9/11 and The War on Terror

This chapter focuses on the role of lies and deception in both initiating and sustaining the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq after the September 11 attacks. It analyses how the Taliban employed denial, conspiracy theories, and false diplomacy in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, accelerating U.S. military intervention. It then explores how the United States and its allies used lies and deception – particularly through false representations, deception by omission, and deception by misinformation – to justify prolonged warfare, conceal the growing number of civilian casualties, and attempt to maintain public support. The Iraq War is presented as a textbook case of mutual deception, where both the U.S. government and terrorist groups lied and deceived to provoke a conflict. The chapter, like others before, highlights how deception operated not only at the tactical level but also structurally, shaping public narratives and institutional decision-making. In doing so, it reinforces the book’s broader argument that lies and violence are co-constitutive elements of domination and that democratic systems are not immune to them in the exercise of power.