12 September 2006
Understanding the Threat from Terrorism Has Helped Undermine It
U.S. contributes significantly to global equilibrium, policy researcher says
Washington -- Greater understanding of the threat from terrorism has made the world a safer place since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, says Herbert London, president of the nonpartisan policy research organization Hudson Institute.
During a September 12 webchat with an international audience, London said: "(T)he world is safer after 9/11 in part because we have a better understanding of the Islamofascist threat; in part because we have undermined the al Qaeda network; and, in part because Americans are determined to prevent another 9/11 from occurring."
London also said the U.S. Treasury Department and the National Security Agency "have made great strides in tracking down the illegal flow of terrorist resources." (See related article.)
In London's view, tougher security measures have not compromised personal liberty in the name of fighting terrorism.
"(T)he first responsibility of the president is securing the safety of U.S. citizens," London said. "The balance between security and freedom is always delicate." He said President Abraham Lincoln suspended some legal protections during the American Civil War (1861-1865). London also said Robert Jackson, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1941-1954), "once wrote that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence do not constitute a suicide pact."
"(A)n enemy like Islamofascism is irrational," London said. "(I)ntelligence is critical in this war. So too is public diplomacy. However, the willingness to use force as a last alternative cannot be removed from the calculus."
"The enemy we face is shadowy," London said. "He doesn't have a home base; he doesn't wear uniforms in battle; he hides behind religious ideas and he works his evil deeds outside our line of vision."
U.S. power, on the other hand "is visible, open and transparent," he said. "I'm persuaded we will defeat our enemies in time, but this is likely to be a long and difficult experience."
London acknowledged that of resentment of U.S. national power has flourished in some parts of the world.
"But ask yourself the obvious question," he said. "Would the globe be more stable or less stable if the U.S. retreated behind fortress America? The answer is obvious. The U.S.A. contributes significantly to global equilibrium."
The transcript of London’s discussion and information on upcoming webchats are available on USINFO’s Webchat Station.
London was a contributing author to the State Department's latest eJournal USA Rebuilding and Resilience Five Years After 9/11.
For more information on U.S. policy, see Response to Terrorism.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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