The chapters in this volume represent my major writing over the twelve years since September 11, 2001 on topics surrounding the “war on terrorism,” particularly the torture debate. The earliest appeared in summer 2002, barely nine months after 9/11; the latest are Chapter 5 and the final chapter, which I wrote for this volume. The book focuses on three themes: the alleged “trade-off” between national security and human rights, the torture debate itself, and the ways law was manipulated to legitimize torture and ensure there would be no accountability for it.

Obviously, the three topics are tightly connected. If rights must give way to security in times of emergency, those may include the right against torture, at least in “ticking-bomb” cases. Because torture is illegal, leaders who want to torture terrorism suspects for information must manipulate the law. And if the emergency persists for years, guaranteeing the absolute prohibition on torture as a fundamental human right may be a luxury societies think they cannot afford.