War on Terrorism
(see also War, War on Drugs & Militarization of Foreign Policy)
Basics
On the Web: Articles
US Underwriting Terrorism? Conn Hallinan, Foreign Policy in Focus [AntiWar.com] (9/18/04).
Ending Terrorism: What Would It Really Take? Andy Mager, Syracuse Post-Standard (11/30/03) [Common Dreams].
US Creates African Enemies where None Were Before. David Gutelius, Christian Science Monitor (7/11/03). African Muslims radicalized by conduct of war on terror.
Citizen's Response to the National Security Strategy of the United States of America. Wendell Berry, Common Dreams (2/27/03). Abridged version of Orion story (3-4/03).
Our Designated Killers: "Where's the Outrage?". Village Voice (2/14/03). On assassination in Yemen of American citizen Kamal Derwish, never either charged or tried on charges of terrorism.
The Push for War. Anatol Lieven, London Review of Books (10/3/02). Brilliant critique of world view & militarist foreign policy of "think tank" intellectuals surrounding Bush administration.
Academia Becomes Target for New Security Laws. Mark Clayton, Christian Science Monitor (9/24/02).
Mobilizing in Pankisi Gorge, America's Tactical Errors, & the Earth Summit. Khatya Chhor, Radio Free Europe (8/26/02).
US Ships Al Qaeda Suspects to Arab States. Faye Bowers & Philip Smucker, Christian Science Monitor (7/26/02). "Outsourcing" of interrogations?
The
Disastrous Foreign Policies of the United States, Bill Christison, Counterpunch(5/9/02
Former CIA analyst calls for end to war on terrorism & destruction of nuclear
weapons by democratically elected international organization
Ran-goons: Why Isn’t Burma On Bush’s Axis of Evil List?, Joshua Kurlantzick, Washington Monthly (4/02). Burma’s drugs, nukes, weapons trading & militas threaten neighbors, but not US.
US Military Gains Greater Power From Anti-Terror Campaign. Alexander Nicolls, Financial Times (2/7/02). Bigger budget for Pentagon makes it harder for EU forces to work alongside it.
We Can't Just Forget about Dead Afghan Divilians, Robert Jensen & Rahul Mahajan, Houston Chronicle (12/21/01) [Common Dreams]. Ignoring civilian casualties enables unquestioning support for US actions.
Bust and Boom, Matthew Brzezinski, Washington Post (12/21/01). Six years before 9/11, Philippine police arrested al Qaeda cell plotting to fly explosives-laden planes into Pentagon; CIA failed to heed warning.
Disaster that lives in this triumph, Natasha Walter, Independent (12/13/01). Americans love wars where they drop bombs & foreigners do dangerous ground work.
Terror and Empire, Robin Blackburn, Counterpunch (11/23/01). Analysis of presidency, US foreign policy post 9/11; what terror war is about; how just war on terror could be fought and won.
CIA-Backed
Team Used Brutal Means to Break Up Terrorist Cell in Albania, Andrew Higgins
& Christopher Cooper, Wall Street Journal (11/20/01). Brutal treatment of suspected/admitted terrorists by Albanian & Egyptian
officials under CIA oversight.
Making
a Molehill of the Moral High Ground, Ray Cassin, Theage.com (11/18/01). Holding US accountable to its anti-terror rhetoric.
Secret CIA Units Playing a Central Combat Role, Bob Woodward, Washington Post (11/18/01). CIA involvement in war on Afghanistan.
State
Department Works to Create Brand of the Free. William Powers, National
Journal (11/16/01). Can former advertising executive win propaganda war for US?
Pakistan Boxed Into
a Corner, Syed Saleem Shahzad, Alternet (11/14/01). Northern Alliance victory problematic for Pakistan.
Taking the
Bait: Bush Is Giving Bin Laden the War He Wants, Doug Ireland, In These
Times (11/12/01). War against Afghanistan will not end terrorism, only increase it.
