Page 24 - TheWord#16

Greenwald speaks Trump
24 February 2017. POLITICS AND EVENTS www.thewordmedia.org.uk

war on Terror and ciTizen acTivism

we moving back to a more overt
Glenn Edward Greenwald War on Terror like we saw un-
(born March 6, 1967) is an der Bush?
American lawyer, journalist,
speaker and author. He is best I think Trump has demon-
known for his role in a series strated, contrary to what people
of reports published by The thought or were hoping, a readi-
Guardian newspaper, beginning ness to act on a lot of the more rad-
in June 2013, detailing United ical proposals he advocated during
States and British global sur- the election. There is this sense that
veillance programs, based on people in the military or the intelli-
classified documents disclosed gence community will somehow
by Edward Snowden impede him from doing things like
targeting the family members of
terrorists or even potentially using
Trump slapped more sanc- a war even though they may not tactical or regional nuclear weap-
tions on Iran after a missile test, want one. ons and I don’t think that’s a very
we’ve seen him slam down the realistic hope. But I think you’re
phone on the Prime Minister A few years ago former Brit- already seeing, whether it’s the raid
of Australia but also strike up a ish Prime Minister Tony Blair in Yemen that killed Anwar Al-Aw-
relationship with Taiwan to the called on the US and Russia to laki’s six-year-old daughter and this
annoyance of China, is he look- settle their differences over Muslim ban, you see government
ing for war? Ukraine and unite in a War on agents throughout these agencies
Terror. With early signs appear- obediently carrying out these or-
I don’t think he’s looking for ing to show Trump and Putin ders with no resistance, no objec-
war. He actually ran on a platform getting on rather well will Tony tion, no dissent. And so I think that
of avoiding war and criticising Blair’s wish now come to pass? he has the power to do the things
Clinton and Obama for starting that he talked about doing. More
too many wars or participating in If you look at at the likely ba- importantly and more troubling-
too many wars. I think that in his sis of war cooperation between ly, both Obama and George Bush
mind he thinks two things. One, the United States and Russia, it worked vigorously to defend and
that the way to get better deals certainly begins with the threat expand the legal framework that
between countries is by making they each perceive. I think a long Trump would be able to cite in or-
them afraid of you because that time fixation of Putin and Russia, der to justify doing the policies he
gives you more leverage. So by going back to the War on Chech- has advocated. So there is this bi-
threatening them and showing nya, is this obsession with what partisan framework in place that
them you’re a little bit crazy you they regard as Islamic radicalism. he can draw from in a very potent
get better leverage and therefore They are obviously both fighting way.
better agreements, ones which in Syria and shared targets include
are more advantageous to you. Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Even president Do you think the American
And that was a big part of his cri- Obama tried to create cooperative public will allow Trump to, in
tique of Obama – [Trump said] he frameworks between the United his own words ‘load up’ Guanta-
was terrible, his trade agreements States and Russia based on these namo with ‘bad dudes’?
were disadvantageous to the US shared enemies. I think Trump is
and all that. seeing an opportunity as well. The I think that the American pub-
question then becomes: will this lic has proven fairly reliable that
Then the other aspect is that I detente between the US and Rus- as long as certain abuses are con-
think they think that being tough sia, if it happens, expand beyond fined to foreign nationals – and in
and strong and showing that just national security cooperation? particular those they are told are
you’re willing to fight, that actually Will they actually share this kind of terrorists – they are willing to tol-
fosters more peace because when internationalist right-wing agenda erate virtually anything. There was
people fear you they are less like- confronting China, uniting hard- very little public outcry when the is what happens if there’s a terrorist targeting CVE – the US’ coun-
ly to take provocative steps. The right groups throughout Europe Bush administration opened CIA attack. The instinct of Trump and ter-terrorism policy – solely at
problem with that kind of think- and even in other places? And will black sites and when they tortured his advisers, what they’re waiting Muslims. How seriously should
ing, a lot of wars often happen there be this broader coalition, this people. If they’ve become a little for is to be able to demagogue that we be taking all of this?
unintentionally because things broader agenda which they can embarrassing or too public such attack to raise fear levels and justi-
escalate and spiral out of control pursue? as Abu Ghraib then maybe there fy even the most extreme policies I think we ought to take it very
in a framework where there is high will be some public backlash, but that right now probably aren’t im- seriously both because it starts
tension which is what happens Trump has said he will: ‘take in general as long as you’re confin- aginable. I think if he’s able to suc- with Muslims being targeted and
when you start threatening coun- the oil’, ‘bomb the hell out of ing it to people that you’re able to cessfully exploit the fear in those then also because it will inevitably
tries. And so I think that certainly isil’, ‘kill the families of terror convince the public are deserving emotions surrounding an attack on expand beyond that. If you look at
when it comes to China and par- suspects’, ‘bring back torture’. or are terrorist or just Muslim rad- that magnitude then I think there the history of, not just the US, but
ticularly when it comes to Iran, Some presidents have done icals there’s not a lot of opposition will be very little public resistance. the West in the post 9-11 era, it’s
there is a serious danger that they these things, but few have spo- coming from the public. And I one programme after another from
could stumble themselves into ken about them so crudely. Are think that a much broader concern Trump has spoken about law enforcement and government