Terrorism, armed struggle Books

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Book SynopsisThis collection of essays comprises a series of think-pieces about the security challenges of the present, both in the realm of cyberspace and otherwise, with a particular consideration of the promise and possible negative effects of new digital technologies. French military academy instructor Gérard de Boisboissel considers the contemporary digital transformation of his country’s military and proposes ways to ensure its maximum effectiveness. Retired American senior intelligence officer Leslie Gruis takes the long historical view, examining parallels between the effects of the current technological revolution and the transformation wrought by the invention of the printing press. Columbia University research scholar Michael Klipstein and coauthor Peter Chuzie analyze the potential offered for intelligence collection by the Internet of Things. And British academic Craig Stanley-Adamson explores the lessons that may be drawn from the relationship between Israel and its neighbors in the first decade post 9/11, arguing that it was characterized by a surprising degree of cooperation in the security realm that may, given auspicious circumstances, be repeated in the future.Table of ContentsNeil Kent, University of CambridgeIrina du Quenoy, Georgetown University

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Book SynopsisOn May 2, 2011, at 1:03 a.m. in Pakistan, a satellite uplink was sent from the town of Abbottabad crackling into the situation room of the White House in Washington, D.C.: 'Geronimo, Echo, KIA'. These words, spoken by a Navy SEAL, put paid to Osama bin Laden's three-decade-long career of terror. This is the story of Bin Laden's relentless hunters and how they took down the terrorist mastermind, told by Chuck Pfarrer, a former assault element commander of SEAL Team Six. After talking to members of the SEAL team involved in the raid, Pfarrer shares never-before-revealed details of the historic raid and the men who planned and conducted it in an exclusive boots-on-the-ground account of what happened during each minute of the mission - both inside the building and outside. Pfarrer takes readers inside the operation as the SEALs flew over the wall of Bin Laden's shabby compound and then penetrated deeper and deeper into the terrorist's lair, telling us just what it looked, sounded, and smelled like in that sweltering Pakistani suburb. He takes us to the exact spot where the al-Qaeda leader was cowering when the bullet entered his head. SEAL Target Geronimo is an explosive story of unparalleled valour, clockwork military precision, and deadly accuracy carried out by one of the most elite fighting forces in the world - the U.S. Navy's SEAL Team Six.Trade Review'A marvelously engrossing account of the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden' Kirkus Reviews. * Kirkus Reviews *'It's an amazing story, written about a world no one knows better than Chuck Pfarrer himself' Doug Stanton, author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers. * Doug Stanton *'Richly told in broad, cinematic strokes, this is catnip for readers who enjoy special-ops tales' Kirkus Reviews. * Kirkus Reviews *Table of ContentsNeptune's Spear: The Bigger Picture. Abbottabad: May 1, 2011 - Late That Night. THE SEAL ROAD TO ABBOTTABAD: Men with Green Faces. An Invisible Empire: The Birth of the Joint Special Operations Command. Team Jedi. Going Solo. Maersk Alabama. BIN LADEN'S ROAD TO ABBOTTABAD: The Day the World Changed - September 11, 2001. Rich Kid. Learning to Hate. The Making of a Jihadi. Hero of the Lion's Den. The Emir. Weapons of Mass Denial. NEPTUNE'S SPEAR: Continue to Plan, Plan to Continue. The Man Without a Country. Neptune's Spear. Thirty-eight Minutes. What Came After. How This Book Was Written. Acknowledgments. Glossary.

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Book SynopsisBoko Haram is now the deadliest 'terrorist' organization operational in the world, by virtue of the sheer number of people the group have killed. Together with al-Shabaab, the two groups account for a substantial amount of carnage on the African continent. Analyzed here are the ideologies of these two infamous organizations. Utilizing information from breadcrumbs that they leave behind, in videos, media releases and various correspondence, this book searches for clues within the historical and contemporary social context that explain their existence. It explores the ideological roots the two organizations share and examines the goals and objectives of each group in order to calculate the nature of the threat posed in the broader international realm. It is argued that through applying strategic theory, and specifically the concept of strategic terrorism, it is possible to form a deeper understanding of two of the most dangerous militant organizations in operation today.

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Book SynopsisAs one of the earliest Arabs to join the Afghan Jihad, the Algerian Islamist Abdullah Anas counted as brothers-in-arms the future icons of al-Qaeda’s global war, from Abdullah Azzam to Osama bin Laden, and befriended key Afghan resistance leaders such as Ahmad Shah Massoud. Brushing shoulders with everyone from Zarqawi to Haqqani, Anas distanced himself from their movements, disagreeing with their narrow interpretations of political Islam. While he remains committed to Jihad, to this day Anas takes issue with the extremist trajectories of his one-time companions. Co-written with investigative journalist Tam Hussein, To the Mountains is an intimate and penetrating portrait of the networks that formed during the Afghan-Soviet war. In this revealing memoir, Anas shatters some of al-Qaeda's foundational myths, and rethinks what it means to be a Jihadist in the modern world.Trade Review'An unusual personal foray into the motives of the jihadis from one of their number. Anas . . . describes vividly for a western audience the human story . . . [a] fascinating book.'‘This important memoir … is a valuable resource that deserves a broad readership.’ -- The New Arab'Specialists and scholars will enjoy the accounts of arguments among different Afghan factions and the personal details related about key figures from the period . . . a valiant attempt to create something accessible and readable.'‘A treasure trove for scholars and historians, ["To The Mountains"] also provides fresh food for thought for all those, Muslim or non-Muslim, trying to understand how to build enduring peace settlements in Muslim-majority countries.’ -- War on the Rocks'Paints a dystopian picture of endless warfare in impoverished cities.' -- New Frame‘Provides an insider’s perspective of how jihadism emerged from the Afghan-Soviet war.’ -- Middle East Journal'A fascinating book with new insights and anecdotes in a history which resonates to this day.''No one knows the story of the Afghan Arabs better than Abdullah Anas. His personal story, and his observations of the recent developments in the Arab world, will surely be a revelation.' -- Lawrence Wright, author of 'The Looming Tower''Abdullah Anas has had a ringside seat at the most important moments in the evolution of the Islamist movement from his early involvement in the Afghan War during the mid 1980s where he met and befriended Osama bin Laden to his more recent role as a negotiator with the Taliban as well as his place as a respected Islamist intellectual around the Arab world as it undergoes its present revolutionary upheaval.' -- Peter Bergen, New America / CNN'Abdullah Anas is an Algerian mujahed who can tell the real story of the Afghan jihad and his life as one of those Arabs involved there. He can speak with true and lived knowledge about Abdullah Azzam, Osama bin Laden, Ahmed Shah Massoud, Hekmatyar and Sayyaf. I have no doubt that this book will be useful for future generations to understand this history, to take advantage of his experience and to avoid making the mistakes that many of his generation made.' -- Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi'Abdullah Anas is an essential voice in the debate about jihad, and what it means for our societies. Told with honesty, modesty and clarity, "To the Mountains" deserves to be widely read.' -- Mike Martin, author of 'Why We Fight''"To the Mountains" presents stories from the beating heart of the Afghan jihad. This is essential reading, a first-hand eyewitness account with a message for the next generation.' -- Alex Strick van Linschoten, co-editor of 'The Taliban Reader''Through the mountains of Afghanistan, the killing fields and torture chambers of Algeria, the streets of Londonistan, and the highest diplomatic venues of Kabul, Kandahar, Riyadh and Mecca, Anas traces a journey that ends, despite everything, in unexpected hope.' -- Barnett Rubin, Center on International Communication

