NATIONAL SECURITY
Government leaders are often tempted to violate rights in times of insecurity.
The coronavirus has been one such challenge, where US government authorities have claimed nonviolent protests have threatened national security and deployed a military response, using chemical weapons to disperse demonstrators. The Trump administration has also regularly called the media an “enemy of the state” and incited violence against members of the press, and has not significantly addressed cyberthreats by countries attempting to influence America’s electoral process, which have benefited the party in power.
The U.S. government's response to the attacks of September 11, 2001 provides another example. The 9/11 attacks tested America's commitment to established domestic and international human rights laws, such as prohibitions on torture, secret prisons, and indefinite detention without trial. Some government officials argued that these actions were necessary to gain intelligence and save lives. Critics, including many national security experts, argued that torture and other cruelty was not only illegal and immoral, but produced false confessions and unreliable information. The executive branch of the government also maintains a targeted killing program, using armed drones to strike terrorism suspects with little oversight or accountability.
People all over the world feel the effects of U.S. security and counterterrorism policies because US behavior influences that of other nations. Following the lead of the United States, many oppressive rulers have tried to justify abuses by citing the US government’s example.
