defeat terrorism. (New York Times)Why the Qaeda Threat Is Growing (March 17, 2004)
As Al-Qaeda becomes “brand-name terrorism,” many other groups commit themselves loyally to bin Laden’s idea of “global jihad against the US and its allies.” (Time Magazine)“Terrorism”: A World Ensnared by a Word (February 18, 2004)
The author argues people often use and abuse the word “terrorism” by applying it to “whatever they hate,” as a way of “avoiding rational thought and discussion and, frequently, excusing their own illegal and immoral conduct.” (International Herald Tribune)The Non-Debate over Suicide Bombing (January 29, 2004)
This article argues that informed debate about suicide bombing is “long overdue.” The author suggests the phenomenon warrants neither sympathy nor blanket condemnation but a better understanding of the motivations of suicide bombers. (Arab Media Watch)Muddying the World's Conscience (January 9, 2004)
The “war on terror” reformulates many aspects of world politics and the international NGO sector. In the US and elsewhere, ultra-conservative thinktanks have recently set up units to monitor and investigate the NGO sector. NGOs operating in “war on terror” conflicts feel pressured to either act as “sub-contractors for the superpower or pull out.” (Guardian)
