The Shooting of Jean Charles The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes: Use of Force and de Menezes: Use of Force and

Counter-Terrorism PolicyCounter-Terrorism Policy

Professor P.A.J. WaddingtonProfessor P.A.J. Waddington

The University of ReadingThe University of Reading

EnglandEngland

Jean Charles de MenezesJean Charles de Menezes• 22 July Jean Charles de 22 July Jean Charles de

Menezes was shot by Menezes was shot by London policeLondon police

• Stockwell Underground Stockwell Underground stationstation

• Mistaken for a terroristMistaken for a terrorist

• Multiple shots to the headMultiple shots to the head

• TragedyTragedy

Jean Charles de MenezesJean Charles de Menezes

• This presentation: publicly This presentation: publicly available information onlyavailable information only

• Official investigation remains Official investigation remains confidentialconfidential

• No ‘private’ sourcesNo ‘private’ sources

• Policy issues and implicationsPolicy issues and implications

ContextContext• 7 July: suicide bombers—3 trains and 7 July: suicide bombers—3 trains and

one bus bombed in central London—56 one bus bombed in central London—56 deaddead

• 21 July: unexploded bombs found on 21 July: unexploded bombs found on trains and a bustrains and a bus

• Thwarted attacks awaiting prosecutionThwarted attacks awaiting prosecution

• Jihadist threat:Jihadist threat:– 9/11 (1993 attack)9/11 (1993 attack)– Bali, Casablanca, Madrid, IstanbulBali, Casablanca, Madrid, Istanbul– Strasburg, SingaporeStrasburg, Singapore

Jihadist threat and theJihadist threat and the‘war against terrorism’?‘war against terrorism’?

• 9/11, et al: crimes or war?9/11, et al: crimes or war?• Not crime:Not crime:

– Dedicated, determined, self–sacrificingDedicated, determined, self–sacrificing– Motivated by idealsMotivated by ideals– Utterly ruthlessUtterly ruthless

• Not war:Not war:– Representing no nation stateRepresenting no nation state– Signatories to no international treatiesSignatories to no international treaties– No negotiating parties for making peaceNo negotiating parties for making peace

Irregular warIrregular war

• 11stst principle of war: attack opponent at principle of war: attack opponent at weakest pointweakest point

• Democratic West invincible on Democratic West invincible on battlefieldbattlefield

• Weakness of secular liberalism:Weakness of secular liberalism:– Individualism: anonymity, freedom of Individualism: anonymity, freedom of

movement—camouflage movement—camouflage – Rights: surveillance, detention, forceRights: surveillance, detention, force– Scepticism of the stateScepticism of the state

IntelligenceIntelligence• ‘‘Intelligence’: euphemism for Intelligence’: euphemism for poor poor

informationinformation

• Terrorists strive to remain anonymousTerrorists strive to remain anonymous– ‘‘Joining up the dots’Joining up the dots’– ‘‘Needle in a haystack’: problem is the Needle in a haystack’: problem is the

haystack–information overload/joining haystack–information overload/joining dotsdots

– False positivesFalse positives– Real time decision–makingReal time decision–making

22 July: Intelligence failure22 July: Intelligence failure

• Address connected to unexploded Address connected to unexploded bombsbombs

• SurveillanceSurveillance

• Poor photograph of bomber, Poor photograph of bomber, OsmanOsman

• Possible sightingPossible sighting

• Confirmation on the moveConfirmation on the move

22 July: command failure?22 July: command failure?

• Myth of panoptical commandMyth of panoptical command

• Commanders inevitably operate Commanders inevitably operate ‘blind’‘blind’

• Inevitably poor informationInevitably poor information– UnstructuredUnstructured

– FluidFluid

– IncompleteIncomplete

22 July: organisational failure?22 July: organisational failure?

• Surveillance officers not armedSurveillance officers not armed

• Armed officers rendezvous Armed officers rendezvous

• Different radio frequenciesDifferent radio frequencies

22 July: excessive force?22 July: excessive force?

• ‘‘Kratos’: overrides presumption of surrender Kratos’: overrides presumption of surrender