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Book SynopsisHow does the Taliban wage war? How has its war changed over time? Firstly, the movement’s extraordinary military operation relies on financial backing. This volume analyses such funding. The Taliban’s external sources of support include foreign governments and non-state groups, both of which have affected the Taliban's military campaigns and internal politics. Secondly, this is the first full-length study of the Taliban to acknowledge and discuss in detail the movement’s polycentric character. Here not only the Quetta Shura, but also the Haqqani Network and the Taliban’s other centres of power, are afforded the attention they deserve. The Taliban at War is based on extensive field research, including hundreds of interviews with Taliban members at all levels of the organisation, community elders in Taliban-controlled areas, and other sources. It covers the Taliban insurgency from its first manifestations in 2002 up to the end of 2015. The five-month Battle of Kunduz epitomised the ongoing transition of the Taliban from an insurgent group to a more conventional military force, intent on fighting a protracted civil war. In this latest book, renowned Afghanistan expert Antonio Giustozzi rounds off his twenty years of studying the Taliban with an authoritative study detailing the evolution of its formidable military machine.Trade Review‘['The Taliban at War' is] highly informed and detailed … [It is] based on extensive field work in Afghanistan by the author (a renowned expert on the region) and his Afghan researchers’. -- Washington Times‘Giustozzi provides a detailed and dense account of the Taliban’s resilience. [This book] is an important contribution to the history of the American-led war in Afghanistan.’ -- Foreign AffairsA detailed description of the changing nature of the war in Afghanistan over the past two decades, and how the Taliban and its leaders have responded over time.’ -- CHOICE‘Giustozzi’s narrative skill, analytical authority, and long-standing reputation as an expert on the Taliban and events in Afghanistan after 2001 are advanced in The Taliban at War.‘ -- Terrorism and Political Violence'Documents in great detail the history and evolution of theAfghan Taliban’s military strategy and capabilities as well as its internal divisions and partial fragmentation. … provides a wealth of detail for academics, students, and policymakers to consider with regard to the trajectory and future of the Afghan conflict and state-building experiment.' * Muslim World Book Review *'A fine-meshed and carefully documented analysis of how the Taliban's military organisation and strategy have evolved since the movement's defeat in 2001. Uniquely sourced from over 400 interviews, this book will clearly be a standard reference on the subject.' -- Astri Suhrke, Senior Researcher, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen and author of 'When More is Less: The International Project in Afghanistan''Based primarily on first-hand interviews, Giustozzi's expansive new book presents a treasure trove of new and important information on the Afghan Taliban, and might well be the work to which all future scholarly explorations of the Taliban will be compared.' -- Thomas H. Johnson, Research Professor of National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School and author of 'Taliban Narratives'

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Book SynopsisIn the wake of its 'Caliphate' declaration in 2014, the self-described Islamic State has been the focus of countless academic papers, government studies, media commentaries and documentaries. Despite all this attention, persistent myths continue to shape--and misdirect--public understanding and strategic policy decisions. A significant factor in this trend has been a strong disinclination to engage critically with Islamic State's speeches and writings--as if doing so reflects empathy with the movement's goals or, even more absurdly, may itself lead to radicalisation. Going beyond the descriptive and the sensationalist, this volume presents and analyses a series of milestone Islamic State primary source materials. Scholar-practitioners with field experience in confronting the movement explore and contextualise its approach to warfare, propaganda and governance, examining the factors behind its dramatic evolution from failed proto-state in 2010 to standard-bearer of global jihadism in 2014, to besieged insurgency in 2019. 'The ISIS Reader' will help anyone--students and journalists, military personnel, civil servants and inquisitive observers--to better understand not only the evolution of Islamic State and the dynamics of asymmetric warfare, but the importance of primary sources in doing so.Trade Review'The ISIS Reader is exceptional and not merely another title to consider for one’s personal or academic library. It presents exacting and collaborative scholarship which is, at many points, groundbreaking. A number of audiences will welcome this book, from teachers in under-graduate classrooms, to faculty holding graduate seminars on jihadism and violent non-state actors, to policy planners.' -- Special Operations Journal

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Book SynopsisMisogyny and ‘toxic masculinity’ are increasingly implicated in radicalisation. From the men’s incel (‘involuntary celibate’) movement online, to jihadist groups like Islamic State, to radical right ‘Free Speech’ protests —radicalisation spans ideologies. Though an often-used term, the process of radicalisation is not well understood, and the role of gender and masculinities has often been ignored. This book uses primary research among two of Britain’s key extremist movements: the banned Islamist group al-Muhajiroun, and those networked to it; and the anti-Islam radical right, including the English Defence League and Britain First, to reveal radicalisation as a masculinity project. Through interviews with leaders including Anjem Choudary, Jayda Fransen and Tommy Robinson, as well as their followers, Extreme Britain explores the emergence of extreme misogyny and masculinities. Pearson situates extreme identities in wider social norms, showing how masculinities are mobilised into action. The book cautions against oversimplifying extreme masculinity as ‘toxic’. It demonstrates how both men and women ‘do’ extreme masculinities and the costs and benefits to them both of activism. Understanding the men and women involved in extreme movements will better equip us to counter them. This fascinating study offers invaluable insight into some of their lives and motivations.Trade Review'A page-turning, exemplary recent history of the roles of masculinities in different extremisms found in Britain. Elegantly blending engaging first-hand accounts with accessible conceptualisations, this sets a standard with which all future work on gender and extremism will be compared.' -- Paul Gill, Professor of Security and Crime Science, University College London, and author of 'Lone-Actor Terrorists''"Extreme Britain" combines powerful research, smart analysis and timely intervention to show that radicalisation is always and necessarily gendered--producing a must-read text for anyone who is interested in understanding contemporary extremism, in Britain and globally.' -- Laura Sjoberg, British Academy Global Professor of Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway University of London, and author of 'Gendering Global Conflict''The first in-depth comparative account of how masculinities shape participation in extremist movements in the UK. Empirically rich, compelling and beautifully written, it should be widely read.' -- David Duriesmith, Lecturer in Gender and Politics, University of Sheffield, and author of 'Masculinity and New War''A compelling and very readable study of how gender informs and shapes extremism in contemporary Britain. With its in-depth focus on the specific local, national and international discourses of extremism, it fills an important gap in the literature. A necessary and extremely well-executed book.' -- Leonie B. Jackson, Assistant Professor of International Relations, Northumbria University, and author of 'The Monstrous and the Vulnerable: Framing British Jihadi Brides''In "Extreme Britain", Pearson fills the long-lamented gap in terrorism studies on masculinities, misogyny and extremism. This is an exceptionally researched, sensitively written candid examination of the relationship between the far-right in its various forms, masculinities and extremist engagement.' -- Caron Gentry, Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor for Arts, Design and Social Sciences, Northumbria University, and author of 'Disordered Violence: How Gender, Race and Heteronormativity Structure Terrorism'

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Book SynopsisTo save one life, she risks many others.Working for the Royal Military Police, Major Helen Scott is used to rapid change. On a posting to Paris she oversees security for a NATO summit in the city, yet has barely begun before her presence is demanded at Interpol headquarters in Lyon.Helen’s orders are to locate a kidnapping victim – the eldest son of oil magnate Khalil Dalmani. The main suspect is Fawaz bin Nabil, whose fortune has been made from illegal trade familiar to the intelligence agencies.Helen knows the pain of loss and won’t rest until Khalil’s child is found. Along the way, she crosses paths with old faces and forms new alliances. But who will betray her trust?A stunning new thriller from million copy bestseller Rachel Lynch, perfect for fans of Carol Wyer, L.J Ross and Angela Marsons.Praise for The Rift 'A gripping, rollercoaster of a thriller. Great characters, pacy plot with plenty of twists – I couldn't put it down.' Simon McCleave, author of the DI Ruth Hunter Crime Thriller series

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Book SynopsisRe-Defining Terrorism examines the emergence of the counter-radicalisation agenda in the UK and internationally. Itoiz Rodrigo Jusué offers a complete and innovative examination of the development of counter-radicalisation discourses and policies.

