Circular 15-9-01: "Some Initial Lessons" by Stephen Coleman

We have witnessed with revulsion the attack on the USA's financial centre World Trade Centre (WTC) and Pentagon. The world sits waiting for the next steps of implications and; consequences. Alongside identification of the perpetrators, we also need to exercise a process of learning to help with our grieving.

On the basis of what George Bush has proffered, that the "harbourers of terrorism" will also be included in the "acts of war" sentiments and the recall of 50, 000 US Army reservists, strongly suggests an attack on another country is due. The Prime suspect of Osama Bin Laden, suggesting Afghanistan / Pakistan as the main targets.

As a neutral observer who witnessed the anger, fear and racial hatred against the Irish following notably the Birmingham Pub Bombings and Warrington, the calls for retribution are a short term satisfaction against the long term loss to democracy .

The basis of Democracy come from Montesquieue`s "Spirits of the Laws" (1746) and concur the Executive (Cabinet), Legislative (Parliament) and Judiciary as the three pillars of Constitution.; These pillars constitute UK, EU and USA (via Madison) laws.

Without them we have no democracy, therefore according to our own democratic laws we should exercise the evidence, bring to trial and execution of sentence, rather than the more random method of bombing in other countries.

Calls have also been made for the military intervention upon all terrorists. Whether this call is a blanket to justify any actions made, it remains to be seen, however, the USA was responsible for the assassination of the US Chilean Ambassador - Lettelier (Operation Condor) in 1972, in Washington.; An action which brought down the democratically elected Allende`s Government and allowing the Pinochet regime to take over in Chile. (Caistor N, 1988)

In short, individual terrorism and state terrorism is not usually comparable, but both should be identified and regarded as "crimes against humanity," in an International court of Justice (UN), such as we saw at Nuremberg for the Nazis in post World War 2.

In the first instance they provide a convergence of international law towards integrated actions against individuals, secondly a tool for the International community to rid itself of poor regimes and despots, and thirdly a lesson to our young to respect the law, which will respect them.; Finally a court for the redress of grievances would redirect potential terrorists from inflicting terror as an only option.

Osama Bin Laden was a leading freedom fighter against Russia's "Vietnam" in Afghanistan.; The Mujahideen were covertly funded by the USA in the fight against Russian communism widely reported on Sky News, CNN and other US networks.

If this man is responsible then he needs to be "brought to justice, with hard evidence," (Blair T, 14-9-01) and not justify a "shoot to kill policy" so widely condemned by the International Community after Britain's involvement in Northern Ireland.

Terrorism has never been effectively managed anywhere in the world, and yet we continue to create wholly unfair dilemmas, which continue to prove this point. No terrorist war has ever lost, with the nearest being the "Scorched earth policy" and concentration camps of the Boer War (1902).

The previous account of a US supported guerrilla attacking an enemy of the state, (Lee Harvey Oswald and Cuba), allegedly cost the USA President Kennedy.; On that basis, the US should have learned that training and supporting operations has consequences and monitoring of those people and events are critical. This was brought even further to bear by the McVeigh trial more recently.

It appears the same mistakes are being made all over again, and yet the caution taken appears to be less than desired. In addition, the USA failed to learn that responsibility within its own foreign policy carries with it accountability, whether it is wanted or not.

In the longer term, we have to hope that the real objective of this attack - Capitalism (symbolised by the attack on the financial heart of the US) remains stable, and the short term losses in Japan (6%) are unsustained.; Failing that, a realistic replacement for capitalism is determined before implementation.

In the short term, we hope that the US`s first damning taste of International terror is its last and pay our respects to the families of their dead and injured.

Copyright 2001 Stephen Coleman, All Rights Reserved.