The New Terrorism — Praeger Security International

The New Terrorism Myths and Reality

Thomas R. Mockaitis

Book Code: C8963

ISBN: 0-275-98963-1

ISBN-13: 978-0-275-98963-7

DOI:

176 pages

Praeger Publishers

Publication Date: 11/30/2006

List Price: $39.95 (UK Sterling Price: £27.95)

Availability: In Stock

Media Type: Hardcover

Also Available: Ebook

Subjects:

Series Title: Praeger Security International

Reviews:

The Global War on Terrorism, declares Mockaitis, has become one of the most socially enervating and politically debilitating phenomena in recent history. He argues that this has come about as a result of the myths, misconceptions, and oversimplifications that run through the popular perception of terrorism and preclude a sober cost-benefit analysis of terrorism's real risks. Offering this book as a corrective, he describes the patterns and trends of global terrorism, analyzes the evolution and ideology of Al Qaeda, and proposes a counterinsurgency model for combating terrorism to replace the current war model.
—Reference & Research Book News

Description: 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.