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Book SynopsisThis timely 2 volume edited collection looks at the extent and nature of global jihad, focusing on the often-exoticised hinterlands of jihad beyond the traditionally viewed Middle Eastern ‘centre’. As ISIS loses its footing in Syria and Iraq and al-Qaeda regroups this comprehensive account will be a key work in the on-going battle to better understand the dynamics of the jihads global reality. Critically examining the global reach of the jihad in these peripheries has the potential to tell us much about patterns of both local mobilisation, and local rejection of a grander centrally themed and administered jihad. Has the periphery been receptive to an exported jihad from the centre or does the local rooted cosmopolitanism of the jihad in the periphery suggest a more complex glocal relationship? These questions and challenges are more pertinent than ever as the likes of ISIS and many commentators, attempt to globally rebrand the jihad and as the centre reasserts its claims to the exotic periphery. Edited by Tom Smith (Portsmouth), Kirsten E. Schulze (LSE) and Hussein Solomon (UFS) the two volumes critically examine the various claims of connections between jihadist terrorism in the ‘periphery’, remote Islamist insurgencies of the ‘periphery’ and the global jihad. Each volume draws on experts in each of the geographies in question. The global nature of the jihad is too often taken for granted; yet the extent of the glocal connections deserve focused investigation. Without such inquiry we risk a reductive understanding of the global jihad, further fostering Orientalist and Eurocentric attitudes towards local conflicts and remote violence in the periphery. This book will therefore draw attention to those who overlook and undermine the distinct and rich particularities of the often-contradictory and cosmopolitan global jihad. In many of the peripheries, particularly those with intensive large-scale insurgencies, there is extensive international military alliance. The Bush doctrine to ‘fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them over here’ certainly looks to be alive and well in places like Somalia, the Philippines and Niger amongst many others. Crucially we must ask - is such reasoning sound – is the threat global and if so in what way? Furthermore - is action in the peripheries under the guise of combating the global jihad overlooking the local issues and threatening to make a wider threat where it was otherwise contained? Diagnosing nations or regions as ‘breeding grounds’ or ‘sanctuaries’ of global jihad carries the spectre of having to chose sides in a battle of civilisations, which looms over a number of developing nations reliant on good western relations.Trade ReviewOne topic, two volumes, three editors, four continents, 23 chapters and 28 authors. And a bibliography that sources thousands of others. No other collection could claim to come close to such comprehensive coverage on ‘Global Jihad’. These volumes are a requisite on the connections between center and periphery and glocal - the cosmopolitan global. * Dr Glen Segell, University of Haifa *Table of ContentsABOUT THE EDITORS CONTRIBUTOR BIOS INTRODUCTION: EXAMINING THE GLOBAL LINKAGES OF AFRICAN AND EUROPEAN JIHADISTS ‘GLOCALISED’ JIHAD, POLITICAL CONFLICT, AND CONSPIRACY THEORISATION ACROSS A FRAGMENTED SOMALIA GLOBAL OR LOCAL? EXPLORING THE EMERGENCE AND OPERATION OF A VIOLENT ISLAMIST NETWORK IN KENYA REFLECTIONS ON ISLAMIST MILITANCY IN THE SAHEL JIHAD IN MALI: REGIONAL CONDITIONS, REGIONAL GOALS, GLOBAL IMPORTANCE NIGERIA: THE RISE AND ‘FALL’ OF BOKO HARAM LIBYAN JIHADISM: FROM GADHAFI AND TRIBALISM TO THE ARAB SPRING AND TRIBALISM JIHAD AND THE UNITED KINGDOM CONFRONTING ORIENTALISM, COLONIALISM AND DETERMINISM: DE-CONSTRUCTING CONTEMPORARY FRENCH JIHADISM EXPORTING JIHAD FROM THE STREET-LEVEL GROUPS IN THE LOW COUNTRIES SCANDINAVIAN JIHAD THE EVOLUTION OF THE JIHAD IN GERMANY AL-ANDALUS: THE CALIPHATE OF CORDOBA REIMAGINED

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Book SynopsisTerrorism, radicalization and violent extremism dominate sociological, political and cultural concerns in today’s polarized social and political world. However, the role of governments and issues relating to state terrorism and the counter-terror state remain important considerations. This book presents an understanding of the concept of Countering Violent Extremism from a critical terrorism studies perspective using case studies from different countries while examining the issues it raises. Extremism and violence do not emerge in a vacuum – nor do the policies that counter these concerns. There are no simple solutions to violent extremism but the fixation on ideology can do more harm than good.Trade ReviewA wide-ranging and provocative treatment of political violence today. Countering Violent Extremism not only provides researchers with a set of critical resources through which to interrogate dominant conceptions of extremism and terrorism. It also offers practitioners an important set of tools with which to situate and address diverse forms of violence. The book deserves the wide audience it will no doubt receive. * Lee Jarvis, Professor of International Politics and Research Director, University of East Anglia, UK *Countering Violent Extremism: The International Deradicalization Agenda provides a deeply insightful overview – and trenchant critique – of the contemporary terrorism and de-radicalisation field. I was particularly impressed with the clear and concise but always sophisticated analysis of this complex and often perplexing subject, and the simple but profound conclusions it draws about responding to political violence. A fine example of applied critical thinking and research-informed analysis, it should be required reading for everyone involved in the de-radicalisation field, whether as researchers or practitioners. * Richard Jackson, University of Otago, New Zealand *Challenging the status quo is as crucial for CVE as it is for global security, especially when considering that the status quo can lead to ignoring or misrepresenting the underlying causes of terrorism and extremism. This book is a welcome departure from stagnant CVE evaluations that contribute to lackluster or damaging programming. * Kris McGuffie, Deputy Director, Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, USA *Table of ContentsAbout the book Acknowledgements Part One Terrorism and states 1 Definitional challenges 2 State terrorism 3 The counter-terror state 4 Genocide and ethnic cleansing Part Two Disentangling violent extremism 5 Individual factors in terrorism 6 The social science of extremism 7 Reciprocal radicalization 8 Countering reciprocal radicalization 9 The UK ‘Prevent’ agenda Part Three Deradicalization 10 Leaving terrorism behind 11 Disordered deradicalization 12 Driven to hate 13 Terror politics Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisCity of Panic takes the reader on a journey across the airy boulevards of Paris and into the crypt of its Metro. For Virilio, whose sense of cities was formed by earlier wars, Paris is both the City of Light and the City of Panic. Written in the shadow of war, City of Panic argues that cities everywhere have been the dedicated target of political and technological terror throughout the 20th century. The wanton erasure of the past, the construction of identikit places, the proliferation of gated-communities, the ever-widening net of surveillance, the privatisation of what was public ...Now every metropolis is a war zone and every metropolis is the same. In this globalized and militarized everywhere, all citizens are becoming one citizen - saturated, standardized and synchronized - ever-more reliant on a media fabricating a world of fear. For the panic of the 21st century is simply the final phase of the pincer movement. Place-less, media-fed, panic-struck - welcome to the desert of the real.Trade Review'Essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of America's out-of-control war of prevention.' The Guardian 'A speed-driven stream of consciousness centring on the city-world, the metropolitics of globalization, telesurveillance, bunkerization and hyperterrorism.' Times Literary Supplement'It is no accident that when Virilio's dromology (the study of speed) crashes head-long into semiology (the study of signs) the order of things starts to look precarious. Over a diverse career as professor of architecture, film critic, urbanist, military historian, and peace strategist, Virilio has interrogated the integral relationships of security and territory, war and cinema, speed and politics, technology and culture, and left no prisoners.' James Der Derian, author of Virtuous War: Mapping the Military-Industrial-Media-Entertainment Network 'If Walter Benjamin had one true intellectual descendant who extended his inquiries into the second half of the twentieth century, thisTable of Contents* Tabula Rasa * Democracy of Emotion * Kriegstrasse * An Accident in Time * Panicsville * The Twilight of Places

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Book SynopsisOffender Profiling and Crime Analysis provides a highly readable account of the subject, and a picture of profiling which by no means accords with popular views and representations of what is involved. The book provides an overview of profiling techniques, offering some fascinating insights into the various approaches to profiling, and schools of thought, which have emerged − looking particularly at the work of the FBI, and of British and Dutch profilers.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Offender profiling − separating myth from reality 2. Criminal behaviour and its motivation 3. Environmental influences and patterns of offending 4. Problems and pitfalls in the gathering of data 5. Crime mapping and geographical profiling 6. Early approaches to profiling 7. Investigative psychology and the work of David Canter 8. Clinical and other approaches 9. Current developments and future prospects 10. Conclusions

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Book SynopsisThis book develops a detailed, disaggregated theoretical and empirical framework that explains variations in mass killing by authoritarian regimes globally, with a specific focus on Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Using a combination of game-theoretic, statistical, and qualitative approaches, this project explicates when civilians within nondemocratic states will mobilize against the ruling elite, and when such mobilization will result in mass killing. In doing so, it illustrates the important role urbanization and food insecurity historically played, and will continue to play, in generating extreme forms of civilian victimization.Table of Contents1. Chapter 1: Introduction2. Chapter 2: Food Crises, Urban Development, and Mass Killing InNondemocratic States3. Chapter 3: Urban Development and Mass Killing: A First Look at the Data4. Chapter 4: Statistical Analysis of Food Crises and Mass Killing5. Chapter 5: Urban Development, Food Shortages and Mass Killing InAuthoritarian Pakistan6. Chapter 6: Food Riots, Urbanization and Mass Killing Campaigns: IndonesiaAnd Malaysia7. Chapter 7: Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis edited collection aims to analytically reconceptualise the Syrian crisis by examining how and why the country has moved from a stable to a war-torn society. It is written by scholars from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, all of whom make no attempt to speculate on the future trajectory of the conflict, but aim instead to examine the historical background that has laid the objective conditions for Syria’s descent to its current situation. Their work represents an attempt to dissect the multi-layered foundation of the Syrian conflict and to make understanding its complex inner workings accessible to a broader readership. The book is divided into four parts, each of which elaborates on the origins and dynamics of today’s crisis from the perspective of a different discipline. When put together, the four parts provide a holistic picture of Syria’s developmental trajectory from the early twentieth century through to the present day. Themes addressed include Syria’s postcolonial development efforts, its leap into socialism and then into neoliberalism in the late twentieth century, its politics within the resistance front, and finally its food and health security concerns.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: Syria in the Imperialist Cyclone.- Part I: A Historical Perspective of the Syrian Conflict.- Chapter 2: What Went Wrong: Understanding the Trajectory of Syria’s Conflict.- Chapter 3: The New Struggle for Syria and the Nature of the Syrian State.- Chapter 4: Syria: Strong State versus Social Cleavages.- Part II: Macroeconomy and Society.- Chapter 5: Macroeconomic Framework in Pre-Conflict Syria.- Chapter 6: The Syrian Conflict: Selective Socioeconomic Indicators.- Chapter 7: Lebanon Can’t Give Him a Future: Revolutionary Subjectivity and Syrian Rebel-Workers in Beirut.- Part III: The Politics of the Syrian conflict.- Chapter 8: Syria in the ‘Resistance Front’: Persistence through Reconfiguration?.- Part IV: Sectoral Analysis.- Chapter 9: The Political Economy of Public Health in Syria: Some Global and regional Considerations.- Chapter 10: The Political Economy of Thermidor in Syria: National and International Dimensions.- Chapter 11: Syria’s Food Security: From Self-Sufficiency to Hunger as a Weapon.- Chapter 12: Conclusion: China’s role in Syria’s National Security.

