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The New Crusade: America’s War on Terrorism

$20.00

The attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 and the U.S. government response, especially after the bombing of Afghanistan, transformed U.S. and global politics.

The New Crusade examines the myths that have arisen around the war on terrorism and the ways they are used to benefit a small elite. Mahajan demonstrates how accepted accounts of the causes of the U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan, the conduct of the war, and its consequences have been systematically distorted. He shows how global power is being redefined in the process and explores the new directions the war is likely to take.

Reflecting both deep knowledge of the region and the commitment and hands-on experience of a seasoned activist, Mahajan provides a powerful interpretation of events that will be decisive in the making of our time.

    Will the US-led war on terrorism rid the world of this scourge, or fuel the hatred and suffering on which it feeds?

 

    Will the Middle East and central Asia be stabilized once Afghanistan is reduced to rubble and starvation, or become a zone of enduring war?

 

    Within the United States, will it bring about new forms of patriotism and solidarity, or provide a platform for intensified racism, new assaults on civil liberties, and on the living standards of ordinary Americans?

This is a well-researched and carefully argued polemic. It will be a vital aid to all those resisting the dominant culture in these conformist times.

—TARIQ ALI

The New Crusade deals effectively with the heavy costs of the ‘war on terrorism’ both at home and abroad, the media’s supportive role, and the possibilities of containing the rogue state.

—EDWARD S. HERMAN

Mandatory reading for anyone who wants to get a handle on the war on terrorism. Mahajan writes clearly and in plain language. This short book takes on directly all the main issues surrounding the war. A truly brilliant introduction to the topic by an exciting new author.

—ROBERT W. McCHESNEY

The New Crusade is a sober, thoughtfully argued presentation not to be taken lightly and deserving of as wide a readership as possible. This is a highly recommended and welcome contribution to the current national dialogue regarding our ‘war on terrorism.’

—THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

Contents

Introduction

Part One: The War on Terrorism – Myth and Reality

  1. Another Pearl Harbor
  2. They Hate Us for Our Freedom
  3. You’re with Us or You’re with the Terrorists
  4. Self-Defense
  5. Multilateralism, Diplomacy, Restraint
  6. Power, not Revenge
  7. A Humanitarian War
  8. Surgical Strikes
  9. A War for Civilization
  10. A War on Terrorism
  11. Fighting for Our Security
  12. United We Stand
  13. Restricting Freedom in Defense of Freedom
  14. Racism: We’ve Come a Long Way
  15. Defending Dissent
  16. The Free Press Reports for Duty
  17. Censorship in Defense of Civilization
  18. The People Want War
  19. We Have to Do Something

Part Two: The New White Man’s Burden

  1. The White Man’s Burden
  2. The United States as Imperial Power
  3. Assessing Humanitarian Intent: Biological Warfare?
  4. Assessing Humanitarian Intent: Making Africa Safe for AIDS
  5. Humanitarian Interventions in Context: Afghanistan, Somalia, Kosovo, Rwanda
  6. Who Cares about Iraq?
  7. Beyond the White Man’s Burden

Part Three: New Directions in the War on Terrorism

  1. Afghanistan and Central Asia
  2. Somalia, the Philippines, and Other Targets
  3. Israel and Palestine
  4. Iraq
  5. Weapons of Mass Destruction as Casus Belli
  6. Reexamining National Security
  7. Biological Weapons Again
  8. Containing the Rogue State

Notes

Index

Rahul Mahajan-is a member of the Nowar Collective, the National Board of Peace Action, and the National Committee of the National Network to End the War against Iraq. He is a frequent contributor to www.commondreams.org and is currently completing a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Texas at Austin.

SKU: mrp070X Categories: ,
Topics: Imperialism Places: Middle East

Publication Date: March 2002

Number of Pages: 144

Paperback ISBN: 9781583670705

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