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The War on Terror As a Self-Inflicted Disaster Ian S

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The War on Terror As a Self-Inflicted Disaster Ian S *ğĕĖġĖğĕĖğĥ 3065*/( 10-*$:3&1035 Our Own Strength Against Us The War on Terror as a Self-Inflicted Disaster Ian S. Lustick* April 2008 &YFDVUJWF4VNNBSZ The War on Terror is much more than a colos- serious terrorist threat cannot even be a topic of sal waste. It is the most potent threat Americans public discussion. Politicians, the news media, face to their liberties and security. With one rival government agencies, defense contractors, spectacular blow al-Qaeda managed to exploit lobbyists of all kinds, universities, and the enter- the fantasies of a “New American Century” ca- tainment industry battle ferociously to increase bal inside the Bush administration and sucker revenues and pump up reputations by posing as the American people and its leaders into a re- more committed to winning the War on Terror sponse that serves its interests. The overstated, than their competitors. Frustrated by their in- but publicly honored, “War on Terror” and the ability to find any evidence of serious terrorist catastrophic invasion of Iraq associated with it activities in the U.S., law enforcement and re- rescued the jihadi movement from oblivion by lated agencies escalate techniques of pre-emp- convincing most of the Muslim world that ji- tive prosecution and entrapment to justify their hadi propaganda about the “infidel Christians enormous budgets. and Jews” was actually correct. Terror is a problem, but the War on Terror, At home, Americans have been so bam- because it turns U.S. power against America, is boozled by the hysterical imagery of the War on a catastrophe. Terror that the absence of evidence of a truly *Ian S. Lustick is Research Fellow at the Independent Institute and Professor of Political Science and Director of Graduate Studies in the Political Science Department at the University of Pennsylvania, where he holds the Bess W. Heyman Chair. Independent Policy Reports are published by the Independent Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, scholarly research and educational organization that sponsors comprehensive studies on the political economy of critical social and economic issues. Nothing herein should be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Independent Institute or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress. Copyright ©2008 by The Independent Institute All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by electronic or mechanical means now known or to be invented, including photocopying, recording, or information stor- age and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. The Independent Institute 100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428 Telephone: 510-632-1366 · Fax: 510-568-6040 Email: [email protected] Website: www.independent.org ISBN 13: 978-1-59813-024-9 Our Own Strength Against Us The War on Terror as a Self-Inflicted Disaster Ian S. Lustick The Terrorists Are Coming! The ports, our power systems: Are they vulnerable to Terrorists Are Coming! terror? Anderson Cooper investigates whether the government is ignoring vulnerabilities at home— It is not terrorism that frightens Americans, and it is and whether we’re prepared for the next natural or not the terrorists who can seriously hurt the United human-made disaster.” 2 States of America. What keeps so many Americans Truly terrifying dramatizations of some of terrified and what can inflict truly enormous dam- the imaginable horrors terrorists might inflict on age on our nation is the War on Terror. Consider the America drive home the point of the show. Here’s following typical example of War on Terror propa- one, taken from the transcript of the show: ganda. On February 20, 2007, CNN’s Anderson Cooper David Mattingly, CNN correspondent (voice- presented an hour-long “scare-you-mentary” enti- over): This is the scenario—a summer after- tled “The Edge of Disaster.” 1 Based on former Bush noon in Philadelphia, the parking lot still fill- administration official Stephen Flynn’s book by that ing up with fans streaming into the stadium title, the segment dramatized the horrors of various for a Phillies home game. The beer cold, the imaginable terrorist attacks in the United States. air warm. The ballpark fills with anticipation, The segment has been updated and rebroadcast as the players take the field. repeatedly on CNN, most recently on July 5, 2007, (on camera): But as the first pitch rockets following the failed London and Glasgow attacks in towards home plate, none of the 45,000 inside Britain. A version of the show, “We Were Warned: has any idea of the terrible turn their lives are The Edge of Disaster,” was also advertised by CNN about to take. That’s because terrorists not far as available free of charge for schools to record and away are moving forward on a plot to turn this present in classes (Grade 7 through college) with stadium into both a spectacular political state- the following come-on: “America’s food supply, our ment and a mass grave. 