Confronting Terror: 9/11 and the Future of American National Security

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The 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is an appropriate time for reflection, both as to what the nation endured as a result of the attacks as well as whether the response has been appropriate. In addition to providing their reflections on the 9/11 tragedy and its aftermath, distinguished legal scholars John Yoo, Nadine Strossen, and Ed Meese will discuss their own and others’ contributions to Confronting Terror, a unique collection of essays from principled supporters and critics of the law and policy of the war on terrorism.

Edited by Dean Reuter and John Yoo, Confronting Terror sets the stage for a reasoned and robust discussion of the future with a collection of provocative essays examining the meaning of 9/11. Other authors include former Attorneys General John Ashcroft and Michael Mukasey, federal Circuit Judges Laurence Silberman and Raymond Randolph, Richard Epstein, Alan Dershowitz, Johnathan Turley, and Bob Barr. The contributors present stark differences of opinion on issues such as the President’s authority to detain, the assertion of state secrets, the limits of surveillance, the use of unmanned drones and targeted killing, the treatment and interrogation of detainees, the Patriot Act, and the peculiar nature of our foe. More surprising, perhaps, are the areas of agreement, particularly the fact that the policies of two very different Presidents are remarkably the same. In presenting these contrasting views, the editors and contributors hope to clarify the debate, both for our society and for those responsible for waging the war.