Bad
News in the Good News, William M. Arking, Washington Post (11/12/01). Taking territory & remaking Afghanistan undercuts long-term
fight against terrorism.
Holding
Terrorists Accountable? Depends on the Color & the Cause. Tim Wise,
ZNet (11/4/01).
A US neo-Nazi gave Timothy McVeigh blue print for Oklahoma bombing. We know
where he lives. Why aren't after him the way we are Osama bin Laden?
Psychology is Key to Victory, Nicholas Lemann, Sunday Times (11/4/01). Terrorists v. super-terrorists; wider v. narrower war.
We
should stop bombing & intensify the international police hunt, Michael
Klare, Salon (11/3/01).
Another perspective on narrow v. wider war.
On
the War. Stanley Hoffman, NY Review of Books (11/1/01). Problems with US unilateralism in new global context.
A New Agenda to Counter
Terrorism, Foreign Policy in Focus (11/1/01). War is least effective approach to combating terrorism, & should
represent last rather than first resort.
Stop Bombing, and Start Thinking "Hearts and Minds", Kumar Ramakrishna, Christian Science Monitor (11/1/01). War will be won with policy changes not bombs.
Rumsfeld
Shows How Truth Is Our Most Potent Weapon,
Clarence Page, Newsday (10/30/01).
Admits publicly we may not get bin Laden, then backtracks.
The
Long War: Bush's Crusade Has No End in Sight, Doug Ireland, In These
Times (10/29/01).
Eliminating terrorism is law & order issue, not military.
How to Lose a War, Frank Rich, NY Times (10/27/01). Critique of main administration players & how they are waging this war.
It's Only Going To Get Worse, Doug Ireland, In These Times (10/26/01) . Afghanistan is just first stop of Bush administration's war tour.
Experts
Challenge Military, Political Tacks in Central Asia. Robin Wright, LA
Times (10/26/01).
Bombing will not achieve our objectives.
Some Things Just Can’t Be Handed Off, P.W. Singer, LA Times (10/25/01). We have privatized national security in too many dangerous ways.
War Needs Good Public Relations, Norman Solomon, FAIR (10/25/01). Pentagon hires global PR firm to help those with "faulty" perceptions of US war on Afghanistan.
Hidden Agenda Behind War on Terror, John Pilger, Mirror (no date). Scathing critique of war & its effects by veteran corresondent.
Mistake to Declare This a "War". Michael Howard, This Is London (No date). War will legitimize & energize terrorists, replacing horror of 9/11 with horror of civilians killed by US/British bombs.
The New War Against Terror, Noam Chomsky, ZNet (n.d.). What is war on terrorism; what is terrorism? Origins of 9/11 crimes, & policy options in response.
Unilateralism Dead? That's a Myth Perception, Jim Mann, LA Times (10/24/01). Bush administration continues along go-it-alone path started before 9/11.
Crumbling public sector makes US vulnerable, Naomi Klein, Common Dreams (10/24/01). Infrastructure is foundation of security & crucial to fighting terrorism.
Propaganda
War May Miss Targets, Mark Davis, CNN (10/23/01). Reaction to US dropping of leaflets & food packets along with bombs in Afghanistan.
Take
a Guess: Who's Going to Pay for the Terror Economy?, Robert Reich, LA
Times (10/23/01).
Income & capital gains tax cuts for rich now; payroll tax hikes
on middle & lower incomes to come.
The Clash
of Ignorance, Edward W. Said, Nation (10/22/01). "Clash of civilizations" argument perpetuates cold war paradigm &
Western belief in cultural superiority.
Blind Faith: W.'s Unreliable
Advisor on Islam, Franklin Foer, New Republic (10/22/01). Republicans like David Forte’s message that anything this evil can’t
be religious; but his Islamic scholarship is questionable.
Bush
Works to Define a War Without Clear Lines, Richard T. Cooper, LA Times (10/22/01).
