ABSTRACT
When the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, it was the target of groups not only opposed to American foreign policy in the Middle East but also seemingly committed to a religious state, the rule of force, and the total subordination of women. From a progressive democratic standpoint, the U.S. response to this crisis might be expected to be twofold: bringing those responsible to justice while preventing further attacks, but in a way that safeguards the democratic values it claims to represent—secular government, the rule of law, and civic equality for all citizens, including women—because these are the values that make the country worth protecting in the first place.
