ABSTRACT
The September 11th attacks were ‘textbook acts of symbolic terror’.1 They were carefully choreographed to achieve the maximum visual effect and ‘total’ response from their target. Following on from these attacks, the President of the United States of America declared a, so-called, ‘War on Terror’. This is a war that is presented as being very different to any other war that has ever been waged before. Moreover, as noted by Matai2 this war is ‘asymmetric’ – unlike traditional symmetric warfare that focuses on nation-to-nation combat. Indeed, it can further be suggested that this asymmetric war is somewhat veiled and camouflaged making it extremely difficult to ascertain as and when, or indeed if any, progress is made. This vagueness has been grasped by both governments and terrorists and used to their advantage.
