The Terrorist Argument

The Terrorist Argument
Author: Christopher C. Harmon
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2018-01-09
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0815732198

From chants and pamphlets to the Internet, terrorist propaganda can be deadly effective Propaganda used by terrorists and armed groups might not always be the most sophisticated or nuanced form of rhetoric, but with the right mix of emotion and logic it can be extremely effective in motivating supporters and frightening opponents. This book examines how terrorist groups in recent history have used propaganda, and how they had adapted to new communications technologies while retaining useful techniques from the past. Harmon and Bowdish trace how armed groups and terrorists around the globe have honed their messages for maximum impact, both on the communities they hope to persuade to support them and on the official state organs they hope to overthrow. Sometimes both the messages and the techniques are crude; others are highly refined, carefully crafted appeals to intellect or emotion, embracing the latest forms of communications technology. Whatever the ideas or methodology, all are intended to use the power of ideas, along with force, to project an image and to communicate—not merely intimidate. The Terrorist Argument uses nine case studies of how armed groups have used communications techniques with varying degrees of success: radio, newspapers, song, television, books, e-magazines, advertising, the Internet, and social media. It is fascinating reading for anyone interested in civil conflict, terrorism, communications theory and practice, or world affairs in general.

The History of Terrorism

The History of Terrorism
Author: Gérard Chaliand
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 536
Release: 2016-08-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 0520292502

First published in English in 2007 under title: The history of terrorism: from antiquity to al Qaeda.

Terrorism

Terrorism
Author: Gayle Olson-Raymer
Publisher:
Total Pages: 382
Release: 1996
Genre: Terrorism
ISBN: 9780828108102

Home-grown Terrorism

Home-grown Terrorism
Author: Thomas. M. Pick
Publisher: IOS Press
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2009
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1607500752

This book is part of the NATO Science for Peace and Security Series - E: Human and Societal Dynamics and is based upon the presentations of a NATO Research Workshop by the same title. There are many recent examples of terrorist acts committed by radicalised Europeans with an immigrant heritage: in 2004 the Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh was assassinated, by a Dutch citizen from Morocco origins, because he produced a movie portraying Islam in an unconventional manner. The same year in the United Kingdom, the police foiled a potential terrorist attack and arrested eight men, all of whom were British citizens of Pakistani descent. Why some individuals with a migrant background become radicalised? Issues about marginalisation, societal exclusion, lack of integration, feelings of isolation, powerlessness and humiliation are all part of the problem. No amount of military or other coercive action will, in itself, do the trick of countering terrorism effectively without remedial action based upon a thorough knowledge of the underlying processes involved. This book is meant to be a small but significant step in that direction. With this purpose, it gathers the views of a wide range of multidisciplinary experts about how to prevent home grown terrorism and what strategies should be developed to hinder its development.

Countering Terrorism, Preventing Radicalization and Protecting Cultural Heritage

Countering Terrorism, Preventing Radicalization and Protecting Cultural Heritage
Author: A. Niglia
Publisher: IOS Press
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2017-05-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1614997551

One of the most pressing challenges in the fight against terror is the way in which terrorist organizations have developed uniquely effective recruitment tools. Terrorist groups such as ISIS have successfully indoctrinated followers from all over the world, expanding their reach far beyond the Middle East. It is imperative that the international community finds effective ways to respond to this threat. This book presents findings and recommendations from the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) ‘Human Factors in the Defense Against Terrorism: the Case of Jordan’, held in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in November 2016. The aim of the workshop was to deepen NATO-Jordanian cooperation within the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) framework by sharing best practices in counter-terrorism and de-radicalization strategies among government authorities and distinguished experts from the diplomatic, military, academic, and private sectors. The discussions were centered around the technological and psychological aspects of terrorist recruitment techniques, particularly with regard to social media and other information-sharing platforms. Participants developed several innovative strategies for preventing, and even reversing, radicalization, and also established a series of protocols and emergency response techniques for practitioners and policy makers in the fields of counter-terrorism and emergency responders. Providing an overview of current expertise and best practice, this book will be of interest to all those collaborating to effectively counter the threats of terrorism and fight the process of radicalization.

