Ten years of ‘global war on terror’ undermined human rights – also in Europe

The ten-year anniversary of the Nine Eleven attacks is an occasion for sombre reflection. Almost three thousand lives were ended indiscriminately by a criminal conspiracy to turn passenger aircraft into weapons of mass destruction. This was a crime against humanity, the gravity of which must not be forgotten. Respects should again be paid to those who lost their loved ones, acknowledging that their pain endures, said Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in a Human Rights Comment published on the 1 September 2011.

The anniversary was also an occasion to analyse whether the official responses to the attacks had been proper and effective. The United States built a broad coalition to ensure prompt and appropriate punishment for those responsible, and to prevent similar atrocities from occurring in the future. This unity of purpose was absolutely crucial.

The tragic failures manifested themselves not in the determination to respond, but in the misjudged choice of methods. In attempting to combat crimes attributed to terrorists, countless further crimes had been committed in the course of the US-led 'global war on terror'. Many of those crimes have been carefully and deliberately covered up. These circumstances call for a self-critical review – including in Europe.

Council of Europe: Commissioner for Human Rights http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/default_en.asp

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