The next couple of days will be 9/11 - 24/7 - as America commemorates the 5th anniversary of the WTC attacks. Today the New York Times asks ten thought leaders the question: what should we do to prevent another 9/11? Joschka Fischer has an interesting response to the question. Fischer notes that in the months following 9/11 Al Qaeda's power was greatly diminished - along with the immediate threat of terrorist activity. Unfortunately, the invasion of Iraq changed all of that, and today the threat is again immense. But the West is in danger of forfeiting its values in waging the "War on Terror":
"Immediately after 9/11, Al Qaeda seemed to be losing its battle with America and the West. Unfortunately, that changed when America invaded Iraq. The fight against the jihadists will not be decided simply on the battlefield; it will also be decided in the sphere of international legitimacy. We know that Islamic extremists celebrate death through martyrdom, and the killing of innocents. But what are we in the West fighting for?
We fight for our values: for our freedom, for democracy, for the rule of law, the equality of all human beings and for peace. In this context, Guantánamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and the situation in Iraq could hardly be called successes. Against the new totalitarian challenge of Islamic extremism, we have to defend our values; and this means sticking to the values of our democratic societies, even under fire."
The other day Joschka was a bit more candid when making his first appearance as a visiting professor at Princeton University. Responding to the same question, Fischer told the audience (in English): „To defeat the beast, don’t feed the beast.“ (Hat tip - Joerg).
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