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Book SynopsisThis book critically discusses the role of technology for counter-terrorism in general, and for securing our vulnerable open societies in particular. It is set against the backdrop of the terrorist threat posed by the combined forces of Al Qaeda and ISIS/Daesh in the foreseeable future. The book commences by illuminating current and foreseeable tactics and weapons used by these implacable enemies – weapons that may well include chemical, biological, radiological and potentially even nuclear (CBRN) devices. In a second part, it introduces technologies already available or in development that promise an increase in safety and security when it comes to the dangers posed by these terrorists. This part also includes a critical discussion of advantages and disadvantages of such technologies that are, quite often, sold as a ‘silver bullet’ approach in the fight against terrorism. Controversies such as those triggered by the abuse of millimeter wave scanners deployed at several Western European airports will demonstrate that there are costs involved with regard to human rights. The third, analytical part takes the critical discussion further by arguing that the uncritical fielding of new surveillance and control technologies in parallel with the on-going outsourcing and privatization of key services of the state could well lead to dystopias as envisaged in a rather prescient way by the so-called cyperpunk novels of the 1980s. The book concludes with the question that any liberal democracy should ask itself: how far can we go with regard to hardening our societies against terrorist threats?Trade Review“Lehr’s book is a very useful tool for both academics and practitioners to get an overview of how our social world has been changing by the complex coexistence of (still) open societies, the threat of terror, surveillance/security mechanisms, and the many aspects of digitalisation. Counter-Terrorism Technologies captures an intriguing age of transition that one day might make more sense for posterity than it does now for us. … thanks to the critical-analytical approach.” (Zsófia Hacsek, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, December 22, 2020)Table of ContentsIntroduction: Terrorism as a Threat to Open Societies.- Part 1: Barbarians at the Gates: ‘Sinful’ Cities.- Actions: The Return of Urban Guerillas.- Reactions: The New (Para-) Military Urbanism.- Consequences: The Urban Space as a (Limited) Battlespace. Part 2: ‘Our Silicon Will Win’: The Role of Technology in Urban Counter-Terrorism.- Identification: Biometrics, or a Real-Time 'Who is Who'.- Prediction and Postdiction: Real-Time Data Mining and Data Analytics.- Detection: Scanning and 'Sniffing' Technologies.- Surveillance and Observation: The All-Seeing Eye of Big Brother.- Protection: Defensible Spaces.- Threat Displacement Instead of Threat Eradication: Come Concluding Caveats.- Part 3: Brave New Cities: The Law of Unintended Consequences.- The Quest for Silver Bullets: Implications for our Construction of Citizenship.- Archipelagos of Fear: CT Technology and the Securitization of Everyday Life.- Undemocratic Means: The Rise of the Surveillance State.- Democracy Transfigured: The Dawn of the 'Umpire State'.- Outlook: The Need for 'Critical' Critical Infrastructure Studies.

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Book Synopsis“Performing the Northern Ireland Peace Process offers a nuanced and stimulating analysis which goes beyond standard explanations by exploring the motives and means used by those who made peace in Northern Ireland.” (Professor Timothy White, Xavier University, USA)“Paul Dixon has produced an impressive and challenging book. Dixon defends the Northern Ireland peace process as a carefully-crafted, drawn-out episode in realist, pragmatic politics. However, he pulls few punches in highlighting the moral deceptions which have kept the process in play. Provocatively, Dixon also challenges a wide range of academic interpretations of the processes and their associated political prescriptions. Thoughtful and well-researched throughout, Performing the Northern Ireland Peace Process is an essential read for anyone interested in conflict management.” (Professor Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool)“In this outstanding book, Dixon shows yet again the importance of the theatrical metaphor for Northern Ireland. More importantly still, he demonstrates that the adoption of a critically realist outlook actually enhances our capacity to think creatively about the political choices we face in international politics and the alternative policies and institutions we might construct.” (Professor Adrian Little, The University of Melbourne)This book is exceptional in defending the ‘dirty politics’ of the Northern Ireland peace process. Political actors in Britain, Ireland and the United States performed the peace process and used ‘political skills’, often including deception and hypocrisy, in order to wind down the conflict and achieve accommodation. These political skills, it is argued, are often morally justifiable even as they are popularly condemned. The Northern Ireland peace process has been highly successful in reducing violence and an accurate understanding of its politics is an important contribution to international debates about managing conflict.Table of Contents1. INTRODUCTION2. IN DEFENCE OF ‘REAL’ POLITICS3. POLITICS AS THEATRE4. ‘A TRAGEDY BEYOND WORDS’: INTERPRETING BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS NORTHERN IRELAND5. WERE THE IRA DEFEATED?6. THEATRICAL POLITICS AND POLITICAL SKILLS7. THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT, ‘DIRTY POLITICS’ AND THE BELFAST AGREEMENT8. DEFENDING THE POLITICAL MORALITY OF THE PEACE PROCESS9. ‘PEACE WITHIN THE REALMS OF THE POSSIBLE?’ DAVID TRIMBLE, UNIONIST IDEOLOGY AND THEATRICAL POLITICS10. ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE 11. CONCLUSION: INTERPRETING THE PEACE PROCESS AND THE FUTURE OF NORTHERN IRELAND

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the development of transatlantic policy on international terrorism and assesses the situation today. It takes an interdisciplinary approach to terrorism and transatlantic relations, bringing together experts from contemporary history, political science, military strategy, psychology, law and security. Looking back to the roots of modern terrorism, from the late 70s to 9/11 and beyond, the volume evaluates how attitudes and approaches have changed over this period. It analyses potential solutions for finding a shared philosophy to counter the threat of transnational terrorism in the US and Europe, against a rapidly changing political landscape. Chapters cover a range of topics, including the psychology of terrorism, online propaganda, domestic terrorism, terrorism and finance and cyber security.Table of Contents1. The Transatlantic Alliance and Terrorism: Aligning Responses and Cooperation to Threats and Challenges- Bruce Hoffman 2. The Dynamics of Entangled Political Violence: From the Greensboro Massacre (1979) to the War on Terror (2001)- Martin A. Miller 3. The Rise of the Right: Terrorism in the U.S. and Europe- Tobias Hof 4. The Recalibration of Force in International Counterterrorism, 2010-2020- Warren Chin 5. Counterterrorism in Europe: Discord and Disorder- Peter O’Brien 6. Difficult or Impossible? U.S.-China Cooperation, Counterterrorism, and Peaceful Co-existence from 9/11 to the Biden Administration- Klaus Larres7. It’s Getting Harder to Do: Countering Terrorist Use of the Internet- Don Gonzales 8. Terrorist Exploitation Points in the International Financial System: Major Vulnerabilities in the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Framework. Avenues for Transatlantic Cooperation- Ross S. Delston9. Transatlantic “Torture Taxis” and the Problem of Legal Accountability: The Case of North Carolina- Christina Cowger and Deborah M. Weissman 10. Concluding Remarks- Tobias Hof and Klaus Larres

