Grey's Anatomy goes South: Global Racism and Suspect Identities in the Colonial Present

Abstract

Abstract. This article explores the biometric documentation of civilians by coalition forces in the battle zones of the “war on terror.” With the growth of population-centric operations, harvesting body data is a key dimension of efforts to divide the population between civilians and insurgents, and also serves as a general strategy of population management over life perceived to be potentially dangerous. This article examines how these dividing and governance tactics are part of a global racism that is manifest in North-South conflict. The racism that underpins biometric technology is reflected in the racial dynamic of Western-led counter-insurgency operations, in which the US and its allies expand control over southern populations. In so doing, the insecurity of said populations is deepened and the political dimensions of global inequality are accentuated.