Abstract
I focus on the “ticking bomb” scenario as both creation and furtherance of the fantasy of “interrogational torture”, itself a response to the September 2001 attacks. I do so, first, to dispose of its purported justifications and thus of torture’s least implausible defence; and, second, to help stimulate a similar approach to the phenomenon of “terrorism”. Hence the structure of this chapter: what torture is; the “ticking bomb” fantasy and its consequences; some examples of the careless thinking that permits the debate to continue as it does; and finally, some comments on lessons to be learnt.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Routledge Handbook of Critical Terrorism Studies |
| Editors | R. Jackson |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Chapter | 16 |
| Pages | 170-180 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781315813462 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780415743761 |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Apr 2016 |