[New publication] Legacies of the War on Terror 

Asser researcher Dr Rumyana van Ark (née Grozdanova) recently authored a forthcoming publication on the ‘War on Terror’ and why the legacies of this ‘war’ still resonate today . Rumyana’s publication is now available on Asser’s SSRN page. 

Ark, R van 'The War on Terror’, Asser Research Paper 2020-12, forthcoming in: Sayapin, S., Quenivet, N., Kemp, G. and Zambrana-Tevar, N., International Conflict and Security Law, Volume 2, Springer/Asser Press (2020). 
Following the events of 11 September 2001 (9/11), the prevention and pre-emption of acts of terrorism has become a priority. At the international level, through a series of resolutions and the establishment of a new UN Committee, an environment accommodative of wide-ranging and collaborative counter-terrorism measures emerged. Domestically, states such the United States and United Kingdom immediately enacted new counter-terrorism measures while existing criminal and counter-terrorism legislation was updated and expanded. In addition to the legislation fever, several states – the US in particular – launched a transnational counter-terrorism campaign known as the ‘War on Terror.’ 
As a political paradigm, this ‘war’ was used to justify the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. As a legal paradigm, the ‘War on Terror’ was designed to construct an environment in which the need to counter terror is more important than respect for human rights and international norms. In the years following the events of 9/11, the US ‘War on Terror’ gradually came to define the first decade of the 21st century. Almost 20 years on since its start, its legacy continues to be felt. This chapter examines the effects and legacies of the ‘War on Terror.’ Read more here. 

Dr Rumyana van Ark (née Grozdanova) is post-doctoral researcher in terrorism, counter-terrorism and international law at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut within the research strand ‘Human dignity and human security in international and European law.’ She is also a research fellow and a coordinator at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT – The Hague). Her work focuses on the impact of counter-terrorism measures on the individual terror suspect and the long-term implications for the rule of law.