War on Terrorism

Another Frankenstein’s Monster

by Sheldon Richman December 27, 2002

When a nemesis such as Osama bin Laden speaks, one would expect his words to be of great interest. But this is apparently not the case. The latest audiotape of a voice purporting to be bin Laden’s prompted discussion principally of three issues: (1) Was it really him? (2) Why wasn’t it a videotape? (3) Where is he? There was ...

The Axis and the Bully

by Scott McPherson December 17, 2002

Hoping to rally the country and the world around his “war on terrorism,” President Bush previously identified an “axis of evil” of rogue states that he claimed help to train, fund, support, or provide safe haven to terrorists, states that he hinted could easily find themselves in the sights of the U.S. war machine. These ...

Arrogance Is Humility

by Sheldon Richman December 4, 2002

Taking a step back from all the particulars, the lesson of 9/11 is that for more than 50 years the U.S. government has put the American people in harm’s way by its heavy-handed intervention in bitter disputes throughout the Middle East. Then, despite hundreds of billions spent each year on “national security” and countless signals ...

Make Him an Offer He Can’t Accept

by Sheldon Richman September 16, 2002

President Bush is no Don Corleone. When the Godfather wanted something, he would make an uncooperative person an offer he couldn’t refuse. Mr. Bush, following his predecessor, makes his adversary an offer he can’t accept. Former President Clinton did this with President Milosevic of Yugoslavia before launching a war over Kosovo. Clinton made demands — including ...

Homeland Security and the Bureaucratic Dilemma

by Richard M. Ebeling September 1, 2002

On the evening of June 6, 2002, President George W. Bush delivered a brief nationwide television address in which he called for the creation of a new cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security. The president stated that “America is leading the civilized world in a titanic struggle against terror. Freedom and fear are at war. And freedom is winning.” But in ...

Liberty Again at Risk

by Sheldon Richman August 13, 2002

At the root of the concept “America” is the idea that you can go about your daily business without being monitored by the government. Indeed, every piece of literature about the horrors of totalitarianism includes secret police whose job it is to keep tabs on the people because everyone is under suspicion. This more than ...

Anything for War? George W. Bush and the Shadow of FDR

by Richard M. Ebeling August 1, 2002

In 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt declared, “I am perfectly willing to mislead and tell lies if it will help win the war.” Now in wartime it certainly may be necessary for a general or a commander in chief to try to misinform or deceive the enemy about a planned attack or about the defense positions and strength of one’s ...

The De Facto National ID

by Sheldon Richman August 1, 2002

Back in 1996 some members of Congress got the bright idea that they could impose a national ID card on the American people through the backdoor by linking driver’s licenses to Social Security numbers. Fortunately, widespread concern about violations of privacy caused the law to be repealed in 1999 before it took effect. But Washington operates ...

Finding Safety from Terrorism

by Scott McPherson July 1, 2002

Since September 11, safety, security, and liberty are at the forefront of every American’s mind. As in most crises, some Americans believe that a stronger and more powerful central government is the answer. But is it? Responding to an increased demand for protection, the federal government has embraced a number of “solutions” to the terrorist threat, ...

A Positive Development in the War on Terrorism

by Jacob G. Hornberger June 1, 2002

There might be one positive development arising from the U.S. government’s reaction to its failure to prevent the 9/11 attacks. The Washington Post reported today (May 29) that “the FBI will shift 480 agents from drug and other criminal investigations to counterterrorism posts....” Doesn’t that imply that if FBI agents weren’t spending their time prosecuting ...

9/11 and Pearl Harbor

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 22, 2002

Immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attack, some people compared that attack to the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on 12/7/1941. It now seems that the comparisons might be more appropriate than anyone could have imagined. Prior to Pearl Harbor, the Roosevelt administration ignored increasing signs that a surprise attack somewhere in the Pacific was ...

Bush’s Reluctant Embrace of Civil Liberties

by Jacob G. Hornberger May 10, 2002

Bowing to public pressure, the Bush administration has agreed to modify its rules for its military trials of accused terrorists captured abroad. Included among the new rules are: (1) the accused will be presumed innocent rather than guilty; (2) the accused will have the right to have an attorney represent him; (3) the government will ...