On the twentieth anniversary of September 11th, the Reiss Center on Law and Security and Just Security have convened an online symposium titled “How Perpetual War Has Changed Us: Reflections on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11” to examine the consequential legal and policy choices made in the aftermath of the attacks. In a far-ranging collection of essays by leading scholars, practitioners, and advocates, we explore how the past two decades have created a “new normal” – one that might not have been inevitable, but which has profoundly reshaped the current state of national security and rights. We examine the future of how a forever war might end – and what will be left in its wake.

Introduction to a Symposium: How Perpetual War Has Changed Us — Reflections on the Anniversary of 9/11

Tess Bridgeman, Rachel Goldbrenner, and Ryan Goodman
September 7, 2021

Five Principles to End the Forever War

Luke Hartig
September 7, 2021

The Path Not Taken: Reimagining the Post-9/11 World

Rebecca Hamilton
September 7, 2021

In the “War on Terror,” What Did Rights Organizations Get Wrong?

Jameel Jaffer
September 7, 2021

The Costs of 9/11’s Suspicionless Surveillance: Suppressing Communities of Color and Political Dissent

Faiza Patel
September 8, 2021

The Forever War on the Homefront

Heather Aliano
September 8, 2021

The Legacy of 9/11: Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Spotlights and Blind Spots

Asha Rangappa
September 8, 2021

How to Responsibly End Three Key Rights-Abusing Post-9/11 Policies

Hina Shamsi, Priyanka Motaparthy and Scott Roehm
September 9, 2021

Immigration Policy Before and After 9/11: From the INS to DHS – Where Did We Go Wrong?

Camille J. Mackler
September 9, 2021

Human Rights Advocacy and the Institutionalization of U.S. “Counter-Terrorism” Policies Since 9/11

Fionnuala Ní Aoláin
September 9, 2021

There Is a Way to Close Guantanamo

Ian Moss
September 10, 2021

Adopting a Whole-of-Society Approach to Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Nicholas Rasmussen
September 10, 2021

Crossing Back Over: Time to Reform the Legal Culture and Legal Practice of the “War on Terror”

Brian Finucane and Stephen Pomper
September 10, 2021

Paradigm Shift: The Consequences of Choosing a War Path, and Leaving It

Tess Bridgeman
September 11, 2021