Urban Terrorism

Paragraph 10 of the Security Environment section of the NATO Strategic Concept adopted in 2010 clearly defines terrorism as ‘a direct threat to the security of the citizens of NATO countries, and to international stability and prosperity more broadly’. Terrorist attacks in Turkey, France, Belgium, Germany, Canada and the United States have demonstrated both the vulnerability of NATO members to terrorist activity and the need to strengthen security cooperation with countries of both the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI). This book presents papers delivered at the NATO Advanced Training Course (ATC) ‘Countering Terrorism and Urban Warfare’, held in Herzliya, Israel, in November 2017. Course participants from both the military and the civilian sectors shared theoretical and practical best practice in the countering of terrorism in an urban warfare context, and the 10 papers included here cover topics such as protecting the civilian population in urban combat areas; terrorists logic behind the choice of target; what Europe can learn from its southern neighbors; countering hybrid threats in megacities and densely populated urban areas; and where will ISIS regroup? The book will be of interest to all those concerned with the countering of terrorism, particularly in urban areas.

First published in 2003, this account of the anti-terrorist measures of London's financial district and the changes in urban security after 9/11 has been revised to take into account developments in counter-terrorist security and management, particularly after the terrorist attack in London on July 7th 2005. It makes a valuable addition to the current debate on terrorism and the new security challenges facing Western nations. Drawing on the post-9/11 academic and policy literature on how terrorism is reshaping the contemporary city, this book explores the changing nature of the terrorist threat against global cities in terms of tactics and targeting, and the challenge of developing city-wide managerial measures and strategies. Also addressed is the way in which London is leading the way in developing best practice in counter-terrorist design and management, and how such practice is being internationalized.

This book is devoted primarily to papers prepared by American and Russian specialists on cyber terrorism and urban terrorism. It also includes papers on biological and radiological terrorism from the American and Russian perspectives. Of particular interest are the discussions of the hostage situation at Dubrovko in Moscow, the damge inflicted in New York during the attacks on 9/11, and Russian priorities in addressing cyber terrorism.

The original prison gang, the Mexican Mafia, is the fastest growing prison gang in the United States. The authors illustrate how this prison gang uses influence, power, and violence to control an army of over 40,000 street gang members across the nation and countless more internationally. Learn about the special relationship this group has with Hispanic street and prison gangs, Mexican drug trafficking organizations and the constant battle over money, power and control. The Mexican Mafia continues to expand its transnational criminal activities and will continue to diversify until the criminal justice system becomes more informed.

Outrageous myths have been created and perpetrated about terrorism in general and terrorism by Muslims in particular. There are two reasons for it. One is, of course, genuine ignorance about things Islamic. The other reason is more sinister. Myths are created and perpetuated because that keeps everyone in business. By spinning yarns about the most horrible things the terrorists are capable of doing, the media ensures that they have a never-ending supply of sensational material with which to keep the people hooked it also enables the intelligence agencies and security forces to appear more relevant and expand their turf in the process. The myths must be busted because they tend to settle deep in the collective subconscious and ultimately come to influence policy decisions. The media, for example, would have you believe that we have not been able to eradicate terrorism only because we do not have enough commandos everywhere! The fact is that terrorism would not be finished by killing a few terrorists. Bomb blasts continue to take place in spite of the arrests of the masterminds . As long as we do not address the root cause, there would be many more willing to kill and get killed. Victory against terrorism can be achieved only if you have completely understood the fundamental reasons of terrorism, the motivation of the terrorists, the intrinsic weaknesses of the targets, the innate strength of the way of the terrorist , and the follies of the approach that you have persisted with so far. If a nation has floundered in its war against terrorism , it is because it has never had a serious and honest-to-God analysis of terrorism. Hence this book. Exhaustive yet attractive, informative yet interesting and above all, extremely hard-hitting it is the ultimate encyclopedia of terrorism.

Cities, War and Terrorism is the first book to look critically at the ways in which warfare, terrorism and counter-terrorism policies intersect in cities in the post Cold-War period. A path-breaking exploration of the intersections of war, terrorism and cities Argues that contemporary cities are the key strategic sites of geopolitical conflict Written by the world’s leading analysts of the intersections of urban space and military and terrorist violence Draws on cutting-edge research from geography, history, architecture, planning, sociology, critical theory, politics, international relations and military studies Provides up-to-date empirical analyses of specific conflicts, including 9/11, the “War on Terrorism”, the Balkan wars, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and urban antiglobalization battles Offers lay readers a sophisticated perspective on the violence that is engulfing our increasingly urbanised world

The development of defensive strategies encompassing the fortification and privatization of the city has attracted significant attention during recent years, and has become particularly relevant in the aftermath of September 11th. Dealing with issues of risk, security and the spatial restructuring of contemporary western cities, this book examines how the perceived risk of terrorist attack led to changes in the physical form and institutional infrastructure of the city of London during the 1990s when the city was a prime terrorist target. The book analyses how the various formal and informal strategies adopted in the City attempted to reduce both the physical and financial risk of terrorism. This was undertaken through a series of place-specific security initiatives and risk management policies which led to increased fortification, a substantial rise in terrorism insurance premiums, and, changing institutional relations at a variety of spatial scales. It also argues that the security measures deployed were developed not in terms of an anti-terrorist effort, but in relation to the unintended by-products of these approaches such as crime reduction and enhanced traffic management capabilities.