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Book SynopsisThis open access book brings together a range of contributions that seek to explore the ethical issues arising from the overlap between counter-terrorism, ethics, and technologies. Terrorism and our responses pose some of the most significant ethical challenges to states and people. At the same time, we are becoming increasingly aware of the ethical implications of new and emerging technologies. Whether it is the use of remote weapons like drones as part of counter-terrorism strategies, the application of surveillance technologies to monitor and respond to terrorist activities, or counterintelligence agencies use of machine learning to detect suspicious behavior and hacking computers to gain access to encrypted data, technologies play a significant role in modern counter-terrorism. However, each of these technologies carries with them a range of ethical issues and challenges. How we use these technologies and the policies that govern them have broader impact beyond just the identification and response to terrorist activities. As we are seeing with China, the need to respond to domestic terrorism is one of the justifications for their rollout of the “social credit system.” Counter-terrorism technologies can easily succumb to mission creep, where a technology’s exceptional application becomes normalized and rolled out to society more generally. This collection is not just timely but an important contribution to understand the ethics of counter-terrorism and technology and has far wider implications for societies and nations around the world.Table of Contents1. Drones As A Tool In Counter-Terrorism.- 2. Deception Strategies In Autonomous Warfare.- 3. Rethinking Drones As Terrorist Weapons.- 4. Proportionality, Surveillance And Counter-Terrorism.- 5. Privacy, Encryption And Counter-Terrorism.- 6. The Rise Of The Modern Intelligence State.- 7. Acceptability Of Bulk Facial Recognition for Counter-Terrorism: The Case For A Total Ban.- 8. “No cracks, no blind spots, no gaps”: Technologically-enabled “Preventive” Counterterrorism and Mass Repression in Xinjiang, China.- 9. Media Ecologies, On-Line Radicalisation And Bottom-Up CVE Approaches.- 10. The Ethics of Regulating Extremist Content Online.- 11. Terrorism And The Internet Of Things: Cyberterrorism Will Happen.- 12. Violent Non State Actors And The Technology Adoption Curve.

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Book SynopsisThe Final Draft' is the leading story in collection of twelve short stores exploring a range of themes, characters and settings. These are stories of love both lost and found; war and terrorism; crime and creativity; even a children's parable and a ghost story. In the title story, a dying writer tries to complete his masterpiece as his wife struggles to keep him alive. What happens when he finishes it? A beautiful woman visits a place by the shoreline awaiting her lover who was killed in an air crash there. He arrives. And then? An Afghan terrorist rapes a young school teacher in Kashmir. How does she get her revenge? And what happens to an Army officer on his first patrol across No-Man's Land. Or the officer who plays a masquerade with a man on his death bed. When the virus devastates the world, we get a glimpse of a darkly plausible future in a Cloistered City. And discover how rainbows are created; or see a brilliant art-heist take an unexpected turn.

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Book SynopsisThe Moral Dilemmas of Fighting Terrorism and Guerrilla Groups discusses the most important ethical dilemmas associated with the fight against terrorist organizations and guerilla groups by providing readers with a rigorous, yet accessible analysis of how these forms of violence can be justified and how they ought to be fought by entities targeted by groups resorting to these strategies. It will be valuable to anyone interested in understanding the main ethical questions associated with these forms of political violence and the way they can be addressed. After providing conceptual clarifications that will allow the reader to distinguish between terrorism and guerrilla warfare, it explains and discusses what the criteria are that can justify resorting to lethal violence on the part of the latter group as well as the criteria that can determine the identity of those who can legitimately be targeted by these groups. The book analyzes when terrorists ought to be targeted and how this can be done, focusing on the inherent problems associated with the solutions that are normally used against state actors in order to prevent attacks on their part, namely what can be coined as “non-violent alternatives to war”, such as economic or diplomatic sanctions, arm embargoes and non-violent resistance and, on the other hand, preemptive attacks.

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Book SynopsisThe world has changed. Rather than a clash of civilisations, the West now faces revolts from the margins, driven by widening economic divisions, rising global elites and dangerous environmental constraints. The emergence of global terrorist movements such as ISIS is indicative of a growing threat for which traditional military responses are simply not fit for purpose. At a time when the world adjusts to new international leadership - from Trump in the US to Macron in France - and as the balance of power starts to shift away from the West, this updated edition of Paul Rogers' acclaimed book looks at the new challenges facing global security, and how we might start to address them.Trade Review'important and thought-provoking' - The Guardian, 'The catastrophe of the so-called 'war on terror' exposed in brilliant detail by the towering intellect of Prof. Paul Rogers.' --Owen Jones, 'A masterly summary of a debate that we are emphatically not having, but which we certainly should.' -- Michael Clarke, Former Director General, Royal United Services Institute, 'A clear and authoritative account of what is really going on and how the conventional wisdom on security needs an urgent rethink. Compelling reading' --Rosemary Hollis, Professor of International Politics, City, University of London, 'It's hard to disagree with Rogers's prediction that these wars will carry on for decades...there is no end in sight. - LRBTable of ContentsPreface to the New Edition Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations 1 World Order or Disorder: ISIS and New Drivers of Conflict 2 Coming Out of Nowhere 3 Conflicting Narratives and an Environment for Revolt 4 Weapons of Mass Destruction and Political Violence 5 ISIS and Its Future 6 Irregular War 7 A Glowering Planet? 8 A Possible Peace Notes Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn today''s climate, these is a powerful need for a balanced, expert and accessible account of the psychology of terrorists and terrorism.Written by an expert team of psychologists and psychiatrists, these contributors have direct experience of working with terrorists, victims and those tasked with the enormous responsibility of attempting to combat terrorism.The first section focuses on terrorists as individuals and as groups and provides a balanced and objective insight into the psychology of terrorists; what their motivations are and what keeps them involved in terrorist groups. The second section explores the huge question of the impact of terrorism; the direct and indirect affect on victims; how societies respond and how political leaders handle the threat and consequences of terrorism. The final section focuses on the question of how to respond to terrorist threat. The most up-to-date account of our understanding of terrorists, their psychology aTrade Review“…highly recommended for its thoughtfulness and depth of scholarship…” (Australian and NZ Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 37, No 6) “…all the contributions are perceptive…would appeal to anyone interested in the processes underlying terrorism…” (Forensic Update, Jan 2004) Table of ContentsAbout the Editor. About the Contributors. Series Preface. Preface. PART I. THE TERRORISTS. The Search for the Terrorist Personality (John Horgan). Becoming a Terrorist (Andrew Silke). The Psychology of Hostage-Taking (Margaret Wilson). The Psychology of Cyber-Terrorism (Marc Rogers). The Psychology of Suicidal Terrorism (Andrew Silke). Leaving Terrorism Behind: An Individual Perspective (John Horgan). PART II. VICTIMS OF TERRORISM. The Psychological Impact of Isolated Acts of Terrorism (Ginny Sprang). The Psychological Impact of Protracted Campaigns of Political Violence on Societies (Orla Muldoon). Victims of Terrorism and the Media (Betty Pfefferbaum). Examining the Impact of Terrorism on Children (Deborah Browne). PART III. RESPONDING TO TERRORISM. Retaliating Against Terrorism (Andrew Silke). Terrorism and Imprisonment in Northern Ireland: A Psychological Perspective (Jacqueline Bates-Gaston). Deterring Terrorists (Karl Seger). Index.

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Book SynopsisWe cannot discount the risk, in light of the lessons of our own history, that at some point in the future, high-level government officials will decide that this massive database of extraordinarily sensitive private information is there for the plucking. Americans must never make the mistake of wholly 'trusting' our public officials.--The NSA RepoTrade Review"A remarkably thorough and well-reasoned report calling on the government to end its bulk phone-data collection program and to increase both the transparency and accountability of surveillance programs."--New York Times "[The] recommendations take aim at some of the most controversial practices of the intelligence community."--Washington Post "Within the 300-page report are 46 recommendations that would dramatically curtail the National Security Agency's surveillance powers. While the proposals are specific and varied, they all echo one theme: The government's reach can no longer be limited by technological capacity alone. It must be reined in with laws and institutional reform."--Atlantic "The report is a brilliantly readable guide to the world [Edward] Snowden revealed; its clarity of analysis, proceeding from fundamental principles, impeccable... Governments around the world would do well to reflect on the principles that underpin The NSA Report and relate them to their own intelligence-gathering activities."--Kieron O'Hara and Nigel Shadbolt, Science "The Review Board's recommendations on protecting the civil liberties of non-US persons--a relatively new aspect of the policy discussion--are incredibly welcome."--Jennifer Granick, Stanford Center for Internet and Society blog "Fascinating insight ... into how the nation's data-mining apparatus works--and how it's supposed to work."--Kirkus ReviewsTable of ContentsPreface xi Executive Summary xv Recommendations xxv Chapter 1 | Principles 1 Chapter 2 | Lessons of History 10 Chapter 3 | Reforming Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Directed at United States Persons 34 Chapter 4 | Reforming Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Directed at Non- United States Persons 81 Chapter 5 | Determining What Intelligence Should Be Collected and How 112 Chapter 6 | Organizational Reform in Light of Changing Communications Technology 125 Chapter 7 | Global Communications Technology: Promoting Prosperity, Security, and Openness in a Networked World 154 Chapter 8 | Protecting What We Do Collect 176 Conclusion 199 Appendix A | The Legal Standards for Government Access to Communications 201 Appendix B | Overview of NSA Privacy Protections Under FAA 702; Overview of NSA Privacy Protections Under EO 12333 205 Appendix C | US Intelligence: Multiple Layers of Rules and Oversight 207 Appendix D | Avenues for Whistle-blowers in the Intelligence Community 208 Appendix E | US Government Role in Current Encryption Standards 209 Appendix F | Review Group Briefings and Meetings 213 Appendix G | Glossary 216 Index 227