Problems with how Bush is shaping U.S. response to 9/11.
At
Pentagon, Worries Over War's Costs, Consequences,
Thomas E. Ricks, Wash Post (10/21/01)
Pentagon officials privately express concern about long term consequences of
war on Afghanistan.
A
Just War? Stephen Shalom, ZNet (10/21/01). Critique of Richard Falk’s argument in Nation that war on Afghanistan is
a just war.
Brothers
in Arms - and Cash and Intelligence, Jamie Wilson, et al., Guardian (10/20/01). List by country of US carrot-&-stick inducements to bring allies into anti-terror
coalition.
The
Wrong Battle Plan, Robert A. Pape, Washington Post (10/19/01). Bombing rarely convinces or coerces, just angers; just as US has been angered
by 9/11 attacks.
Don't
Blame It on Bill Clinton, Bill Press CNN (10/18/01). Takes Republicans to task for blaming 9/11 on Clinton; details Clintons actions against terrorism.
The Eichmann Scenario: An
alternative to war, Tariq Ali, Counterpunch (10/15/01). Israel captured & brought Eichmann to justice without war. Why can’t
US do same with bin Laden?
Clash
of Civilizations? Think Again,
Marwan Bishara, Counterpunch (10/15/01). Effects of anti-terror coalition on internal politics of Middle Eastern countries
as well as regional politics.
The
Most Potent Weapon in the West's Arsenal is Aid, not Armaments, Mary Riddell, Observer (10/14/01). War on Afghanistan won't achieve stated objectives.
Why the US
Is Losing the Propaganda War, Eric Boehlert, Salon (10/12/01). US appears unable and unwilling to explain goals of war on Afghanistan to
Muslim world.
Calling for a Wider,
but Smarter War, David Corn, Alternet (10/12/01). Non-military steps needed to prepare ourselves against future attacks.
Why
U.S. anti-terrorist message won’t fly in Islamic world, William O.
Beeman, Pacific News Service (10/11/01). History of exploitation makes US war on terrorism seem like latest version of
Western colonialism.
Words
and Image: Weapons of Other War, Michael Dobbs, Washington Post (10/11/01). By failing to respect Islam, US is decisively losing propaganda war.
Heeding Lessons of War Against Drugs, Jim Oliphant, Legal Times (10/11/2001). We haven't won war on drugs in ten years.. How do we think we'll win war on terrorism?
Fear
Must Not Trump Wisdom in the New Cold War, Paul McGeough, Sydney Morning
Herald (10/11/2001). Useful lessons from Cold War to apply to war against terrorism.
The
War Bin Laden Has Already Won, Jonathan Freedland, Guardian (10/10/2001). US & Britain are losing the propaganda war.
Defeating
Terrorism Through Dialogue, Not War, Stuart Rees, Sydney Morning Herald (10/10/01)
Title of article sums it up
This
Man May Become Our Nemesis, Malise Ruthven, Guardian (10/10/01). By withholding evidence we confirm to Islam that western justice is a fraud.
Bush
and Blair Have Already Lost Talking War Across Middle East, Robert Fisk, Independent (10/10/01). Bin Laden successfully articulated demands & grievances of Middle East Muslims;
bombing Afghans & support of Israel undermine coalition against terrorism.
Lost in the rhetorical fog of war, Robert Fisk, Independent (10/9/01). As in Gulf War, media bows to government demands.
Islam
is at the heart of this, Hugo Young, Guardian (10/9/2001). Examines role of Islamic fundamentalism & US imperialism.
America's
Military Strategy, (n.a.) Economist (10/9/01). Victory in modern war is as much about hearts & minds as annihilation.
Say
What You Want, But This War Is Illegal, Michael Mandel, Tummy (10/9/01). Application of Article 51 of UN charter to current situation; UN Security
Council actions since 9/11.
Beyond Bread
and Bombs, Paul McGeough, Sydney Morning Herald (10/9/01). US needs foreign policy changes.
