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PRESS RELEASE
Daniel S. Hamilton in RÆSON | Our trans-atlantic homeland
“Territorial defense in the Cold War sense should give way to a new common conception of territorial protection against sporadic attacks - or surprise attacks - by terrorists using weapons of mass destruction. Those attacks could happen today, in Europe. We have clear evidence that such attacks have already been planned - they simply were stopped. The idea that Europe is not a target is simply wrong.”
In September, Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton - who is Professor at Johns Hopkins University and Director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations – visited Copenhagen to take part in the conference on “Homeland Security”. RÆSON has spoken to Dr. Hamilton from Washington, in an extensive interview about the political landscape on the two sides of Atlantic after the arrival of what he terms “catastrophic terrorism”.
According to Dr. Hamilton, 9/11 confined isolationism to the past and transformed America. Now Europe must follow suit: with the invocation of NATO’s Article V – the musketeer-oath - a ‘trans-atlantic homeland’ is called into existence.
He suggests that the Europeans are mistaken when they claim that ‘Europe is used to terrorism’: “You really find a lot of American anger when (they)() hear that European comment. Because, yes,() one obviously has been used to terrorism - of a different type. [...] The idea of millions dead - the entire city of Copenhagen in one blow: destroyed - is a very different prospect than kidnapping an industrialist, holding a person for ransom.”
Dr. Hamilton, who worked for the Clinton administration, thinks that George W. Bush has made significant mistakes in underestimating the significance of America’s allies in the War and Terror. And he says: “the post-Iraq-war-situation has gone very badly for the Administration. And it has been clear that having the Pentagon in charge of this has been a mistake (of)() the greatest significance - and that they have seemed to be incapable of planning the peace.”
READ THE INTERVIEW NOW:
Daniel S. Hamilton in RÆSON | Our trans-atlantic homeland
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Illustrationsfoto: The White House (Tina Hager)