Terrorism

Terrorism
Author: Randall D. Law
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 378
Release: 2016-09-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0745690939

We live in an era dominated by terrorism but struggle to understand its meaning and the real nature of the threat. In this new edition of his widely acclaimed survey of the topic, Randall Law makes sense of the history of terrorism by examining it within its broad political, religious and social contexts and tracing its development from the ancient world to the 21st century. In Terrorism: A History, Law reveals how the very definition of the word has changed, how the tactics and strategies of terrorism have evolved, and how those who have used it adapted to revolutions in technology, communications, and political ideologies. Terrorism: A History extensively covers such topics as jihadist violence, state terror, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Northern Ireland, anarcho-terrorism, and the Ku Klux Klan, plus lesser known movements in Uruguay and Algeria, as well as the pre-modern uses of terror in ancient Rome, medieval Europe, and the French Revolution. This thoroughly revised edition features up-to-date analysis of: · Al-Qaeda’s affiliates and the “franchising” of jihadism · “Lone wolf” violence in the United States and Europe · Sri Lanka’s victory over the Tamil Tigers Other features include updated and expanded bibliographies in each chapter, more scholarly citations, and a new conclusion, making Terrorism: A History the go-to book for those wishing to understand the real nature and importance of this ubiquitous phenomenon.

Psychology of Terrorism

Psychology of Terrorism
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2007
Genre:
ISBN:

In compiling this annotated bibliography on the psychology of terrorism, the author has defined terrorism as "acts of violence intentionally perpetrated on civilian noncombatants with the goal of furthering some ideological, religious or political objective." The principal focus is on nonstate actors. The task was to identify and analyze the scientific and professional social science literature pertaining to the psychological and/or behavioral dimensions of terrorist behavior (not on victimization or effects). The objectives were to explore what questions pertaining to terrorist groups and behavior had been asked by social science researchers; to identify the main findings from that research; and attempt to distill and summarize them within a framework of operationally relevant questions. To identify the relevant social science literature, the author began by searching a series of major academic databases using a systematic, iterative keyword strategy, mapping, where possible, onto existing subject headings. The focus was on locating professional social science literature published in major books or in peer-reviewed journals. Searches were conducted of the following databases October 2003: Sociofile/Sociological Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts (CJ Abstracts), Criminal Justice Periodical Index (CJPI), National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts (NCJRS), PsycInfo, Medline, and Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). Three types of annotations were provided for works in this bibliography: Author's Abstract -- this is the abstract of the work as provided (and often published) by the author; Editor's Annotation -- this is an annotation written by the editor of this bibliography; and Key Quote Summary -- this is an annotation composed of "key quotes" from the original work, edited to provide a cogent overview of its main points.

Religious Knives

Religious Knives
Author: Jouni Suistola
Publisher: Pitchstone Publishing (US&CA)
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2017-09-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1634311310

In this timely multidimensional study, historian Jouni Suistola and psychoanalyst Vamik D. Volkan draw on their respective disciplines and their own personal and professional experiences to investigate the historical and psychological roots of terrorism. Specifically, what is it in human nature that allows people to terrorize and kill the other, and what societal factors—whether political, economic, or religious—lead to terrorism? And, in turn, how might terrorist ideologies and groups be defeated, especially when a society's realistic fears are contaminated with xenophobia, racism, and fantasized dangers? Focusing specifically on modern-day radical Islamist terrorism, the authors argue that studying the minds of individual terrorists can tell us something about those individuals, but that only by examining the deeper historical, political, and society-wide psychological processes at work will we be able to uncover the core causes of terrorism. Only through such understanding, they conclude, will the world be positioned to prevent further radicalization and create lasting and peaceful solutions to the seemingly intractable problem of terrorist violence.

In the Name of God and Country

In the Name of God and Country
Author: Michael Fellman
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 283
Release: 2010-01-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0300155018

With insight and originality, Michael Fellman argues that terrorism, in various forms, has been a constant and driving force in American history. In part, this is due to the nature of American republicanism and Protestant Christianity, which he believes contain a core of moral absolutism and self-righteousness that perpetrators of terrorism use to justify their actions. Fellman also argues that there is an intrinsic relationship between terrorist acts by non-state groups and responses on the part of the state; unlike many observers, he believes that both the action and the reaction constitute terrorism.Fellman’s compelling narrative focuses on five key episodes: John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry; terrorism during the American Civil War, especially race warfare and guerrilla warfare; the organized “White Line” paramilitary destruction of Reconstruction in Mississippi; the Haymarket Affair and its aftermath; and the Philippine-American war of 1899–1902. In an epilogue, he applies this history to illuminate the Bush-Cheney administration’s use of terrorism in the so-called war on terror. In the Name of God and Country demonstrates the centrality of terrorism in shaping America even to this day.