Inventing-Terrorists-study

1. After 9/11, the FBI began a hunt for domestic terrorists on theassumption that terrorists had already established a network within thecountry and could be identified primarily by their extreme Muslimideology. When such extreme Muslim networks could not be found, theFBI targeted “ideologies” by means of preemptive prosecution todemonstrate that it was aggressively protecting the country and to justify itsexpanded new budgets and enhanced police powers. 41 To be fair, most FBIagents sincerely believe in the need to protect the country from anotherattack. The problem is that locking up people because of suspicions aboutwhat they might do results in many innocent people being incarcerated,with little gain in protection of the country.2. Although preemptive prosecution may be unjustified in itsapplication to individual cases, it sends a message to the Muslimpopulation in particular that the government will prosecute them vigorouslyand unfairly for any indications of lack of loyalty (“suspicious ideology”)to the U.S. Thus preemptive prosecution is designed to scare––terrorize––the American Muslim population into silence over U.S. policy abroad. Thisallows the U.S. to aggressively pursue wars and drone attacks in the MiddleEast without fear of a political backlash from American Muslims over thekilling of civilians in foreign lands.3. Preemptive prosecution represents a new attempt to prosecuteideology, on the discredited theory that ideology predicts crime. Attemptsat prosecuting ideology have a long history in the U.S. and have producedhundreds of political prisoners, many of whom are still in prison. 42 In thepresent version of this process, Muslims are the first victims of politicalrepression, and will likely be followed by repression against other groups,such as immigrants and the political left.32