Disputing
the Focus on Bin Laden, Samuel G. Freedman, NY Times (10/9/01). Focus on bin Laden obscures deeper roots of radical Islam's assault on West.
Arab
Street Contradicts the Silence of its Leaders, Karl Vick & Howard Schneider, Washington Post (10/9/01). Egyptian & Saudi reactions to bombing of Afghanistan.
Europe:
Breaking a Web, Bruce Crumley, Time Magazine Europe (10/8/01). Cross-border cooperation successfully identifies and apprehends terrorists.
US
Strategy and Pak Concerns, M.S. Qazi, Frontier Post (10/8/01). Pakistani perspective on US war on terrorism.
A Time of Reckoning,
Fawaz A. Gerges, NY Times (10/8/01). Arab & Muslim suspicions of war aims.
Intolerant
Liberalism, Madeleine Bunting, Guardian (10/8/2001). West's arrogant assumption of superiority as dangerous as other forms of fundamentalism.
War and Peace,
Gary Kamiya, Salon (10/8/01). US must 'join', not merely lead the world, & change foreign policies to
defeat terrorism.
Our
Friends Are Killers, Crooks and Torturers, Robert Fisk, Independent (10/7/01). US allies in anti-terrorism coalition have their own human rights abuses.
A New
Kind of War Plan, Michael R. Gordon, NY Times (10/7/01). Is the Powell doctrine of unrelenting force, clear political goals & exit
strategy an anachronism in Bush's war on terrorism?
Omens
of Terror, (n.a.) LA Times (10/7/01). CIA doesn't need more information, just more & better brain power.
UN Terrorism Talks
Favor Cooperation Over Retaliation, Jim Wurst, Common Dreams (10/6/01). Recommendations of UN General Assembly's debate on terrorism.
Apartheid
in the Mind, Saeed Naqvi, Indian Express (10/5/01). Effects of military reprisal on regional politics; role for media and gov'ts
in educating US on Muslims/Islam.
War Against an Undefined Term:
What is a Terrorist Anyway?, Michael Kinsley, MSNBC (10/5/01). How to define terrorist while protecting civil liberties & avoiding creation
of a police state. Definition in current bill too broad.
Dissenting Voices,
Jihan Alaily, Al-Ahram (10/4/01). Egyptian media reports on US antiwar movement.
Think Before You
Bomb, Michael Jansen, Al-Ahram (10/4-10/01)
In War on Terrorism, Information Becomes a Prime Weapon, Miles Benson, Newhouse
News (10/3/01). Defines, discusses "infowar", propaganda side of military action
Scrambling
to Get on Board: The New Battlefield, Marcela Sanchez, Washington Post
(10/3/01). Officials seek to merge wars on drugs & terrorism, to keep hand in Latin America.
Behind
the Burka, Polly Toynbee, Guardian (9/28/01). War between reason/unreason is ultimately about women. Why are they excluded
from dialogues about Afghan future?
Anti-Terrorism
Questions for Bush, Martin A. Lee, Consortium News (9/30/01). Questions for President & press.
Backlash & backtrack, Edward Said, Al-Ahram 553 (9/27/01). Bush rhetoric on bin Laden made him face of Islam for most Americans,
who lack positive information against which to balance it, thereby fanning
hatred & racism.
Collective passion,
Edward Said, Al-Ahram 552 (9/20/01). Media coverage of 9/11 & aftermath obliterates historical understanding & funnels collective emotions into war effort, with little consideration
of long term consequences.
US
Policy Toward Political Islam. Stephen Zunes, Foreign Policy in Focus (Alternet) (9/12/01). Fundamentalist threat used to justify military expansion in Middle East; but same Muslim hardliners were supported when thought to advance
US interests.
Hunt, Not Witchhunt, for Terrorists, Ear Ofari Hutchinson, Alternet (9/11/01). President Bush, media's finger pointing at Islam stirs fears of new wave of Arab-American bashing
On the Web: Specialized Sites
Emergency Response Research Institute (ERRI).
