Terrorism of the war against terrorism [Archives:2006/919/Viewpoint]

Editor
The 16th annual report by the independent human rights organization, Human Rights Watch, contained many surprises. Reviewing key human rights issues in 68 countries and drawing on events through November 2005, the report highlighted numerous facts. However, the most alarming conclusion in my view was that in 2005, evidence emerged showing that several of the world's leading powers now consider torture – in various guises – a serious policy option. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, many of the world's leading powers deliberately have ignored even basic human rights and launched a new trend of “guilty until proven innocent” attitudes toward any suspects.

The problem with this is that suspicion is very subjective; hence, any normal action by ordinary human beings could make them a terrorist suspect. This probably explains why the lives of many minorities in foreign countries have turned into a routine of discriminative interrogation and ill treatment.

The backlash, according to the report, is that such human rights violations generate indignation and outrage that spur terrorist recruitment, undermine the public's cooperation with law-enforcement officials, which is essential to exposing secret terrorist cells, and cede the moral high ground to those combating the terrorist scourge. Therefore, this will cause a vicious cycle of terrorism and a culture of fear around the world.

Moreover, this new attitude of leading powers has trickled down to less powerful countries like Yemen. After the United States September 11 event, the War against Terrorism became an umbrella under which Yemen's government unleashed its national security forces and liberated itself from any international or national commitment to human rights. The worst that can happen to anyone these days is to become a terrorist suspect. In the past, many governments experienced serious security threats, from invasion to civil war, which put their citizens' lives at risk. The current terrorism threat is different only in that citizens of the major Western powers appear prominently among the victims.

The report concludes with a basic yet vital solution. There is an urgent need for enlightened leadership – for governmental leaders who still embrace human rights to stand up, reject this misguided approach to fighting terrorism and reaffirm that even in the face of a serious security threat, respect for human rights is good for all.
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