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Book SynopsisThe memoir of the 'Brighton Bomber', Patrick MageeTrade Review'An important book ... Only by hearing such voices will we shape our understanding into some kind of order and reconciliation' -- Irish Times'I read this book with total fascination. Different countries, different conflicts, Pat the bomber and I the bombed - yet how extraordinarily similar, intense, complex and healing the experience of reaching out to the hated 'enemy' had been for both of us' -- Albie Sachs, former judge on the Constitutional Court of South Africa and chief architect of the post-apartheid constitution'Magee’s narrative is calm and collected; analytical and poetic ... His emotional desire for reconciliation comes across as genuine and heartfelt' -- Counterpunch'Patrick Magee is a fine example of a human being making his way through an acute crisis. He and Jo Berry managed to transform the aftermath of a severe conflict into a profoundly useful form of communication. They both deserve our respect and admiration for this' -- Scilla Elworthy, founder of the Oxford Research Group, co-founder of Peace Direct and three-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize'A vivid, deeply personal account of why a young, unassuming man became a volunteer in the IRA, risked his life and sacrificed his freedom, to take on not just the British military in Belfast's ghettoes but in the lion's den itself' -- Danny Morrison, Secretary of the Bobby Sands Trust and author of All the Dead Voices (Mercier Press, 2002)‘Compelling … Pat’s exploration of his journey into republican politics, of life as an IRA volunteer, as a political prisoner and the consequences of the armed actions he participated in, provide an important alternative narrative to that often presented by others’ -- Gerry Adams, former President of Sinn Fein'Not many autobiographies show an author feeling his way through his life, seeking to understand each phase of it. This one does' -- Andersonstown News'A treatise on processes of responsibility, grieving and reconciliation' -- Red Pepper‘A fascinating read’ -- Sunday TimesTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword by Jo Berry Introduction 1. Trace Memories 2. The Politics of Place 3. Unity Flats 4. Joining G Company 5. Capture and the Lazy K 6. Back to War 7. Burnout 8. Recommitment 9. Nineteen Eighty-Four 10. Capture and Trial 11. Life X 8 12. Gate Fever 13. My God! Him Too? 14. Bridges Can Be Built 15. Facing the Enemy 16. The F Word 17. The Field of Peace 18. Postscript Index

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Trade ReviewThis book is the gripping story of the crime that shocked the state and the nation in 1954, when Albert Patterson, running for state attorney general on a platform of cleaning up 'sin city,' was gunned down outside his law office in Phenix City. - Alabama Historical Association Newsletter; ""A controversial book.... Its provocative assertions, while discomforting for survivors of that drama, inevitably will trigger further debate among inquisitive types who like to revisit political assassinations."" - Anniston Star; ""Grady has thoroughly researched his book, written it in a page-turner fashion, and... contributed substantially to a much better understanding of this bizarre chapter in mid-20th century Alabama politics."" - Montgomery Advertiser

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Book SynopsisNo contemporary figure is more demonized than the Islamist foreign fighter who wages jihad around the world. Spreading violence, disregarding national borders, and rejecting secular norms, so-called jihadists seem opposed to universalism itself. In a radical departure from conventional wisdom on the topic, The Universal Enemy argues that transnational jihadists are engaged in their own form of universalism: these fighters struggle to realize an Islamist vision directed at all of humanity, transcending racial and cultural difference. Anthropologist and attorney Darryl Li reconceptualizes jihad as armed transnational solidarity under conditions of American empire, revisiting a pivotal moment after the Cold War when ethnic cleansing in the Balkans dominated global headlines. Muslim volunteers came from distant lands to fight in Bosnia-Herzegovina alongside their co-religionists, offering themselves as an alternative to the US-led international community. Li highlights the parallels and overlaps between transnational jihads and other universalisms such as the War on Terror, United Nations peacekeeping, and socialist Non-Alignment. Developed from more than a decade of research with former fighters in a half-dozen countries, The Universal Enemy explores the relationship between jihad and American empire to shed critical light on both.Trade Review"Focused on the Bosnian jihad and the wider world, both in that era and since, The Universal Enemy is original, authoritative, and broad in significance. This remarkable achievement is anchored in Darryl Li's unique combination of skills and sensibilities, which are at once ethnographic, lawyerly, and linguistic."—Brinkley Messick, Columbia University"In this deeply original book, Darryl Li paints a vivid portrait of jihadist universalism and its mobilization both for and against imperial power. Thought-provoking and beautifully written, The Universal Enemy raises important questions about the legalities, conduct, and effects of global violence in all its forms."—Lauren Benton, Vanderbilt University"A fascinating and highly readable account of jihad from the perspective of Islamic fighters. The Universal Enemy shows brilliantly that jihad is not a uniform terrorist movement but includes a wide variety of actors, motivations, and ideologies inspired by religion and the aspiration for universality, parallel to other ideologies such as human rights."—Sally Engle Merry, New York University"Darryl Li offers superb insight into a figure that shapes so much law and policy but is little understood—the 'universal enemy,' the foreign Muslim fighter. Telling the stories of these mujahids, their motivations and aspirations, with exceptional empathy and detail, he challenges much of what we think we know. The Universal Enemy offers a new and compelling way of understanding universalism and violence, empire and solidarity."—Anthony Anghie, National University of Singapore and University of Utah"[This book] stingingly criticizes the field of 'jihadism' as an academic discipline connected to the national security state....Li lets his subjects speak for themselves and casts few judgments. The picture that emerges is a morally complex one."—Murtaza Hussain, The Intercept"The Universal Enemy is extraordinary in combining many of the techniques of social science with a sophisticated knowledge of Islamic doctrines and controversies—except that, rather than assuming that religious texts are simply vectors for ideology, he focuses on how they are actually produced and used....[Li] seems to have read everything relevant to his topic and to anticipate many possible counter-arguments."—Jonathan Benthall, Times Literary Supplement"The Universal Enemy is a critical and welcome addition to our debates around radicalisation, Islamism and transnational politics."—Usman Butt, The New Arab"Li is a gifted writer and storyteller, and his research has amazing breadth....[He] should be commended for a finely crafted plunge into international jihad."—John Waterbury, Foreign Affairs"[Li] effectively confronts the demonization of jihadists in the aftermath of 9/11, particularly in the US....The author's linguistic skills and the depth of the interviews are impressive, and the case selection is intriguing. Recommended."—A. T. Kuru, CHOICE"[A] provocative and deeply researched new book....The Universal Enemy is the product of difficult and meticulous data collection. I expect that it will be cited as a standard-setting work of qualitative empirical research on political violence."—Mara Revkin, Lawfare"This important book offers many insights for scholars and students of political thought, anthropology, and law. Li's breadth and acumen in navigating these different fields of study is impressive....[The Universal Enemy] offers a vital contribution to the literature on jihad and universalism, and will undoubtedly furnish its readers with critical tools to approach both with fresh perspectives."—Pınar Kemerli, Political Theory"As an original study of transregional mobility and political belonging, Li's anthropological take on international law and history of empire upsets common assumptions about the politics of identity and solidarity in the context of contemporary warfare....[A] work of breathtaking reach and intrigue, The Universal Enemy explores how political identities form and collide through claims of belonging to a project larger than oneself."—Anna Simone Reumert, MERIP"The Universal Enemy is a timely intervention into political as well as scholarly debates....The story of the Bosnian Jihad continues to influence a wide range of seemingly incommensurable projects and seems to pre-figure aspects of current debates about the nature of rights and the limits of legitimate coercion. Li's ambition in trying to theorize these complexly interwoven threads together should be commended."—Geoff Hughes, Political Theology"[At] once a methodology, an ethics, and a praxis....[The Universal Enemy] presents a challenge not only to the scholarly and policy expertise produced about 'terrorism' and 'jihad,' but also to the very practice of academic and political 'theorizing' about them in the first place.."—C. Heike Schotten, Contemporary Political Theory"This is an important and singular book, one that can be recommended to anyone interested in jihad, Bosnia, the GWOT, race and difference in Europe, or universalism... The Universal Enemy succeeds in illuminating these lived projects and enmeshments and making clear why, and how, they matter for us all."—Nadia El-Shaarawi, International Journal of Middle East StudiesTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Migrations 2. Locations 3. Authorities 4. Groundings Interlude: Exchanging Arabs 5. Non-Alignment 6. Peacekeeping 7. The Global War on Terror

