War on terror (or maybe they spell it ‘terrour’)

A good interview with Nigel Inkster, former Assistant Chief and Director of Operations and Intelligence of MI6:

“We can’t kill or arrest our way out of this problem… we will never solve this issue and live in a terrorism-free world. It has to be managed.”

Inkster said that there was definitely a need for police and sometimes military action in fighting terrorism, but suggested that it was now widely acknowledged in the spook community that the Iraq invasion — and now the Israeli assault on Gaza – were definite factors in radicalisation of British domestic terrorists.

“A move away from the rhetoric of [Global War on Terror] will help,” he said, saying that the “more nuanced message” of the Obama administration was already showing results.

(via Schneier)

Calling this a War on Terror elevates thugs and maniacs to warriors, which is what they’re trying to be. I wish these sorts of quotes didn’t need to always come from former officials, though (see also).