Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0815700040 ISBN 13: 9780815700043

Publisher: Brookings Institution Press, 2001

The United States government-backed by the overwhelming support of the American public-takes a hard line against international terrorism. The tenets of official U.S. counterterrorist policy are: make no concessions or deals with terrorists; bring them to justice for their crimes; isolate and apply pressure on states that sponsor terrorism; and bolster the counterterrorist capabilities of countries willing to work with the United States. While these tenets are sound principles, their application, specifically overseas, raises difficult questions. Does the "no deal" policy actually deter terrorists acts? Are there cases where agreements might reduce terrorism, while advancing other U.S. interests? Do isolation and pressure really force offending states to alter their support for terrorists? What factors affect the willingness, not just the capability, of foreign governments to help the United States in counterterrorism? In this critical study, a career CIA officer provides a guide to constructing and executing counterterrorist policy, urging that it be formulated as an integral part of broader U.S. foreign policy. In the first four chapters, Paul R. Pillar identifies the necessary elements of counterterrorist policy, he examines why the United States is a prime terrorist target, and he reveals why the counterterrorist policies that seem strongest are not always the most effective. Chapter 5 examines the widely varying nature of terrorist groups and the policy tools most appropriately applied to them. Chapter 6 focuses on states that sponsor terrorism (including Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Cuba), along with those that enable it to occur (particularly Greece and Pakistan). Pillar examines ways in which the American public's perspective toward terrorism can actually constrain counterterrorist policy, and he concludes that terrorism cannot be "defeated" only reduced, attenuated, and to some degree, controlled. The final chapter summarizes his recommendations for amending U.S. policy.

About the Author:

Paul Pillar , who spent 28 years in the U.S. intelligence community, is now a visiting professor at Georgetown University.

Review:

"The book's strength is its nuanced sense of how Washington's counterterrorism policy actually works, day in and day out." —Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 10/3/2001

"Paul Pillar, a career Central Intelligence Agency officer and former deputy director of its Counterterrorist Center, provides a guide to constructing and executing effective counterterrorist policy. The author offers a valuable overview of the dimensions" —Joshua Sinai, Washington Times, 10/3/2001

"Provides hard realizations about the moral compromises that will be required in this new struggle." —Robert D. Kaplan, Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, New York Times Book Review, 10/11/2001

"If you want to better understand the political context in which the war on terrorism will be fought, then Pillar's is the book to read." —Mitchell G. Bard, Executive Director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, Middle East Insight, 1/1/2002

"An excellent new book on terrorism..." —Sebastian Mallaby, WashingtonPost.com, 9/24/2001

"Paul Pillar... is one of the best-qualified U.S. writers on the subject of terrorism, and this is an excellent book.... this is a knowledgeable, clearly written, and comprehensive explanation of U.S. responses to terrorism.... Pillar's book is the best single source for balanced treatment of the advantages and disadvantages of counterterrorist tools available to the United States." —Audrey Kurth Cronin, Georgetown University, Perspectives on Political Science, 1/1/2002

"By far the best volume for a broad understanding of American responses to terrorism.... It presents a nuanced, sophisticated, and timely discussion of the range of options available to the United States, placed firmly in the context of competing and overarching foreign policy goals.... This sort of balanced, informed discussion is a much needed antidote to the recent spate of alarmist publications in the field, which unwittingly support the main goal of most terrorists." —Audrey Kurth Cronin, Georgetown University, Joint Force Quarterly, 10/1/2001

"[interview with Paul Pillar]" —Steve Hirsch, The National Journal, 1/26/2002

"His arguments are logical and thoroughly supported by the evidence. Happily, the book does not rely on speculative future scenarios but on analysis of the facts.... anyone interested in contemporary terrorism would profit by reading it.... It consititutes an essential source of information and analysis." —Martha Crenshaw, Wesleyan University, Terrorism and Political Violence, 7/1/2001

"[A] careful, well-balanced account of combating terrorism." —David Tucker, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, Book Review (?)