Ending the War

The enemy has erased national borders and created a global extremist empire of antisocial behaviour—it must be destroyed. But we’re not just protecting ourselves against terrorists and promoting democracy. We’re bringing all the benefits of progress and modern life—we’re there to restore women’s rights and to oppose the religious fanaticism that dominated before hand. We’re helping others help themselves.

Part of all this comes from the idealism of the 1960s—the better part of that crazy mixed up decade— which has evolved into an antiauthoritarian progressive politics that declares war on the little Hitlers everywhere; the dictatorships that were shamefully backed up by the West in the past, the corrupt regimes that exploit their citizens, are no longer immune.

The War against Terror is also a war for women and gays. Islamists are sexists and homophobes too. We liberated Afghanistan on behalf of the women there and so that people could listen to music once more. And OfPax, as you know, are currently humanely engaged in Jamaica, tackling the twin problems of the dreadful homophobia of that island and the drug trade that is devastating our young people’s lives.

And we’re working on some of our mistakes. We are more sensitive now to the culture of the people we aim to bring liberty to—in no small part due to the increased number of serving women personnel. OfPax are equal partners with their sister agencies in the US, who often bow to our greater experience and sensitivity in dealing with native cultures—decades of bringing peace to Ireland, Kenya, Malaysia etc.

Sometimes, indeed, women and children have been killed but they have been right next to places of terrorist activity. It’s not that the strike was inaccurate but they happened to be there, and deeply involved; they were all supporters and abetters of terrorism—and therefore had to suffer. It’s bad luck.

But we’re also employing Soft Power which cuts down the fatalities. Soft Power is about fighting with cultural weapons; here, OfTru work side by side with OfPax. We have an integrated strategy of counter-insurgency, security, stability, transition and reconstruction operations; we employ special forces, unmanned spy aircraft, psychological warfare and civil affairs units for winning hearts and minds. And it’s the latter that may well prove decisive; we’re making war not just on war, but on the causes of war. So in Jamaica our first task was to take control of the hate music there which was spreading antisocial propaganda.