Chalmers Johnson

About the author: Chalmers Johnson is the author of a dozen books concerning East Asia and political violence, including Revolutionary Change and Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire.

The terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were an example of "blowback"—a term created by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to describe unintended consequences of U.S. activities abroad. Terrorist network leader Osama bin Laden was in part the creation of the United States, which funded his efforts against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Rather than continue with foreign policy as usual, the United States needs to make a serious effort to analyze and curb its global military activities.

For Americans who can...