Friends Committee on National Legislation.
Justice for Lynne Stewart.
Media
Education Foundation.
Watch/News: Covering the War on Terror.
In the Library: Articles
Ahmad, Eqbal. "Missile diplomacy," Nation (9/21/98).
Albright, David & Kathryn Buehler, Holly Higgins. "Bin Laden and the bomb," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 58,1 (1-2/2002):23-24.
Allen, John. "Role playing,"
On Wisconsin (2/02):40-43. Physicist at Defense Threat Reduction Agency
helps government "get into minds of terrorists" to see what would
deter them from acting.
Barber, Benjamin R. "Beyond Jihad vs. McWorld. On terrorism & the new
democratic realism," Nation (1/21/02):11-18. The only war worth
winning is the struggle for democracy everywhere.
__________. "Democracy now. The world needs more ballots, not bullets," In these Times (12/10/01):13-15.
Bayoumi, Moustafa. "A bloody stupid war," MERIP Report 231 (sum 04):36-45.
Beeman, William O. "Terrorism: community based or state supported?"
American-Arab Affairs 6 (spr 1986): 29-36.
Bello, Walden. "A 'second front' in the Philippines," Nation (3/18/02):18-22.
Butler, Judith. "Guantánamo
limbo. International law offers too little protection for prisoners of the new
war," Nation (4/1/02):20-14.
Cockburn, Alexander. "The Left & the just war," Nation (11/12/01).
__________. "The wide world
of torture," Nation (11/26 01).
Cole, David. "Terrorist scare," Nation (4/19/99):26-28.
__________. "Secrecy, guilt
by association & the terrorist profile," Journal of Law & Religion
15 (2001).
Cooper, Christopher & Ian Johnson, "Money Network Tied to Terrorism
Survives Assault," Wall Street Journal (4/22/02) Al Barakaat may
have been destroyed but money transfer network survives.
Corn, David. "Their spy in the sky," Nation (11/26/01):6-8.
How Pentagon denied the public access to satellite images of damage on ground
in Afghanistan.
Cox, Harvey. "Religion & the war against evil," Nation
(12/24/01):29-31.
Davies, Frank & Stephen Henderson. "Terror suspect's rights weighed," San Jose Mercury (11/11/03):1A,10A.
Dreyfuss, Robert. "Colin Powell's
list," Nation (3/25/02):16-20.
Falk, Richard. "Ends & means: defining a just war," Nation (10/29/ 01). See also debate over it in 11/26 issue, pp. 2 & 57-61, &
Falk’s response.
__________. "In defense of ‘just war’ thinking," Nation (12/24/01):23-7.
Fishman, Ted C. "Making a killing:
the myth of capital's good intentions," Harper's (8/02):33-41.
Fisk, Robert. "Europe must stop parroting the American script in the Middle
East," Independent (2/22/02).
Gordan, Neve. "Hate turns shameless in war on terrorism," National Catholic Reporter (5/24/02):26.
Hall, Kevin. "Spain indicts Al-Jazeera correspondent," San Jose Mercury (11/2/03):21A.
Hersh, Seymour M. "Manhunt," New Yorker (12/23&30/02):66-73
__________. “The stovepipe,” New Yorker (10/27/03):77-87.
Ireland, Doug. "Cracks in the
coalition," In These Times (12/10/01):16-17.
Klare, Michael T. "The geopolitics of war," Nation (11/5/01).
Lakoff, George. "Metaphors of terror," In These Times (10/29/01):21-4.
Lemann, Nicholas. "What terrorists want. Is there a better way to defeat
Al-Qaeda?" New Yorker (10/29/01):36-41.
__________. "Psychology is the
key to victory [interview w/Ken Adelman advancing argument for a wider war]"
Sunday London Times (11/4/01).
Lortie, Bret. "The big 'what-if'," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 58,1 (1-2/2002):16-18.