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Book SynopsisThe Ku Klux Klan established a significant foothold in Arkansas in the 1920s, boasting more than 150 state chapters and tens of thousands of members at its zenith. Propelled by the prominence of state leaders such as Grand Dragon James Comer and head of Women of the KKK Robbie Gill Comer, the Klan established Little Rock as a seat of power second only to Atlanta. In The Ku Klux Klan in 1920s Arkansas, Kenneth C. Barnes traces this explosion of white nationalism and its impact on the state's development.Barnes shows that the Klan seemed to wield power everywhere in 1920s Arkansas. Klansmen led businesses and held elected offices and prominent roles in legal, medical, and religious institutions, while the women of the Klan supported rallies and charitable activities and planned social gatherings where cross burnings were regular occurrences. Inside their organization, Klan members bonded during picnic barbeques and parades and over shared religious traditions. Outside of it, they united to direct armed threats, merciless physical brutality, and torrents of hateful rhetoric against individuals who did not conform to their exclusionary vision.By the mid-1920s, internal divisions, scandals, and an overzealous attempt to dominate local and state elections caused Arkansas's Klan to fall apart nearly as quickly as it had risen. Yet as the organization dissolved and the formal trappings of its flamboyant presence receded, the attitudes the Klan embraced never fully disappeared. In documenting this history, Barnes shows how the Klan's early success still casts a long shadow on the state to this day.Trade ReviewKen Barnes has skillfully produced a work that is accessible to a general audience and one that offers new insights for historians. An undeniable contribution to Arkansas and American history." —Ben F. Johnson III, author of Arkansas in Modern America

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Book SynopsisOn 21 December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 departed London Heathrow for New York. Shortly after take-off, a bomb detonated, killing all aboard and devastating the small Scottish town of Lockerbie below. Only one man has ever been convicted of the crime: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, though few believe that he acted alone.In 2009, a request was made by Libya for al-Megrahi's release from prison on compassionate grounds after he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The decision to grant or deny that request fell squarely and exclusively on the shoulders of one man: Kenny MacAskill, Scotland's Justice Secretary from 2007 to 2014.Detailing the build-up to the atrocity and the carnage left in its wake, MacAskill narrates the international investigation that followed and the diplomatic intrigue that saw a Scottish court convened in the Netherlands. He describes the controversial release of al-Megrahi, explains the international dimensions involved and lays bare the commercial and security interests that ran in the background throughout the investigation and trial. Finally, he answers how and why it happened - and who was really responsible for the worst terrorist attack to have occurred on British soil before or since.Trade Review"Kenny MacAskill was a hero of principle surrounding the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi - the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, who was then dying of cancer. Now he has written a gripping and revealing account of the bombing, telling the whole story with honesty and compassion, as well as a forensic attention to detail. Essential reading for anyone with unanswered questions about the worst terrorist attack ever to be perpetrated in Britain." - Clive Stafford Smith; "This book details the duplicity of UK and US governments who condemned the release while negotiating commercial deals with the Gaddafi regime. It tells of the pressures on the judicial system of Scotland from the global controversy and a Justice Secretary's search for justice. It ends with the most credible explanation yet published of who was really responsible for the downing of Pan Am flight 103. A must-read book by the man in the eye of the storm." - Alex Salmond

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Book SynopsisAbdul Zaeef describes growing up in poverty in rural Kandahar province, which he fled for Pakistan after the Russian invasion of 1979. Zaeef joined the jihad in 1983, was seriously wounded in several encounters and met many leading figures of the resistance, including the current Taliban head, Mullah Mohammad Omar. Disgusted by the lawlessness that ensued after the Soviet withdrawal, Zaeef was one among the former mujahidin who were closely involved in the emergence of the Taliban, in 1994. He then details his Taliban career, including negotiations with Ahmed Shah Massoud and role as ambassador to Pakistan during 9/11. In early 2002 Zaeef was handed over to American forces in Islamabad and spent four and a half years in prison in Bagram and Guantanamo before being released without charge. My Life with the Taliban offers insights into the Pashtun village communities that are the Taliban's bedrock and helps to explain what drives men like Zaeef to take up arms against the foreigners who are foolish enough to invade his homeland.Trade Review'Originally published in Pashto, the language of the Pashtuns, the book has been beautifully translated and extensively edited for easier understanding by Alex Strick van Linschoten and Feliz Kuehn, two researchers who live in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban... Zaeef says he does not believe in al-Qaeda, but speaks as an Afghan patriot with strong Islamist leanings toward the Taliban. Afghanistan, he writes, is a family home in which we all have the right to live...without discrimination and while keeping our values. No one has the right to take this away from us." Can Afghanistan ever be a peaceful home for all Afghans? They certainly deserve it.' * Ahmed Rashid in The New York Review of Books *'Contains many sources of fascination, but none are more timely than the author's account of his high-level relations with Pakistani intelligence.'-The New Yorker 'Spies, generals and ambassadors will pounce on this book, poring over its pages for clues to a way out of the Afghan morass.' -Sunday Telegraph 'The first book from inside the Taliban could not be better timed. Abdul Salam Zaeef was one of the founding members of the group and held senior positions within it, ending up as ambassador to Pakistan.' * Sunday Times *'A counternarrative to much of what has been written about Afghanistan since 1979... Zaeef offers a particularly interesting discussion of the Taliban's origins and the group's effectiveness in working with locals.'-Foreign Affairs 'Not, perhaps, since the Khmer Rouge, has a movement emerged on the world stage about which so much is opaque to outsiders as the Taliban. Much of that opacity is, of course, intentional. Into this murk Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef shines some much-needed light with his fascinating memoir as a Taliban insider. By virtue of his role as the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Zaeef was privy to the Taliban's decision making in the run up to 9/11 and thereafter. And his story has much to say about the nature of the gathering insurgency that NATO and the United States presently face. If President Obama wanted a window into the thinking of the Taliban today he couldn't do better than this.' * Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc. and The Osama bin Laden I Know *'The only detailed insider account of the Taliban is a memoir by Abdul Salam Zaeef, the movement's former ambassador to Pakistan. Zaeef is no spokesman for Mullah Omar and the Quetta shura. But My Life with the Taliban usefully shows that its leaders saw themselves as nationalists, reformers and liberators rather than Islamist ideologues.' * Jonathan Steele, London Review of Books *'The entire world wants to understand the Taliban these days, it seems, as the war in Afghanistan becomes the topic of the moment. Precious few people can tell the inside story of the shadowy movement, however, which makes Zaeef's autobiography an incredibly important book. If your government sends soldiers to Afghanistan, you must read this. By revealing the inner workings of the Taliban from the early days of the movement, Zaeef challenges the accepted wisdom about the insurgency now facing international troops. By the time you're finished reading, you might not sympathize with the Taliban -- but you will know them as people, not monsters.' * A-.A. Graeme Smith, Emmy Award-winning Afghanistan -based reporter for the Globe and Mail, Toronto *

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Book SynopsisLBJ aims to prove that Vice President Johnson played an active role in the assassination of President Kennedy and that he began planning his takeover of the U.S. presidency even before being named the vice presidential nominee in 1960. Lyndon B. Johnson's flawed personality and character traits, formed as a child, grew unchecked for the rest of his life as he suffered severe bouts of manic-depressive illness. He successfully hid this disorder from the public as he bartered, stole, and finessed his way through the corridors of power on Capitol Hill, though it's recorded that some of his aides knew of his struggle with bipolar disorder.After years of researching Johnson and the JFK assassination, Phillip F. Nelson conclusively shows that LBJ had an active role in JFK's assassination, and he includes newly-uncovered photographic evidence proving that Johnson knew when and where Kennedy's assassination would take place. Nelson's careful and meticulous research has led him to uncover secrets from one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in our country's history.

