New America Foundation Hosts Conference on "Terrorism, Security and America's Purpose: Towards a More Comprehensive Strategy"
On September 6-7, 2005, Washington, D.C. was the scene of a unique dialogue among national and international policy-makers. It was sponsored by the New America Foundation and six institutional co-sponsors. Collaborators included think-tanks of all persuasions and the Club of Madrid, a democracy-building consortium of 55 former presidents of democratic countries. A number of new and provocative policy options were put on the table for dealing with the underlying causes and consequences of 21st century terrorist attacks and the Bush administration's "global war on terrorism".
Despite being held "inside the beltway" only two blocks from the White House, what made the dialogue unique was the fact that views diverging from those of the Bush administration regarding the causes of terrorism were seriously considered, including those of the few Muslims in attendance. Most notably, economic and political causes of 21st century terrorist attacks dating back to U.S. and Western colonial interference in the Middle East were examined and brought up to date. Continued interferences that were identified include persistent U.S. support of despotic, theocratic regimes in the region and elsewhere; its uncompromising support of Israel and apparent disdain for the rights of Palestinians; the implanting of U.S. military installations on Middle East soil; and U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 in search of oil, additional permanent military bases and opportunities to create unfettered free market economies.
Government officials, security analysts, academic experts and journalists from the U.S. and Europe emphasized the counterproductive consequences of U.S. military operations in Iraq that have dramatically increased terrorist attacks and anti-U.S. sentiment around the world. These operations include egregious U.S. violation of international laws through its detention, rendition and interrogation practices that have resulted in the torture and inhumane treatment of civilians and combatants taken prisoner by U.S. forces.
Several speakers proposed unique policy options that have rarely if ever been discussed on U.S. soil. One was that the time has come to negotiate a nonviolent solution to the conflict between the U.S. and the emerging global disapora of successors to the original al Qaeda movement. Another was that the economic and political grievances of indigenous Muslim groups must be resolved by global civil society and the international community of law-abiding nations - not the U.S. government - to assure that these groups can freely acquire sustainable livelihoods and political and civil rights without U.S. coercion or interference in their domestic affairs.
Several speakers argued without opposition that the U.S. government under the Bush administration lacks the legitimacy, the know-how and the institutional resources needed to build democracies abroad. The institutional failures of the federal government to protect American citizens from either 9/11 or the far more numerous but preventable human losses from Katrina demonstrate that it has too much work to do at home to shore up its internal defences against natural and terrorist diasters than to dissipate its resources in counterproductive military campaigns abroad.
At the end of the conference, the bipartisan Partnership for a Secure America comprised of incumbent and former Congressional representatives, ambassadors and high level government officials issued a statement calling for a bipartisan approach to developing U.S. foreign policy as it relates to terrorism and national security. A copy of the statement can be found with the summary reports of the conference working groups on the Terrorism, Security and America's Purpose website. The webcast and videotapes of the conference can also be accessed at the site.
Of note is a follow-up event announced at the conference, co-sponsored by the New America Foundation and AmericanRespect.com. An interdisciplinary policy dialogue, BEYOND BULLETS: Economic Strategies in the Fight against Terrorism, will take place on September 21, 2005.
Despite being held "inside the beltway" only two blocks from the White House, what made the dialogue unique was the fact that views diverging from those of the Bush administration regarding the causes of terrorism were seriously considered, including those of the few Muslims in attendance. Most notably, economic and political causes of 21st century terrorist attacks dating back to U.S. and Western colonial interference in the Middle East were examined and brought up to date. Continued interferences that were identified include persistent U.S. support of despotic, theocratic regimes in the region and elsewhere; its uncompromising support of Israel and apparent disdain for the rights of Palestinians; the implanting of U.S. military installations on Middle East soil; and U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 in search of oil, additional permanent military bases and opportunities to create unfettered free market economies.
Government officials, security analysts, academic experts and journalists from the U.S. and Europe emphasized the counterproductive consequences of U.S. military operations in Iraq that have dramatically increased terrorist attacks and anti-U.S. sentiment around the world. These operations include egregious U.S. violation of international laws through its detention, rendition and interrogation practices that have resulted in the torture and inhumane treatment of civilians and combatants taken prisoner by U.S. forces.
Several speakers proposed unique policy options that have rarely if ever been discussed on U.S. soil. One was that the time has come to negotiate a nonviolent solution to the conflict between the U.S. and the emerging global disapora of successors to the original al Qaeda movement. Another was that the economic and political grievances of indigenous Muslim groups must be resolved by global civil society and the international community of law-abiding nations - not the U.S. government - to assure that these groups can freely acquire sustainable livelihoods and political and civil rights without U.S. coercion or interference in their domestic affairs.
Several speakers argued without opposition that the U.S. government under the Bush administration lacks the legitimacy, the know-how and the institutional resources needed to build democracies abroad. The institutional failures of the federal government to protect American citizens from either 9/11 or the far more numerous but preventable human losses from Katrina demonstrate that it has too much work to do at home to shore up its internal defences against natural and terrorist diasters than to dissipate its resources in counterproductive military campaigns abroad.
At the end of the conference, the bipartisan Partnership for a Secure America comprised of incumbent and former Congressional representatives, ambassadors and high level government officials issued a statement calling for a bipartisan approach to developing U.S. foreign policy as it relates to terrorism and national security. A copy of the statement can be found with the summary reports of the conference working groups on the Terrorism, Security and America's Purpose website. The webcast and videotapes of the conference can also be accessed at the site.
Of note is a follow-up event announced at the conference, co-sponsored by the New America Foundation and AmericanRespect.com. An interdisciplinary policy dialogue, BEYOND BULLETS: Economic Strategies in the Fight against Terrorism, will take place on September 21, 2005.
posted by the Third Force Network at 11:16 AM
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