• Arrest criminalArrest criminal

• Ambush combatantsAmbush combatants

• LoughgallLoughgall

• Suicide bombers detonate explosiveSuicide bombers detonate explosive

22 July: excessive force?22 July: excessive force?

• Non-survivable injury: ‘Suniland’ and Non-survivable injury: ‘Suniland’ and the ‘empty gun’the ‘empty gun’

• ‘‘Catastrophic headshot’: routine optionCatastrophic headshot’: routine option

• Prevent ‘reaction shot’ = severing Prevent ‘reaction shot’ = severing brainstembrainstem

• Low velocity weaponsLow velocity weapons

• Killing is not enoughKilling is not enough

• Attack at weakest point: force the state Attack at weakest point: force the state into threateningly forceful responseinto threateningly forceful response

Getting it rightGetting it right

• Terrorists attack at weakest point: Terrorists attack at weakest point: allow their opponent only one allow their opponent only one successful optionsuccessful option– Kill armed terrorist Kill armed terrorist in flagrantein flagrante

• Other options:Other options:– Fail to prevent suspected terrorist attackFail to prevent suspected terrorist attack– Kill an innocent personKill an innocent person

LegitimacyLegitimacy

• Tilly: state legitimacy is founded onTilly: state legitimacy is founded on– Capacity Capacity – TrustTrust

• Capacity to protect homeland from Capacity to protect homeland from attack, cf. RAF attacks on German attack, cf. RAF attacks on German cities in 1940cities in 1940

• Trust that coercive power will not be Trust that coercive power will not be used against citizens, e.g. safeguards used against citizens, e.g. safeguards of criminal justiceof criminal justice

Terrorism strikes at bothTerrorism strikes at both

Terrorist threat to legitimacyTerrorist threat to legitimacy• Get it wrong:Get it wrong:

– Demonstrate lack of capacityDemonstrate lack of capacity• Public criticism of Public criticism of

– Design of twin towersDesign of twin towers– Readiness/equipment of fire/police departmentsReadiness/equipment of fire/police departments– ‘‘Intelligence failures’Intelligence failures’

– Undermine trustUndermine trust• Police brutal Police brutal • Out of controlOut of control• ‘‘Shoot to kill’, ‘execution’, etcShoot to kill’, ‘execution’, etc

Attack opponent at weakest pointAttack opponent at weakest point

Accidents happenAccidents happen

• > 2000 people die annually in NHS > 2000 people die annually in NHS hospitals from ‘medical accidents’hospitals from ‘medical accidents’

• 30% of those who die in ITU are 30% of those who die in ITU are misdiagnosed in A&Emisdiagnosed in A&E

• 50% of misdiagnosed could have been 50% of misdiagnosed could have been saved with correct diagnosissaved with correct diagnosis

‘‘Risk society’: aversion to errorRisk society’: aversion to error

DemocracyDemocracy

• Terrorism undermines legitimacy Terrorism undermines legitimacy by proxyby proxy

• Anger of victimsAnger of victims

• Campaigners/sympathisersCampaigners/sympathisers

• Media Media

• Official investigation/revelationOfficial investigation/revelation

Attack at weakest pointAttack at weakest point

Extend capacityExtend capacityEngender trustEngender trust

• ‘‘State of Terrorist Emergency’State of Terrorist Emergency’

• International ratificationInternational ratification

• Legitimate reduction in liberties as Legitimate reduction in liberties as

proportionateproportionate

Irremediable intolerance of errorIrremediable intolerance of error

• ‘Collateral damage’Collateral damage’

• Sacrificing innocent livesSacrificing innocent lives

• War is always barbarous War is always barbarous

• Living with barbarity is Living with barbarity is illiberalilliberal

Attack at weakest pointAttack at weakest point