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Terry Arnold: They overstated the danger ... did it from a view that justified the "war on terror". Mostly terrorists the world over are not interested in doing harm to the United States. [They are only interested in harming the U.S.] to the extent we support people who harm them.
We can defeat Al Qaeda or any other group by depriving them of their cause and by engaging them [rather than solely using a policy of blunt force].
GW: What would you tell people working at the CIA, NSA, other intelligence services, military services, special operations, etc. who sincerely believe what they've been told . . . that the war on terror is an all-out, all-or-nothing war between the good guys and the bad guys and that we have to go "kick their butt"?
Terry Arnold: We're wasting our time and money. And not doing anything useful for our reputation.
Torture
GW: Do you believe that torture decreases or increases the risk of terrorism?
Terry Arnold: It increases the risk. There is a school of thought that it is deterrence. But I do not believe that. If people's grievances multiply, you will have more terrorism. For example, military attacks in Iraq increase terrorism. If you ameliorate people's grievances, you will decrease terrorism.
GW: A high-level Special Ops interrogator said that torture by Americans of innocent Iraqis is the main reason that foreign fighters started fighting against Americans in Iraq in the first place. Do you agree?
Terry Arnold: I agree with that. What went on at Abu Gharaib was on the street before it was in the [American] media.
9/11
GW: You write:
"Washington leadership [has] brought us no closer than we were on September 12, 2001 to resolving how [9/11] was executed and by what enemy.Let's focus on the how question first.
What facts or observations make you doubt that the official government story does not fully explain how 9/11 was carried out?
Terry Arnold: The nature of events in New York. The buildings falling down. I'm not satisfied by the notion that planes hitting buildings would have caused them to collapse. The last building to fall was not even attacked.
GW: Now let's address the question of who carried out the attacks. You write:
"They tell us repeatedly that it [9/11] was the work of al Qaida, but they have yet to show us the proofs."As a counter-terrorism expert, what sort of proofs would you expect the government to show if al Qaeda had carried out the 9/11 attacks - at least without the help of any state?
Terry Arnold: The case has not been fully made. The official story is not too persuasive.
