
- 176 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
As shocking as the attacks of 9/11 were, we have been too quick to view the post-9/11 struggle against terrorism as entirely new and unprecedented. Without denying certain novel aspects of Al Qaeda and its affiliates, the newness of its purpose and methods has been overemphasized. Many aspects of contemporary terrorism bear a striking resemblance to past movements. Others represent the culmination of trends evolving over decades. Even seemingly novel characteristics of terrorist methods may be more the outcome of earlier developments than a truly new phenomenon. The increased lethality of terrorist attacks is a case in point. Usually attributed to lack of restraint brought on by religious extremism, the emphasis on body count may owe as much to a kind of threshold phenomenon. Numbed by decades of violence, people do not shock as easily as they once did. It now takes thousands of deaths to produce the same effect once caused by a relative handful. This book places today's terrorism in historical context and challenges the idea of a global war on terrorism.
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Table of contents
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Madness and Meaning: Understanding the Threat
- Chapter 2: Terrorism Past and Present
- Chapter 3: Patterns and Trends
- Chapter 4: The al-Qaeda Exception?
- Chapter 5: What Do the Terrorists Want?
- Chapter 6: How Safe Are We?
- Chapter 7: Responses to Terrorism
- Chapter 8: A Comprehensive Approach
- Conclusion: Measuring the Risk and Counting the Cost
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index