The Future Of Terrorism

An expert on terrorism and an expert on counterterrorism answer the two questions everyone is asking about the rise of terrorism today: why is this happening, and when will it end? Since the death of bin Laden in 2011, ISIS has risen, al-Qaeda has expanded its reach, and right-wing extremists have surged in the United States for the same simple reason: terrorism works. It’s not caused by psychosis or irrationality, as the media often suggests. Instead, it’s terrifyingly logical. Violent acts produce political results. To show why, Walter Laqueur and Christopher Wall explore the history, rationales and precepts of terrorism, from the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, through the terror campaigns by Irish and Indian nationalists, and to the Nazis and Italian Fascists. To explain why terror is on the rise again, they show how the American invasion of Iraq created the conditions for the emergence of al-Qaeda in Iraq, part of which metastasized into ISIS, while Russia’s increasing intervention in Syria allowed both of the organizations to evolve. The Future of Terrorism brings reason to a topic usually ruled by fear. Laqueur and Wall show the structural features behind contemporary terrorism: how bad governance abets terror; the link between poverty and terrorism; why religious terrorism is more dangerous than secular; and the nature of supposed “lone wolf” terrorists. Fear alone provides no tools to combat the future of terrorism. This book does.

A very serious and terrifying aspect of our contemporary society is the ever-present threat of terrorist activity. The horrific events that occurred at the World Trade Center and at the federal building in Oklahoma City dispel the notion that the United States is immune to such acts. Understanding this ominous kind of threat is the best way to prepare for it. The Future of Terrorism provides rich insight into the definitions and classifications of terrorism, the impact of international events on terrorism in the United States, trends in domestic terrorism, infiltration by foreign terrorist groups, media and terrorism, reducing the risk, deterrents, trends and projects for the future. Edited by Harvey W. Kushner, this carefully organized and very readable volume contains original contributions by a wide array of noted scholars, researchers, practitioners, media professionals, and advocates. Tailored for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in the social sciences, The Future of Terrorism is also a must read for academics, law enforcement personnel, victimologists, mental health professionals, and concerned readers in the general public.

These papers from a meeting on terrorism in Cork in 1999 include: the effects of changing geo-politics on terrorism; strategic and tactical responses to innovations in terrorism; the changing nature of terrorism; the threat of weapons of mass destruction; and single-issue terrorism.

This new study is devoted to understanding how international terrorism is shaped, how it evolves and what we can expect in the future. Drawing upon research and methods outside the traditional focus, and by taking both a theoretical approach and a new practical predictive perspective, it delivers a fresh and fascinating contribution to terrorism studies. While predicting terrorism is a highly speculative business, there are ways of identifying certain long-term causes, driving forces and their links with society. Terrorists are usually integral players in local and sometimes global politics. Hence, when the local, regional and international contexts change, so does terrorism. Thoroughly reviewing the body of literature on the causes of terrorism, this study also combines predictive and futuristic analyses on globalisation, supported by a range of key case studies. It spans from the transformation of international relations, the globalisation of the market economy, demographic factors, ideological shifts and technological changes. The result is a set of key conclusions about the future patterns of terrorism, which are not simply best guesses, but also backed up by solid research. This book will be of great interest to all students and scholars of terrorism, globalisation, politics and international relations.

These papers from a meeting on terrorism in Cork in 1999 include: the effects of changing geo-politics on terrorism; strategic and tactical responses to innovations in terrorism; the changing nature of terrorism; the threat of weapons of mass destruction; and single-issue terrorism.

Defining terrorism -- The end of empire and the origins of contemporary terrorism -- The internationalization of terrorism -- Religion and terrorism -- Suicide terrorism -- The old media, terrorism, and public opinion -- The new media, terrorism, and the shaping of global opinion -- The modern terrorist mind-set: tactics, targets, tradecraft, and technologies -- Terrorism today and tomorrow.

The Oklahoma City bombing, intentional crashing of airliners on September 11, 2001, and anthrax attacks in the fall of 2001 have made Americans acutely aware of the impacts of terrorism. These events and continued threats of terrorism have raised questions about the impact on the psychological health of the nation and how well the public health infrastructure is able to meet the psychological needs that will likely result. Preparing for the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism highlights some of the critical issues in responding to the psychological needs that result from terrorism and provides possible options for intervention. The committee offers an example for a public health strategy that may serve as a base from which plans to prevent and respond to the psychological consequences of a variety of terrorism events can be formulated. The report includes recommendations for the training and education of service providers, ensuring appropriate guidelines for the protection of service providers, and developing public health surveillance for preevent, event, and postevent factors related to psychological consequences.

Recent attacks in Oklahoma City, at the World Trade Towers, and at American embassies in Africa demonstrate the horrifying consequences of a terrorist strike. But as technological advances make weapons of mass destruction frighteningly easy to acquire, a revolution is occurring in the very nature of terrorism--one that may make these attacks look like child's play. In The New Terrorism Walter Laqueur, one of the foremost experts on terrorism and international strategic affairs, recounts the history of terrorism and, more importantly, examines the future of terrorist activity worldwide. Laqueur traces the chilling trend away from terrorism perpetrated by groups of oppressed nationalists and radicals seeking political change to small clusters of fanatics bent on vengeance and simple destruction. Coinciding with this trend is the alarming availability of weapons of mass destruction. Chemical and biological weapons are cheap and relatively easy to make or buy. Even nuclear devices are increasingly feasible options for terrorists. And with the information age, cyber terrorism is just around the corner. Laqueur argues that as a new quasi-religious extreme right rises, with more personal and less ideological motivations than their left-wing counterparts, it is only a matter of time before the attainability of weapons of mass destruction creates a terrifying and unstable scenario. From militant separatism in Kashmir to state-sponsored extremism in Libya and ecoterrorism in the West, The New Terrorism offers a thorough account of terrorism in all its past and current manifestations. Most importantly, it casts a sober eye to the future, when the inevitable marriage of technology and fanaticism will give us all something new to think about.