DSA 2001 Convention Steering Committee Convention Resolution on the War

The September 11th slaughter of innocent peoples of all races and nationalities constitutes a crime against humanity. The apprehension of those responsible, and preventive measures to combat future terrorism, must involve actions in accord with the norms of justice and thus conform to international legal norms.

If force proves necessary (for example, to extradite legally indicted criminals whom foreign governments refuse to turn over), such force must conform to just war doctrine. The force must be proportionate to the damage done and only absolutely necessary and effective force can be justified. DSA believes that the Bush Administration’s bombing campaign against Afghanistan has not been demonstrated to conform to such just war doctrine. Thus, Democratic Socialists of America opposes the bombing campaign.

Although supposedly aimed at the Al-Qaeda network and the fundamentalist Taliban government of Afghanistan that has harbored the network, the campaign is more likely to punish the innocent than the guilty. In fact, the bombings have already resulted in civilian casualties, an increased flow of refugees, and a massive disruption of humanitarian aid—all in a country that has already experienced over two decades of warfare and is in the midst of a massive drought.

DSA firmly believes that the criminals who planned and helped carry out the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States must be brought to justice. Any peace movement that might convince the majority of the American people that the military campaign in Afghanistan is counterproductive must make such an unequivocal call. Justice and the nature of the crime requires that the all of the perpetrators of September 11th be captured and tried for their crime against humanity before an impartial international tribunal that upholds international law and universal human rights. Such a permanent international court would provide all countries with a place to bring charges of human rights violations, including charges against our own government’s history of violating universal human rights.

DSA would support the use of appropriate police powers and force to bring indicted criminals before such a tribunal. But large, prolonged, deployment of American ground troops in Afghanistan, which may well be the administration’s next step, is more likely to result in increased anti-Americanism—swelling the ranks of potential terrorists instead of weakening their organizations. A lengthy campaign will undermine the international cooperation necessary to destroy the covert systems of financing that allow terrorist organizations to engage in sophisticated operations and undermine the cooperation with other national intelligence agencies necessary to curtail terrorism. In fact, Al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan are primarily engaged in fighting on behalf of the Taliban government; most terrorist operatives have been based in Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Those networks pose a continuing threat and are unlikely to be deterred by the campaign in Afghanistan.

DSA supports effective international action against terrorism. Terrorism by an individual, a group, or a state is never justified; the innocent are almost always the victims and reactionary forces are always its real beneficiaries. Genuine international cooperation among nations, including involvement by the United Nations, is a prerequisite for a campaign that will be seen as in the interest of all nations and not just some nations. Such action will also require prolonged and complex use of a variety of means—diplomatic, ideological, financial, legal, and, at times, the appropriate use of force. DSA notes that a critical part of an effective fight against terrorism must be state regulation of international financial transactions, including the laundering of money on the part of secretive international financial banks. Also, the international arms trade (of which the United States is the largest participant) must end. These two measures, neither of which has ever been seriously contemplated by the United States government, would be a more certain weapon against international terrorism than bombing Afghanistan.

How quickly and effectively international cooperation can curtail terrorism is an open question. But use of United States military power, in ways that are not tied to any coherent strategic plan to fight terrorism, will subvert the possibility of effectively combating terrorist organizations. Ultimately a campaign against international terrorism must be based on a commitment by all countries, including the United States, to international enforcement of universal human rights and to a more just and equitable world. The reality that administration actions will contribute to a massive refugee crisis in Afghanistan come the winter bodes ill for effective United States government protection of United States residents – and the world’s population – from murderous, random terrorist violence.

Such effective protection of innocent people is the goal by which Democratic Socialists of America will judge the actions of our government.

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