4 | the independent institute (voice-over): It took years of planning to Next, immeasurable horror and agony as get to this point. The radicals have been qui- it reaches the stadium. Thousands begin to etly and legally acquiring licenses and jobs that choke, convulse and die. give them the means to launch an act of terror Few Americans would find this type of “report- so horrifying it could be worse than the attacks ing” unusual. Since 9/11 Americans have been of 9/11. deluged with warnings, predictions, and images of And this is how it begins. Two trucks terror catastrophes. In shaping beliefs about the ter- wind their way through the streets of South rorist threat we face, the pervasiveness and power of Philly, but strangely their destination isn’t the these “could-well-happen” scenarios far outweigh stadium. It’s the sprawling oil refinery just two the absence of any actual terrorism inside our bor- miles away. ders since 2001. These widely publicized disaster (on camera): Their mission ends here on scenarios also help to account for the stable poll- this road, as the first truck crashes into the re- ing numbers showing that ever since 2001, most finery gates. The driver sets off a bomb, killing Americans have believed another 9/11–scale attack himself and anyone who might be nearby. The would occur within the next three months.3 blast blows a hole in the gate big enough for This kind of reporting exploits and aggravates the second truck to drive through. normal anxieties, as do terror-related films, nov- (voice-over): The second truck is a huge els, and television. The general narrative thereby tanker filled with gasoline. When it crashes imposed on the consciousness of the American pub- into a tank, the driver sets off another bomb. lic also carries other messages. One is that the War Louder than thunder, it brings a momentary on Terror is all that stands between the American hush to the Phillies game two miles away. Fans people and catastrophe. Another is that despite have no way of knowing a catastrophe is only politicians’ rhetoric, it is not being prosecuted seri- beginning. ously enough or with enough resources to give the (on camera): That’s because inside this American people the protection they need. These refinery there’s a dangerous chemical called and other related messages result in a public dis- hydrofluoric acid, and it’s the terrorists’ lethal course that focuses on whether the War on Terror weapon. When it spills, it creates a poisonous suffers from insufficient resources and incompetent vapor, an invisible toxic cloud the wind will implementation. That discourse preempts any ques- carry for miles. tions that might otherwise be raised about whether (voice-over): As the toxic plume engulfs there really is a sizeable terrorist threat and whether nearby south Philly neighborhoods, windows the War on Terror is a justified response. broken by the explosions expose people inside Because the enormity and immediacy of the their homes. They are the first outside the terrorist threat that putatively justify the War on plant to die. Terror have become unquestioned assumptions in Then at the stadium, a warning an- American public debate, simply asking whether ter- nouncement. Fans rush for the exits. But even rorism really does warrant a “war” requires challeng- if they move quickly, many have nowhere to ing, if not dismantling, deeply ingrained views on go. Instantly, the parking lot is gridlocked. the meaning of the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath. Traffic on the surrounding streets crawls, and Only by asking whether the War on Terror should then just stops. Tens of thousands are trapped be prosecuted at all, however—and thereby expos- trying to get away. Our Own Strength Against Us | 5 ing oneself to accusations of naiveté, a pre-9/11 specific networks and individuals within the mentality, or even pro-terrorist sympathy—can we jihadi wing of the Salafi movement responsible get beyond the question of whether it is being pros- for planning and executing the 9/11 attacks; ecuted effectively or not. • focused all our national resources and inter- Because the War on Terror is linked so closely national goodwill on the reconstruction of to the 9/11 attacks, asking whether there should Afghanistan after the overthrow of the Taliban be a War on Terror means first asking what other to demonstrate that even the most “backward” responses were available in September 2001 and why of Muslim countries could enjoy the fruits the War on Terror response, and not others, was cho- of a democratic regime consistent with basic sen.
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