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Cosmopolitanism: How the UK Government and News Media Structure the Order of Security Discourse to Impede Challenges on Torture and Abuse

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Risk-cosmopolitanism: How the UK Government and news media structure the order of security discourse to impede challenges on torture and abuse Mark Pope Royal Holloway University of London Department of Politics and International Relations Thesis submitted for the degree: D. Phil in Politics and International Relations 2014 1 Declaration of Authorship I, Mark Pope, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. Signed: ___________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________________________________________________________ 2 Abstract This thesis explores UK news discourse on counterterrorism. News discourse on counterterrorism involves representations of history, space and identities in order to frame risks, threats and responses. To gain analytical purchase on this, this research considers the forms of cosmopolitanism that emerge in this context and how they are constructed. The concept of cosmopolitanism not only provides critical purpose and a benchmark to evaluate how the order of discourse could be different, but it is utilised here as an analytical tool. Recognising diverse interpretations of the concept of cosmopolitanism, a review of academic literature delineates cosmopolitan perspectives pertinent to a study on counterterrorism that are then located in the news discourse. The first case study centres on discourse surrounding interrogation techniQues used in Northern Ireland in the 1970s and adds a comparative perspective for three 21st century case studies on UK complicity in torture, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Pakistan and the passage of the UK Justice and Security Bill (2012-2013) through parliament. Through assessment of texts and the use of interviews and ethnographic methods this critical discourse analysis explores the dialectical relations between juridical, academic, governmental and activist fields, denoting strategies employed by key actors. This study finds that in contemporary discourse risk-based cosmopolitanism is most prominent. Discussion of transnational and diffuse terrorist threats and counterterrorism measures have reinforced risk discourses and impacted on the cosmopolitanism that has emerged. A focus on risk has been reflected beyond government and news media fields thereby diminishing concerns for the Other. Despite the rise of transnationalism, risk discourses are supported through a national pride that has remained constant surrounding security since the 1970s. Overall, this thesis demonstrates how actors from government and news media fields have influenced political communication, thereby minimising, although not categorically precluding, the imperative for policy change. 3 Contents Page Declaration of Authorship ................................................................................................. 2 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 3 Contents Page ................................................................................................................... 4 List of figures and pictures ................................................................................................ 7 Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... 8 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................... 10 Prologue .......................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 17 1.1 The Puzzle and why it should be investigated ................................................... 17 1.2 Existing literature and unexplored avenues ...................................................... 21 a) Political communication models, discourse and securitisation ........................ 22 b) Themes relevant to analysis of news discourse on security ............................. 25 1.3 Unsolved questions ............................................................................................ 31 1.4 My research questions ....................................................................................... 32 1.5 Key concepts ....................................................................................................... 33 1.6 Introduction to the Methodology ...................................................................... 35 1.7 Contributions to the field ................................................................................... 38 1.8 Chapter summaries ............................................................................................. 38 Chapter 2: Methodology derived froM Critical Discourse Analysis ................................... 43 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 43 2.2 Literature Review of Critical Discourse Analysis ................................................ 45 a) Teun van Dijk’s sociocognitive application of CDA ........................................... 46 b) Norman Fairclough’s Dialectical Relational Approach ..................................... 48 c) Ruth Wodak’s Discourse Historical Approach ................................................... 54 2.3 Pilot study on UK news media coverage of complicity in torture ..................... 60 2.4 Application of My Methodology in further chapters ......................................... 64 Chapter 3: AcadeMic perspectives on cosmopolitanisM ................................................... 74 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 74 3.2 Moral cosMopolitanisM ...................................................................................... 77 3.3 Cosmopolitanism and Law ................................................................................. 80 4 3.4 Deliberated cosmopolitanisM ............................................................................ 83 3.5 Post-universal and cultural cosmopolitanism .................................................... 87 3.6 The cosMopolitan outlook through risk collectivities ....................................... 91 3.7 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 95 Chapter 4: Counterterrorism in Northern Ireland - 1971-1979 .......................................... 99 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 99 4.2 The development of the ‘five techniques' outside of the UK .......................... 102 4.3 Revelations regarding ‘the five techniques’: August 1971 – NoveMber 1971 107 4.4 The Compton and Parker Enquiries .................................................................. 113 4.5 Ireland vs. UK and the European Convention on HuMan Rights ..................... 118 4.6 Counterterrorism discourse leads to surreptitious Government policy ......... 125 4.7 Revelations of Ill-treatMent of detainees by the RUC 1976-1979 ................... 131 4.8 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 134 Chapter 5: UK Government complicity in torture after 11th SepteMber 2001 .................. 140 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 140 5.2 Discourse on torture – maintaining identity while cultivating risk ................. 142 5.3 Transnational complicity and responsibility for the Other ............................. 148 5.4 News values: comprehensibility, authority, ‘newness’ and relevance ........... 155 5.5 The case of BinyaM MohaMed – challenging the order of discourse .............. 159 5.6 The announcement of the Detainee Inquiry on 6th July 2010 ........................ 163 5.7 Risk discourses surrounding an iMMinent attack ............................................ 168 5.8 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 173 Chapter 6: The UK Justice and Security Bill 2012-2013 .................................................... 179 6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 179 6.2 Open justice and natural justice ....................................................................... 182 6.3 ArguMentation on the Justice and Security Bill ............................................... 185 6.4 The securitisation of justice .............................................................................. 190 6.5 The weaker rule: deMocratic accountability through open justice ................ 195 6.6 Defence of particular communities .................................................................. 197 6.7 Legislative Scrutiny ........................................................................................... 202 6.8 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 210 5 Chapter 7: The use of arMed UnManned Aerial Vehicles in Pakistan and YeMen ...........
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