The Coalition of Convenience

Follows the creation of an antiterrorist coalition and Chomsky’s critique of the double standards governing membership and purpose.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Coalition Demand

The Coalition Demand The Bush administration asks governments to join its campaign and warns that refusal carries grave risks. A Binary Choice Chomsky reads the demand as coercive rather than as shared international decision-making. Unequal Authority The strongest state sets the terms while others are expected to comply.

Former Rivals Included

Former Rivals Included The proposed coalition draws in governments with their own histories of repression and state violence. Shared Interests Russia, China, and other states may welcome international cover for operations against domestic opponents. A Convenient Standard Membership appears to depend less on conduct than on alignment with Washington.

The Northern Alliance

The Northern Alliance The United States and Russia support Afghan factions whose leaders Chomsky associates with earlier destruction and abuses. A Troubled Partner Human rights reporting cited in the interviews describes killings, sexual violence, and other atrocities by factional forces. Strategic Trade-Off The coalition’s military needs risk empowering actors who may reproduce the violence that drove Afghans toward the Taliban.

The Sandinista Exclusion

The Sandinista Exclusion Washington warns Nicaragua’s Sandinistas that past links may exclude them from the antiterrorist coalition. A Selective Memory Chomsky recalls the American war against Nicaragua and the ruling against it by the International Court of Justice. Political Eligibility The episode highlights how the label “terrorist” can be applied selectively to opponents.

Repression Rebranded

Repression Rebranded States use the new campaign to seek backing for their own fights against domestic movements. Local Agendas Chomsky notes that governments can present campaigns in Chechnya, Aceh, and elsewhere as part of counterterrorism. Consequences A broad coalition may legitimize abuses without making its members more accountable.

September 2001

Late September 2001

September and October 2001

October 6, 2001

As governments join the campaign in autumn 2001