War on Terror' : The Oxford Amnesty Lectures

This book covers the many topics of `the war on terror' from legal, philosophical, economic and historical perspectives. The dialogue form of the book (essay-response) allows a broad representation of views, covering the situation in the Middle East, national security, politics of intervention, human rights, torture and the motives of the Iraq War. -- .

The term ‘War on Terror’ (WOT) covers a mass of interlinked topics. Here an outstanding group of authors and academics dissect them from ethical, political, legal, economic and historical perspectives. Drawn from the world-famous Oxford Amnesty Lectures, the essays are substantial contributions to their fields and of abiding relevance. Here it is argued that members of active terrorist groups should be pre-emptively executed; that there is no provision for WOT in international law; that WOT is not cost-efficient; that war and terrorism can no longer be distinguished; and that the term ‘terrorist’ has been captured by a specific political constituency. The arguments of the celebrated contributors, from Ahdaf Soueif to Joanna Bourke, are confirmed or contradicted by their respondents, resulting in broad, scholarly coverage of the issues. The book concludes with a fatwa against terrorism. ‘WOT’ lies at the heart of current debate about immigration, multiculturalism and foreign policy. It is one of the determining debates in the politics of today. This volume will be of interest to students of politics, law and religion and to anyone concerned with current affairs. It covers the politics of the Middle East and the Iraq War, human rights in Islam and the West and the ethics of intervention. This is a powerful contribution to an urgent debate. -- .