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Scholar Discusses Foreign Policy Challenges Five Years After 9/11

USINFO Webchat transcript, September 12

Dr. Herbert London, president of Hudson Institution in New York City and the former John M. Olin University professor of Humanities at New York University, responds to questions on foreign policy challenges five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Following is the transcript:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
USINFO Webchat Transcript

Guest:     Herbert London
Date:      September 12, 2006
Time:      9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT)

Five Years After 9/11: Foreign Policy Challenges

WEBCHAT MODERATOR: Welcome to USINFO Webchats. Our webchat with Mr. London will take place on September 12 at 9:30am EDT.

HERB LONDON: America stands at a crossroads. We must mobilize the requisite strength to deal with an external enemy and we must be prepared to defend our homeland from attack. The challenges are formidable but I would never underestimate our national resolve.

QUESTION [Jaona]: I think the greatest challenge for the American foreign policy now is to fight any kind of terrorism without war but using all kind of investigation and trying to work together with the local government.

Mika, MADAGASCAR

ANSWER [Herb London]: Yes, intelligence is critical in this war. So too is public diplomacy. However, the willingness to use force as a last alternative cannot be removed from the calculus.

Q [Jaona]: Hello, I'm Mihanta student, Malagasy. You are a Professor of Humanities at the university of New York. This is my question:

Have this situation a problem on the study of your classes? What are the consequences of it on your university?

A:  University programs tend to view national security issues from the prism of rational solutions. While this is understandable, there are times when an enemy like Islamofascism is irrational and the proffered university solutions make little sense.

WEBCHAT MODERATOR: Five years ago, evil swept into America's skies and onto American soil, said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a ceremony at the U.S. Department of State on September 11, and the victims of the 2001 attacks in the United States by al-Qaida terrorists included people from 90 countries around the world.

Read more about yesterday's ceremonies marking 9/11.

Q [Jaona]: Hello, my name is ANDRIANARIJAONA. I`m a Malagasy student and I am very interested about studying in the USA. I understand that after the 9/11 attack, coming to the USA has became very difficult for foreigner and I'd like to ask what would be the ideal profile to be accepted ... is it easier for student to go there ... what is the USA foreign policy about people who want to study in the USA.

A: My understanding is that while the rules may have tightened there are still opportunities for people to study at American universities. First, you should consult with your embassy and second you should consult with the university in question.

Q [Joe]: Do you think the world is safer 5 years after 9/11?

A:  I do believe the world is safer after 9/11 in part because we have a better understanding of the Islamofascist threat, in part because we have undermined the al Qaeda network and in part because Americans are determined to prevent another 9/11 from occurring.

WEBCHAT MODERATOR: Dr. London was a contributing author to the State Department's latest eJournal USA: "Rebuilding and Resilience Five Years After 9/11."

Q [Shogunchen]: Why George W. Bush didn't declare that Israel's fight with Hizbullah to be part of his global anti-terror war?

A: In my opinion it was a part of the war against Islamofascism. The president recognized that condition by giving Israel whatever leeway was necessary to win the war.

Q [Hector]: Your opinion: is it possible to say that the 9/11 events "warmed" again a striving to build the new worldwide anti-American axis (one of the last examples of such activity is a trip of Hugo Chavez to Tehran, Damascus etc.). Thank You!

Vladislav V. Froltsov (Belarus)

A: Anti Americanism has flourished in some parts of the world because of resentment of our national power. But ask yourself the obvious question: would the globe be more stable or less stable if the U.S. retreated behind fortress America. The answer is obvious. The USA contributes significantly to global equilibrium.

Q [JOE]: How is NYC recovering from the 9/11 attacks?

A: New Yorkers are a resilient people. Five years ago we faced despoliation beyond our collective imagination. But several months ago in a park constructed in the shadow of the World Trade Center site I noticed blossoms struggling to bloom. That it seems to me is a metaphor for the stance of New Yorkers.

Q [e]: How does the United States take care of problems in Iran and North Korea now? It seems the international community has closed their eyes to these problems.

A: I think we must run out the string on diplomatic considerations. At some point pressure must be exerted on China and Russia to agree to sanctions or other economic measures. After all Russia is within easy reach of Iranian missiles with nuclear warheads.

Q [e]: Mr. London, It seems the bi-partisanship and cooperation have largely faded in America since the days after 9/11.

Do you think that this is a result of your upcoming elections or is this the norm now?  Thanks.

A: Partisanship has become exacerbated in the U.S. in part because the country is split politically. Parties now seek any edge they can even if it means challenging foreign policy positions, an area once thought of as off limits

Q [e]: Some people say Iran is as bad as Nazi Germany. Is this a fair comparison?

A: I think so since Ahbadinejad has engaged in anti-Semitic rants, has promised to wipe Israel off the map and has vowed to destroy America. Needless to say, his actions have not yet caught up with his rhetoric but keep in mind the West didn't take Hitler's rhetoric seriously in the 1930s.

WEBCHAT MODERATOR: The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, persuaded the United States and allied nations not to be complacent in the face of terrorism, says Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

In an address to Georgetown University students on September 8, Chertoff stressed the importance of building "a new level of confidence and trust" within the American Muslim community, because it is a key partner in protecting against future attacks.

Q [shogunchen]: America was mighty enough to reorder the world, but five years after 9/11, it was still vulnerable to silence worse attacks. How do you comment on this paradox?

A: The enemy we face is shadowy. He doesn't have a home base; he doesn't wear uniforms in battle; he hides behind religious ideas and he works his evil deeds outside our line of vision. Our power is visible, open and transparent. I'm persuaded we will defeat our enemies in time but this is likely to be a long and difficult experience.

Q: [shogunchen]: A central part of the war on terror is the ability of law enforcement agencies to track and/or disrupt the flow of money to terrorist organizations. In your assessment, five years after 9/11, does the "hawala" system of monetary exchange undermine the efforts of agencies like CIA?

A: Yes, your point is well taken. However, our Treasury Dept. and NSA have made great strides in tracking down the illegal flow of terrorist resources. One thing we must do is develop sufficient energy independence that we do not rely on oil from nations hostile to the U.S.

Q: [shogunchen]: "We have entered a new type of war. It's a war against people who hate freedom," said George W. Bush a few days after September 11th 2001. "We're fighting for liberty and freedom." However, since 2001 many countries have pushed through repressive laws in the name of the war on terror, and the Bush authorities' powers to snoop on American citizens were vastly increased. Do you think that liberty has been the first victim of the anti-terror war fought in its name?

A: I do not! In fact the first responsibility of the president is securing the safety of U.S. citizens. The balance between security and freedom is always delicate. But keep in mind Lincoln abandoned habeas corpus during the Civil War and Justice Jackson once wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence do not constitute a suicide pact.

Thank you for your interesting questions. It has been an inspiring way to start my work day.

WEBCHAT MODERATOR: We would like to thank all of our guests from around the world for their time this morning.

Dr. London we appreciate your time and your answers to some very difficult questions.  The chat is now closed. [A transcript will be available on our USINFO Webchat Station.]

(While guests are chosen for their expertise, the views expressed by the guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State.)