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January 16, 2009
I see that the British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, has argued that the war on terrorism was misconceived and that the West could not "kill its way" out of the threats it faced. He says:
Since the events of that September, the notion of a war on terrorism has defined the terrain. The phrase had some merit: it captured the gravity of the threats, the need for solidarity, and the need to respond urgently - where necessary, with force.But ultimately, the notion is misleading and mistaken. The idea of a war on terrorism gave the impression of a unified, transnational enemy, embodied in the figure of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. The reality is that the motivations and identities of terrorist groups are disparate.
Well it has taken a long time for that to be said. How about disassociating the UK Government from the use of torture and rendition?
Leunig
He adds that the war on terrorism also implied that the correct response was primarily military.That could apply to the Gaza strip could it not. After the ceasefire Hamas is still left standing as the democratic government of Gaza.
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They're all coming out of the closet in Bush's final week.
Conventional war was never going to work on terrorism. Yes, we have been torturing. Yes, torture is wrong. No, we will not be keeping Gitmo. Golly, something bad appears to be happening in Gaza.
I wouldn't put money on anyone being prosecuted for any of it though.