The war on terror was the right response to 9/11

Let’s face it, Al-Qaeda was never a proper enemy. It was and is a terrorist organisation, not a nation state, and the right way to deal with terrorists is vigilance and high-grade intelligence. Declaring war on them only fuels the flames of hatred and violence. That’s the standard charge laid against the administration of George W. Bush.

But ffr all the cost in money and lives, the Iraq invasion toppled a tyrant and brought its people democracy, however imperfectly. Left alone in their hiding places in Pakistan and Yemen, the militants of Al-Qaeda will continue their training and plotting and America is quite right to be stepping up its drone and jet attacks against them.

That’s what the defenders of the war on terror say. Come to the debate and see if you agree.

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IQ2 audio, video & written

Our mission in Afghanistan is destined to fail

1 hr 40 min
America should be the world's policeman

1 hr 45 min
We cannot win in Afghanistan
The law of war is a weapon for the powerful
Afghanistan - The Future

1 hr 5 min
America cannot succeed in Afghanistan/Pakistan

1 hr 49 min
Better rough justice than another 9/11

1 hr 22 min
Pervez Musharraf in conversation

1 hr 27 min
Building a mosque near Ground Zero is abhorrent: it should not be built
We needn't fear the terrorist threat

IQ2 audio, video & written

Our mission in Afghanistan is destined to fail

1 hr 40 min
America should be the world's policeman

1 hr 45 min
We cannot win in Afghanistan
The law of war is a weapon for the powerful
Afghanistan - The Future

1 hr 5 min
America cannot succeed in Afghanistan/Pakistan

1 hr 49 min
Better rough justice than another 9/11

1 hr 22 min
Pervez Musharraf in conversation

1 hr 27 min
Building a mosque near Ground Zero is abhorrent: it should not be built
We needn't fear the terrorist threat

External content

Noam Chomsky on terrorism

7 min 37 sec
War and terror with Philip Bobbitt

32 min 1 sec
Pakistan and the global war on terrorism

1 hr 51 min
Noam Chomsky on the illegal invasion of Afghanistan

2 min 4 sec
Doha debate - ‘the war on terror is becoming a war on Islam

10 min

Profiles

The War on Terror - a timeline

Best articles & links on the web

Jeremy Greenstock on Diplomacy
Jeremy Greenstock, The Browser
The veteran diplomat talks about the history and future of diplomacy. On Iraq: ‘The magnificent work that was done was largely wasted, and lives with it – both Iraqi and outsiders’.
A Coalition Forms
Bill Berkeley, William McNulty and Archie Tse, NYT, 29 Dec 2001
Looking at the path of from 9/11, from the attacks to military action and the various arguments, after on the 15th September 2001 ‘President Bush says the U.S. is at war and tells the military to ‘‘get ready.’’’ The article demonstrates the huge global divisions caused by initial reactions to the declaration of war, and the impact they are having ten years on.
Distorted Morality: America's War on Terror?
Noam Chomsky, chomsky.info, 01 Feb 2002
Noam Chomsky on the morality of the war on terror, from philosophical definitions to the history of war and terror in the world, examining inconsistencies in judgement from international governments.
No dignity at Ground Zero
Mona Eltahawy, Guardian, 03 May 2011
An examination of the responses to the announcement of Osama Bin Laden’s death in New York.