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Book SynopsisIn 1971 Dr. Theodore Kaczynski rejected modern society and moved to a primitive cabin in the woods of Montana. There, he began building bombs, which he sent to professors and executives to express his disdain for modern society, and to work on his magnum opus, Industrial Society and Its Future, forever known to the world as the Unabomber Manifesto. Responsible for three deaths and more than twenty casualties over two decades, he was finally identifed and apprehended when his brother recognized his writing style while reading the ''Unabomber Manifesto.'' The piece, written under the pseudonym FC (Freedom Club) was published in the New York Times after his promise to cease the bombing if a major publication printed it in its entirety.

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times Bestseller. about the search for the assassins of JFK. “Garrison’s book presents the most powerful detailed case yet made that President Kennedy’s assassination was the product of a conspiracy, and that the plotters and key operators came not from the Mob, but the CIA.”—Norman MailerMore than fifty years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, his murder continues to haunt the American psyche and stands as a turning point in our nation’s history.The Warren Commission rushed out its report in 1964, but questions continue to linger: Was there a conspiracy? Was there a coup at the highest levels of government?On March 1, 1967, New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison shocked the world by arresting local businessman Clay Shaw for conspiracy to murder the president. His alleged co-conspirator, David Ferrie, had been found dead a few days before. Garrison charged that elements of the United States government, in particular the CIA, were behind the crime. From the beginning, his probe was virulently attacked in the media and violently denounced from Washington. His office was infiltrated and sabotaged, and witnesses disappeared and died strangely. Eventually, Shaw was acquitted after the briefest of jury deliberation and the only prosecution ever brought for the murder of President Kennedy was over.On the Trail of the Assassins—the primary source material for Oliver Stone’s hit film JFK—is Garrison’s own account of his investigations into the background of Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of President Kennedy, and his prosecution of Clay Shaw in the trial that followed.

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Book SynopsisA shocking, detailed account of present-day war as told by an Israeli commando officerThe persona of the Israeli officer who strives for absolute victory is well reflected in Capt. Elkana Cohen's new book Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Elkana Cohen tells the story of thousands of young reservists who dropped everything on 10/7 and went out to defend our nation Naftali Bennett, thirteenth Prime Minister of Israel On the morning of October 7, 2023, Israelis awoke to a harrowing reality. Not only were hundreds of rockets being launched from Gaza into Israeli population centers, but the security border between Gaza and Israel had also been breached by several thousand Hamas terrorists. Carnage, not seen since the Second World War, ensued. Elkana Cohen, Captain of an Elite Commando Unit was called, along with thousands of other reservists, to prepare for war. One that will have to ensure

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Book SynopsisIs terrorism ever morally justified? How should historical and cultural factors be taken into account in judging the morality of terrorist acts? What are the ethical limits of state counter-terrorism?For three decades the Provisional Irish Republican Army waged an ''armed struggle'' against what it considered to be the British occupation of Northern Ireland. To its supporters, the IRA was the legitimate army of Ireland, fighting to force a British withdrawal as a prelude to the re-unification of the Irish nation. To its enemies, the IRA was an illegal, fanatical, terrorist organization whose members were criminals willing to sacrifice innocent lives in pursuit of its ideological obsession. At the centre of the conflict were the then unconventional tactics employed by the IRA, including sectarian killings, political assassinations, and bombings that devastated urban centres - tactics that have become increasingly commonplace in the post-9/11 world.This book is the first detailed philosophical examination of the morality of the IRA''s violent campaign, and of the British government''s attempts to end it. Written in clear, accessible prose, it is essential reading for anyone wishing to acquire a deeper understanding of one of the paradigmatic conflicts of the late 20th century.Trade Review'By far the most cogent critical analysis of the Irish Republican movement I have read, written from a position as close to impartiality as we are likely to get.' -- Ian McBride, King's College London 'By far the most cogent critical analysis of the Irish Republican movement I have read, written from a position as close to impartiality as we are likely to get.'Table of ContentsPrologue; 1. The Meaning of August 1969: Calibrating the Standard Republican Narrative; 2. Blood Sacrifice and Destiny: Republican Metaphysics and the IRA's Armed Struggle; 3. Republicanism's Holy Grail: 'One Nation United, Gaelic, and Free'; 4. Permission to Kill: Just War Theory and the IRA's Armed Struggle; 5. 'Pointless Heartbreak Unrepaid': Consequentialism and the IRA's Armed Struggle; 6. Violating the Inviolable: Human Rights and the IRA's Armed Struggle; 7. 'Crime is Crime is Crime': British Counter-Terrorism in Northern Ireland; 8. 'When the Law Makers are the Law Breakers': State Terrorism; Epilogue; References; Endnotes; Index.

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Book Synopsis“A document of historic sweep and almost unprecedented detail.”—Washington PostTrade Review"Meticulous in its reconstruction and unflinching in its conclusions." -- Time"The most riveting book ever to have been published by the United States government." -- The New Republic"The King James Bible (1611) [was] our language’s lone masterpiece produced by committee, at least until this year’s 9/11 Commission Report." -- John Updike - The New Yorker"The findings [are] presented in a dramatic, often gripping style." -- The New York Times

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Book SynopsisNOW AN HBO DOCUMENTARY     In Manhunt, Peter Bergen delivers a taut yet panoramic account of the pursuit and killing of Osama bin Laden. Here are riveting new details of bin Laden's flight after the crushing defeat of the Taliban to Tora Bora, where American forces came startlingly close to capturing him, and of the fugitive leader's attempts to find a secure hiding place. As the only journalist to gain access to bin Laden's Abbottabad compound before the Pakistani government demolished it, Bergen paints a vivid picture of bin Laden's grim, Spartan life in hiding and his struggle to maintain control of al-Qaeda.     Half a world away, Bergen takes us inside the Situation Room, where President Obama considers the courses of action presented by his war council and receives conflicting advice from his top advisors before deciding to risk the raid that would change history--and then inside the Joint Special Ops Command, w

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Book SynopsisPreventing acts of terrorism remains one of the major tasks of domestic governments and regional and international organisations. Terrorism transcends borders, so anti-terrorism law must cross the boundaries of domestic, regional and international law. It also crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries between administrative, constitutional, criminal, financial, immigration, international and military law, as well as the law of war. This second edition provides a comprehensive resource on how domestic, regional and international responses to terrorism have developed since 2001. Chapters that focus on a particular country or region in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia are complemented by overarching thematic chapters that take a comparative approach to particular aspects of anti-terrorism law and policy.Table of Contents1. Introduction Kent Roach, Michael Hor, Victor V. Ramraj and George Williams; Part I. Transnational Perspectives: 2. The United Nations Security Council, terrorism and the rule of law C. H. Powell; 3. The impossibility of global anti-terrorism law? Victor V. Ramraj; 4. Transplantation Laura K. Donohue; Part II. Cross-Cutting Themes: 5. The criminal law and its less restrained alternatives Kent Roach; 6. Anti-terrorism laws: balancing national security and a fair hearing Nicola McGarrity and Edward Santow; 7. Legislating anti-terrorism: observations on form and process Andrew Lynch; 8. The financial war on terrorism Kevin E. Davis; 9. Our responsibility to respect the rights of others: legality and humanity Colin Harvey; 10. 'Prevent' responses to jihadi extremism Clive Walker and Javaid Rehman; Part III. Anti-Terrorism Law and Policy in Asia: 11. Singapore's anti-terrorism laws: reality and rhetoric Michael Hor; 12. Anti-terrorism efforts in Indonesia Hikmahanto Juwana; 13. The Human Security Act and the IHL law of the Philippines: of security and insecurity H. Harry L. Roque, Jr; 14. Responses to terrorism in China Fu Hualing; 15. Security laws for Hong Kong Simon N. M. Young; 16. Japan's response to terrorism post 9/11 Mark Fenwick; 17. Mapping anti-terror legal regimes in India Ujjwal Kumar Singh; Part IV. Anti-Terrorism Law and Policy in the West: 18. The United States a decade after September 11 William C. Banks; 19. UK counter-terror law post 9/11: initial acceptance of extraordinary measures and the partial return to human rights norms Helen Fenwick and Gavin Phillipson; 20. Canada's response to terrorism Kent Roach; 21. Anti-terror legislation in Australia and New Zealand George Williams; Part V. Anti-Terrorism Measures in the Middle East and Africa: 22. Terrorism and governance in South Africa and eastern Africa Chris Oxtoby and C. H. Powell; 23. Israel's anti-terrorism law: past, present and future Daphne Barak-Erez; 24. Rocks, hard places and human rights: anti-terrorism law and policy in Arab states Lynn Welchman.

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Book SynopsisIn the sengoku era in Japan, warlords and religious institutions vied for supremacy, with powerhouses such as the Honganji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism fanning violent uprisings of ikko ikki, bands of commoners fighting for various causes. Tsang delves into the complex and often contradictory relationship between these groups.

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