Jimmy Carter's national security adviser Brzezinski criticized the Bush administration's rhetoric, specifically the phrase "war on terror," in yesterday's Washington Post. I received the text of the article from my prof, and I didn't want to register for the Post, so I'm not linking the article. But here are some choice passages:
"The phrase itself is meaningless. It defines neither a geographic context nor our presumed enemies. Terrorism is not an enemy but a technique of warfare -- political intimidation through the killing of unarmed non-combatants. But the little secret here may be that the vagueness of the phrase was deliberately (or instinctively) calculated by its sponsors. Constant reference to a 'war on terror' did accomplish one major objective: It stimulated the emergence of a culture of fear."
"The events of 9/11 could have resulted in a truly global solidarity against extremism and terrorism. A global alliance of moderates, including Muslim ones, engaged in a deliberate campaign both to extirpate the specific terrorist networks and to terminate the political conflicts that spawn terrorism would have been more productive than a demagogically proclaimed and largely solitary U.S. 'war on terror' against 'Islamo-fascism.' Only a confidently determined and reasonable America can promote genuine international security which then leaves no political space for terrorism.
Where is the U.S. leader ready to say, 'Enough of this hysteria, stop this paranoia'? Even in the face of future terrorist attacks, the likelihood of which cannot be denied, let us show some sense. Let us be true to our traditions."
It seems the "global solidarity against extremism and terrorism" started to work well in Afghanistan but then fell apart once we got involved in Iraq.
Terminating the "political conflicts that spawn terrorism" is easier said than done. But he makes a good point elsewhere about how the media and entertainment industry reinforce this manufactured idea. Perhaps it's the job of the media, as well as Congress and other political leaders, to reduce the effects of this fear and change policies.
One thing is clear: in addition to figuring out the mess in Iraq, we have to refocus our efforts on peace between Israel and Palestine. It is probably the first step towards undermining and decreasing terrorist motives.
