One Man’s Confession
Is another man's propaganda. I rarely agree with pretty much anything that gets published in Slate these days. Especially since they decided they needed longer sentences and less punctuation by hiring Glenn Greenwald. But hey, even a stopped clock is right twice a day, right? In this case, I think Daniel Byman hits the confession of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed exactly right: the man is using his statement as pure-D propaganda. And he's actually doing a rather good job of it, as Byman points out.
KSM's prepared statement emphasizes what he calls "the language of war." He repeatedly argues that al-Qaida's acts, as well as his own, should be judged as a rival army or captured soldier would be judged. In doing so, he echoes a claim made by almost all modern terrorist groups: They are warriors, not murderers and criminals. KSM compares Muslim support for Osama Bin Laden with U.S. admiration for George Washington. In KSM's narrative, both fight for liberation against an oppressor.
It is through the language of war that KSM tries to justify the killing of women and children on 9/11 and in the overall jihadist struggle. He begins his justification by conceding, "I don't like to kill children," and he notes that Islam forbids it. However, because KSM sees the terrorist acts he conducted as part of a legitimate war, he compares them to U.S. military actions. The United States, he argues, has killed and arrested the children of al-Qaida leaders, including KSM's kids, while conducting a war, and al-Qaida's murders should also be judged in this context.
I'd actually recommend reading the entire thing. Byman is connected to the Brookings Institution, I've only even mentioned his work once in another context. But I really think he's nailed this one. Al Qaeda is particularly good at propaganda. It doesn't help our side in this war that the media does not recognize that, however. I've been trying - using a bit of humor - to point out the insanity of some of the media giving mythical status to al Qaeda's invincibility. Don't get me wrong - they are genuinely dangerous. But they make outrageous claims of invincibility that the press dutifully repeat verbatim. Instead they should really be looking beyond the propaganda. Al Qaeda can - and must be - beaten.
That does not mean we should go back to a pre-9/11 mindset of treating al Qaeda as a law enforcement problem. They have elected to use the language of war, as Byman points out. They should get that war they want. But they should also be treated as what they are - illegal combatants under the Geneva Conventions. Sometimes, propaganda can work against the wielder. This should be one of those times.
By piscivorous, Thursday, 15 March , 2007 @ 6:01 pm
Actually in tis specific instance the man should be treated as a war criminal for deliberately tarketing civilians.
By old_dawg, Thursday, 15 March , 2007 @ 8:45 pm
I don’t know why we continue to allow this stuff to be published. This man should have been quietly executed and buried at sea a long time ago, so that no one in his family has a place to mourn him, just like he left so many 9-11 families with no place to mourn their dead.
By Rustmeister, Friday, 16 March , 2007 @ 8:12 am
Why in the name of all that is good are we not hearing this from our leaders?