What is more dangerous: The war on terror or counter terrorism?

On Saturday, Jemima Khan wrote in The Independent:

“Nuclear-armed Pakistan, with its discredited and fractured military and its own Taliban, has been badly destabilized by the ‘war on terror.’ Before 2002, there was no Pakistani Taliban and suicide attacks were unheard of. Last year, in Pakistan, 11,585 people were killed as a result of terrorist incidents, including 80 suicide attacks.

“There comes a point when you have to ask: what is more dangerous, terrorism or counter-terrorism? The irony of the ‘war on terror’ is that the U.S. can win it only when it finally stops fighting it.”

3 Responses to What is more dangerous: The war on terror or counter terrorism?

  1. Elisabeth Ecker

    Right on. Life was far more pleasant, before we had all those stupid security measures. More people get killed by lighting.

  2. The bottom line, the Americans can not be safe while the US actively turn the rest of the world into a dangerous place by allowing selective proliferation of nukes and provoking Islamic extremism.

  3. I wish it were so easy. For thousands of years we’ve been living in fortified villages, towns, cities, and nations. Seems to be in our DNA. So, much as I’d like to devote all the “security” expenditure to something useful, I have to accept the world doesn’t behave that way. So, we have to prepare for eventualities, if only to ensure we survive.

    The ‘War on Terror’ is a non-policy which has clearly failed. It hasn’t won the war and hasn’t increased our security. Yes, there have been no more attacks on mainland USA. But there haven’t been any elephants wandering around central park either. The point being, that a small minded ‘W’ can link his W on T with no attacks; but he could have done so much more with so much less. The W on T has confirmed to the world how vulnerable (not how strong) the USA is. Well done George.

    Counter terrorism has been going on since at least WWII, and will continue. And the really tricky bit will continue to be the balance between protecting our country/citizens, effective counter terrorism, human rights, and cost.

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