U.S. War on Terror Policies: Security vs. Human Rights On September 10th, 2001, thousands of Americans went to sleep in their homes, unaware that it would be their last night alive. The next day, September 11th, over 3,000 Americans lost their lives as a result of the terroristic attacks led by the Islamic extremist group, al-Qaeda. The fact that United States security had been infiltrated came as a shock to the U.S. government and U.S. citizens. President George W. Bush and members of his administration decided it was time to reconsider government policies and organize a rally in national security efforts. This rally became known as the U.S. Global War on Terrorism. The policies utilized in this War on Terror manifested widespread controversy,
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Naturally, after the attacks on September 11th threatened national security, U.S. citizens looked to President George W. Bush to retaliate against the responsible parties and protect the U.S. from experiencing any further terrorist attacks. In an address to the people on September 20th, 2001, President Bush revealed his intentions for the War on Terrorism. Politicians tend to say what the people want to hear, so they can gain support for the actions they intend to impose. President Bush assures citizens that “every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war” will be used “to the destruction and to the defeat of the global terror network” (Bush 2001). Since citizens were in a panicked state of mind, any sort of retaliation deemed fit for these terrorists. However, as time passed and the War on Terror continued, people began to realize the faults in the policies that President Bush …show more content…
These methods that the U.S. military utilized were violations of international and domestic conventions and policies (Hooks and Mosher 1628). In February of 2004, photographs that served as proof of prisoner torture were discovered from the site of Abu Ghraib in Iraq and leaked to the public. In the camps, these photos were used to humiliate prisoners, frighten other detainees, and to intimidate the prisoners’ families and communities; some prisoners felt degraded to the point of depression and some became suicidal (McClintock 59). If events like this occurred in Abu Ghraib, it was possible that they were occurring at Guantánamo Bay and other detention sites as well. After these photos became public, many politicians attempted to justify the use of torture against those accused of terrorism. Senator Zell Miller belittled the torture in the form of sexual abuse in the photos by comparing it to his experiences in a high school gym class; Rush Limbaugh stated that military officials are having guns fired at them every day, so it was a way they could blow off steam (Hooks and Mosher 1630). Some Americans employed the belief that any means enforced in order to guarantee their safety is necessary. In the perspective of the United States government and some citizens, all of these actions were justifiable. McClintock believes the perceived
Naturally, after the attacks on September 11th threatened national security, U.S. citizens looked to President George W. Bush to retaliate against the responsible parties and protect the U.S. from experiencing any further terrorist attacks. In an address to the people on September 20th, 2001, President Bush revealed his intentions for the War on Terrorism. Politicians tend to say what the people want to hear, so they can gain support for the actions they intend to impose. President Bush assures citizens that “every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war” will be used “to the destruction and to the defeat of the global terror network” (Bush 2001). Since citizens were in a panicked state of mind, any sort of retaliation deemed fit for these terrorists. However, as time passed and the War on Terror continued, people began to realize the faults in the policies that President Bush …show more content…
These methods that the U.S. military utilized were violations of international and domestic conventions and policies (Hooks and Mosher 1628). In February of 2004, photographs that served as proof of prisoner torture were discovered from the site of Abu Ghraib in Iraq and leaked to the public. In the camps, these photos were used to humiliate prisoners, frighten other detainees, and to intimidate the prisoners’ families and communities; some prisoners felt degraded to the point of depression and some became suicidal (McClintock 59). If events like this occurred in Abu Ghraib, it was possible that they were occurring at Guantánamo Bay and other detention sites as well. After these photos became public, many politicians attempted to justify the use of torture against those accused of terrorism. Senator Zell Miller belittled the torture in the form of sexual abuse in the photos by comparing it to his experiences in a high school gym class; Rush Limbaugh stated that military officials are having guns fired at them every day, so it was a way they could blow off steam (Hooks and Mosher 1630). Some Americans employed the belief that any means enforced in order to guarantee their safety is necessary. In the perspective of the United States government and some citizens, all of these actions were justifiable. McClintock believes the perceived