The Conflict

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil on September 11, 2001, there have been calls for increased security measures in many areas of public life. Some civil liberties and ethnic groups fear, however, that these increased security procedures may unduly infringe upon individual rights and worse, may target individuals for suspicion based solely on their ethnic background.

Political

• Both the ruling and opposition parties in any country have moved cautiously to limit civil liberties out of security concerns. In the past, political parties that have invoked limits on civil liberties have been accused of political opportunism, particularly if the limitations touch upon the right to free speech and public assembly and, therefore, political dissent. Those who have argued against curbs on civil liberties, on the other hand, have sometimes been accused of being "soft" on terrorism.

Ideological

• The...