Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2002
Abstract
In the immediate aftermath of September 11, President Bush stated that the perpetrators of the deed would be brought to justice. Soon afterwards, the President announced that the United States would engage in a war on terrorism. The first of these statements adopts the familiar language of criminal law and criminal justice. It treats the September 11 attacks as horrific crimes—mass murders—and the government’s mission as apprehending and punishing the surviving planners and conspirators for their roles in the crimes. The War on Terrorism is a different proposition, however, and a different model of governmental action—not law but war. Most obviously, it dramatically broadens the scope of action, because now terrorists who knew nothing about September 11 have been earmarked as enemies. But that is only the beginning.
Publication Citation
22 Phil. & Pub. Pol'y Q. 9-14 (2002)
Scholarly Commons Citation
Luban, David, "The War on Terrorism and the End of Human Rights" (2002). Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works. 892.
https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/892
Included in
Criminal Law Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, International Law Commons, National Security Law Commons, Public Policy Commons