Human Rights and Aggressive Tactics in the War on Terrorism

There is a growing perception that counter terrorism actions are taking a toll on human rights. More than one repressive regime has used the excuse of combating terrorism to clamp down on legitimate opposition groups. Several human rights groups also are beginning to question the tactics being used by democratic countries. Preservation of human rights in the War on Terrorism must be one of several key issues. We owe it to the victims of terrorism to ensure that adequate power and resources are established and used to bring terrorists to justice. We also owe it to the men and women fighting the War on Terrorism to never sacrifice the principles they are dedicated to defend. Counter terrorism actions and measures must respect the rule of law. Even so, achieving compatibility between effective police and military actions and human rights is not an easy task. Police investigative methods are often not sufficient to obtain intelligence necessary to prevent terrorists attacks.