Sep 13th, 2008
Posted by Jenny Egan at 11:17am	National Security

What Seven Years Have Taught Us

The insightful Suzanne Spaulding has a great Op-Ed in the Guardian on Thursday. Spaulding is the former Assistant General Counsel at the CIA and has spent the last 20 years handling national security issues for Congress and the Executive Branch. She argues that in order to effectively fight terrorism, the U.S. will have to abandon the politics of fear that characterized a September 12, 2001 mentality.

She pays particular attention to the language we use to talk about terrorism. Spaulding argues that the gratuitous use of terms like "jihadist", "crusade", and "global war on terror" after 9/11 helped to unite disparate dangerous groups and grant them legitimacy they did not have on their own. She writes:

Giving terrorists their long-desired but unmerited status as global "holy warriors" reflects a failure to heed the lessons learned in the years since September 12, 2001 — and it strengthens our enemy.

If nothing else, the musings of a certain Secretary of Defense (known unknowns, unknown unknowns...) and a grammatically challenged President have shown us that words really do matter. So the rhetoric of "balancing" civil liberties and security that permeated dialogue after the September 11 attacks has serious implications. Spaulding leaves unanswered the question of why politicians continue to use that language, even after intelligence agencies and the C.I.A. have warned that it puts us in more danger, but it's an important one to ask.

Spaulding does point out that the things that define the United States — civil liberties and democracy key among them — are what we cannot compromise if we want to win an ideological fight. Warrantless spying, rendition, torture, excessive secrecy, indefinite detention, and other constitutional violations don't help but harm us in the end:

On September 12, we thought we could defeat terrorism by going to war. Today, most of us understand that we are engaged in a battle for hearts and minds, competing against the terrorists' narrative of a glorious "global jihad" that attracts idealistic young people looking for answers. The image of America ensuring that even suspected terrorists get their day in court is a powerful antidote to the twisted allure of terrorism. Continuing to work toward the ideal of the shining city on the hill, contrary to the fears of some, is how this country will ultimately prevail against the terrorists.

Permalink |	National Security

1. An American Says:
   Sep 13th, 2008 at 2:12pm

   THIS NEEDS TO GO AROUND THE USA MANY TIMES SO PLEASE KEEP IT GOING. WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT?

   If you look closely at the picture above, you will note that all the Marines pictured are bowing their heads. That's because they're praying. This incident took place at a recent ceremony honoring the birthday of the corps, and it has the ACLU up in arms. 'These are federal employees,' says Lucius Traveler, a spokesman for the ACLU , 'on federal property and on federal time. For them to pray is clearly an establishment of religion, and we must nip this in the bud immediately.' When asked about the ACLU's charges, Colonel Jack Fessender, speaking for the Commandant of the Corps said (cleaned up a bit), 'Screw the ACLU.' GOD Bless Our Warriors, Send the ACLU to France May God Bless America , One Nation Under GOD! What's wrong with the picture? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

   GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!
   I am sorry but I am not breaking this one....Let us pray

   Prayer chain for our Military...please don't break it.

   THIS NEEDS TO GO AROUND THE USA MANY TIMES SO KEEP IT GOING.

2. eduardo Says:
   Sep 15th, 2008 at 8:05am

   hi

   yesterday in a latin american country the patriot act has landed, and withouth congress aproval.

   take a look.

   http://www.bcnbib.gov.ar/institucional/reglamentos.htm

   there is no reference to it, but, people is photographed and a data base with personal data is create to access the congress library.

   the card created will register all the books and service used by people!.

   they only need printed fingers or eye photos, like in Iraq!.

   and all with windows technology and equipment.

   why a latin american goverment (or who) wants a record of people and books they ask? and for what?.

   THINK THAT SOMETIMES THE THIRD WORLD WAS A LABORATORY FOR TOTALITARISM.

3. Runequester Says:
   Sep 15th, 2008 at 11:34am

   Sorry, this may be off topic, but I have a concern that I don't know how to properly deal with. I have heard that the Senate Bill S.1 may cause bloggers to be fined up to $300,000 if they don't register as lobbyists. Allegedly, it is John McCain's baby, and everyone ought to know how he hates bloggers. I understand that it redefines what a lobbyist is. Others say it only refers to high paid bloggers, who get big money trying to start a "grass roots movement". Can anyone clear this up for me?

4. Runequester Says:
   Sep 15th, 2008 at 11:42am

   Excuse me, I forgot to mention that the
   Senate Bill S.1 comment I was referring to is in Section 220, in this bill

5. ROLe Says:
   Apr 19th, 2009 at 2:42pm

   Shaddapp!! You don't negotiate with terrorists you KILL them. Just like you don't negotiate with cockroaches, you kill them. Idiot. Come on everybody!! Let's sit around in a circle jerk and sing kumbiya, or how ever the hell it is spelled, then let them put a slug into the back of our heads like the cowards that they are. I'll tell you what. Let's let all the lefties go to Iraq or Afghanistan to have a pow wow and then let's see how many of those morons come back. None I hope.