| |
Who are al-Qaeda and what do they want? Is religious terrorism a new phenomenon? What drives someone to become a suicide bomber? Author and UN Security advisor Leonard Weinberg answers these and other questions, looking at terrorism as a tactic from the purges ofthe French Revolution to the death squads of Colombia. Drawing on the lessons of the past to confront the challenges of the present, he asks:
• Can a government commit acts of terror?
• What happens when the media becomes part of the story?
• How do we fight – and overcome – terror?
Well-balanced, authoritative and highly readable, this book is essential reading for everyone worried about homeland security or seeking to gain a deeper understanding of where terrorism comes from, how it works and where it ends.
Contents
Introduction • Defining terrorism • Purposes • Goals • State terror • Terrorism and warfare • Outline of the book • A brief history of terrorism • Beginnings • Religious motivations • Revolutionary motivations • The first wave • The second wave • The third wave • The first war of the twenty-first century • The new terrorism • What’s new? • Jihadi organizations • Al Qaeda • Who they are, where they come from, and why they do it • What conditions give rise to terrorism? • What kind of people become terrorists? • Where do terrorist organizations come from? • Reacting to terrorism • Impact on the victims • The role of the mass media • Models of government response • Carrots • Sticks • The end of terrorism • The individual • The group • Campaigns • A concluding observation • The future • Significant terrorist incidents, 1961-2003 • Glossary • Notes • IndexISBN - 9781851683581
|
| |
Pages : 182
|