Terrorism Targeting the US

War of Words

Aziz Huq : Presidential Election 2008

An argument over how US officials should speak about terrorism bodes ill for this political season.
Final Fantasy

David Waldstreicher : History

Susan Faludi's Terror Dream made a provocative splash, but therapy is no substitute for understanding reality.

2007

GWOT: Thailand

Noy Thrupkaew : US Foreign Policy

Fear of terrorism has enabled Thailand's military dictatorship.
GWOT: Pakistan

Shahan Mufti : Pakistan

As the Taliban gains strength, a nascent democracy in Pakistan withers.
GWOT: The Philippines

Luis H. Francia : Philippines

Since 9/11 the Philippines have seen an explosion of political killings.
GWOT: El Salvador

Wes Enzinna : US Foreign Policy

A new anti-terrorism law gives El Salvador carte blanche to stifle dissent.
GWOT: Egypt

Negar Azimi : US Foreign Policy

America's "war on terror" has strengthened Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's stranglehold on civil liberties.
The Cinema of Terror

Christine Smallwood : Film

Three new films--Rendition, The Kingdom and Redacted--take on the clash of civilizations. How does the "war on terror" look on the big screen?
Patriot Act's Wide Net

Ken Olsen : Attorney General

The Gonzales Justice Department used the Patriot Act to prosecute a gang of eco-arsonists as terrorists.
Terror at the Nixon Library

Jon Wiener : History

A new exhibit inadvertently displays why Americans might be confused about what terrorism is and how to fight it.

2006

A Progressive Response to Terror

Ken Miller

If the United States can abandon the idea of a "war" on terror in favor of a comprehensive and equitable collective response, we may have a shot at stopping the right from destroying the nation in order to save it.
A Just Response

Katrina vanden Heuvel : US Wars & Military Action

The most effective response to terrorism involves nonmilitary actions in cooperation with the global community and within a framework of domestic and international law.
Groundhog Day

James K. Galbraith : Increased Security After 9/11

From all official statements so far, the August 10 terror plot uncovered in Britain was the biggest thing since 9/11. But then again, perhaps it wasn't. It's not too early to ask the questions on which a final judgment must depend.
Old Threats, New Fears

Robert Scheer : George W. Bush

Investigators have known for a decade about terrorist plots to bring down passenger jets with liquid explosives. So why, all of a sudden, did Bush ban most liquids on flights?
The Plot Against America

Jonathan Shainin : Arab-Americans

John Updike's Terrorist rips its plot from the headlines. But the book's Irish-Egyptian protagonist is paper-thin, and its jihad-lit plot remains stubbornly inanimate, devoid of passion or fury.
Where's 'Real Security'?

William D. Hartung : Democratic Party

Instead of parroting the Republicans' "tough" approach to national security, Democratic candidates should distinguish themselves from the Bush Administration by, for starters, setting a date for withdrawal from Iraq.
A Unified Security Budget

John Conyers : State of the Union

We need a unified security budget to coherently allocate dollars to the military, homeland security and peacemaking efforts abroad.

2005

Intolerable Cruelty

David Cole : John McCain

If the US is to prevail in the war on terror, we must do it by distinguishing ourselves from the enemy. Torture and degrading treatment are as morally evil as terrorism, because they brutally disregard the value of human life.
Blank Check for Bush?

David Cole : The Courts

Recent rulings upholding the right of the executive branch to jail and try terror suspects in military tribunals raise questions about whether the judiciary can keep presidential powers in check. Will a realigned Supreme Court give Bush a blank check to rise above the law?
The FBI Fails (For Now) to Grab Subpoena Powers

David Corn : The Courts

The FBI--with apparent White House approval--continues to seek the authority to bypass the court system in pursuit of evidence against terror suspects.
Iraqis Demand a US Withdrawal

David Enders : Iraq War

Sources on the ground in Iraq say that serious moves toward a pullout will dry up recruitment efforts for jihadi groups.
Desert Storm

Milton Viorst : Non-Fiction

This might be a good time for the Bush Administration to step up its reading on Saudi Arabia, starting with these three books.
Orange Alerts

Calvin Trillin : Office of Homeland Security