Description
This roundtable discusses the prospects for critique, contestation and human rights in a potential new era of counterterrorism. Although some have declared the “War on Terror” to be over, its legacy is still felt at Guantanamo Bay, the indefinite detention camps in NE Syria, and in programmes such as the UK’s Prevent Strategy. In addition, the Israel-Gaza conflict and other events might even be heralding a “War on Terror 2.0.” What are the prospects for critiquing and contesting state violence and counterterrorism in the current context? Have states learned lessons from the abuses of the post 9/11 era? Can state violence be constrained and what does 20 years of research on the role of human rights in the ‘War on Terror’ tell us in response to this question? Participants will reflect on how "terrorism" has been (and is being) constructed; the rhetoric that is used to justify – and to contest – state violence; the normalisation of surveillance; the delegitimisation of dialogue; and the extent to which human rights norms and international legal commitments and institutions can constrain state violence or hold political actors to account. The roundtable thus brings expertise on Critical Terrorism Studies into conversation with research on human rights.