Mayer, Jane. “Lost in the jihad,” New Yorker (3/10/03):50-59.
Rothschild, Matthew. "Robert Fisk (interview)" Progressive (10/01):35-39.
Roy, Olivier. "America &
the new terrorism: an exchange," Survival 42,2 (sum 2000):156-72.
Shank, Gregory. "Counterterrorism & foreign policy," Crime
& Social Justice 27-28 (1987):33-65.
Schell, Jonathan. "The new brink," Nation (11/12/01):9.
Scherer, Michael. “Business blacklists,” Mother Jones (5-6/03):17-18.
Williams, Patricia J. "Homeland insecurity," Nation (11/12/01):11.
Ziferstein, Isidore. "Psychological habituation to war," American Journal of Orthopsychiatry ?,? (4/67). How government propaganda prepares people for war.
In the Library: Non-Fiction Books
Anonymous [Michael Scheurer]. Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror (Washington: Brassey's, 2004).
Bamford, James. A Pretext for War:9/11, Iraq, & the Abuse of America's Intelligence Agencies (NY: Anchor, 2005).
Barber, Benjamin R. Jihad vs. McWorld (NY, 1995).
Bennis, Phyllis. Before & After: US foreign Policy & the September 11th Crisis (NY: Interlink, 2002).
Bernstein, Richard J. The Abuse of Evil (Cambridge: Polity, 2006). Challenges notion that without an appeal to moral abslutes, we lack will to fight enemies decisively.
Brown, Michael A. Lessons in Terror (2005).
Buck-Morss, Susan. Thinking Past Terror: Islamism & Critical Theory on the Left (NY: Verso, 2003).
Chomsky, Noam. The New War on Terrorism (Oakland CA: AK, 2002).
Collins, John & Ross Glover. Collateral Language: A User's Guide to America's New War (NY: NYU, 2003).
Cooley, John K. Unholy Wars. Afghanistan, America & International Terrorism (London, 1999).
Evangelista, Matthew & David Wippman (eds.) New Wars, New Laws? (Ardsley NY: Transnational, 2004?).
Falk, Richard. The Great Terror War (NY: Olive Branch, 2003).
Goldstein, Joshua S. The Real Price of War: How You Pay for the War on Terror (NY: NYU, 2005). Argues that huge cost of war must be born by everyone now by increasing rather than cutting taxes.
Goodin, Robert. What's Wrong with Terrorism? (Boston: Polity, 2005). Terrorism's purpose is to create fear for socio-political gain. Politicians who spread fear to combat terrorism accomplish the same purpose.
Heymann, Philip B. Terrorism, Freedom & Security: Winning without War (Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2003).
Hoge, James Jr. (ed.) How Did This Happen? Terrorism & the New War (NY, 2001).
Johnson, Chalmers. Blowback: The Costs & Consequences of American Empire (NY, 2001).
Kolko, Gabriel. Another Century of War? (NY: New , 2003).
Lapham, Lewis. Theater of War (NY: New , 2003).
Mahajan, Rahul. The New Crusade:
America's War on Terrorism (NY: Monthly Review, 2002).
Packer, George (ed.) The Fight is for Democracy (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 2003).
Reeve, Simon. The New Jackals. Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden & the Future of Terrorism (Boston, 1999).
Reinares, Fernando (ed.) European Democracies Against Terrorism: Governmental Policies & Intergovernmental Cooperation (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2001).
Retort. Afflicted Powers: Capital & Spectacle in a New Age of War (London: Verso, 2005).
Silvers, Robert B. & Barbara Epstein (eds.) Striking Terror: America's New War (NY: NY Review, 2002).
Stern, Jessica. The Ultimate Terrorists (Cambridge MA, 1999).
Talbott, Strobe & Nayan Chanda (eds.) The Age of Terror (NY: Basic Books, 2001).
Vidal, Gore. Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace (NY: Nation Books, 2002).