Counterterrorism: A Reference Handbook (Contemporary World Issues)

An up-to-date analysis of the wave of terrorism in the post-Cold War era and the ways in which states and societies are responding.

Counter-Terrorism: A Reference Handbook outlines the threat of terrorism and ways to combat it. Written by two expert insiders in the field, this extensive examination surveys a wide range of diverse terrorist groups from the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) to Al Qaeda. It shows how key trends and patterns in domestic and international terrorism such as suicide bombings require counter strategies and tactics including surveillance and reconnaissance.

Case studies of terrorist organizations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Balkans, and the Caucasus, and profiles of terrorists like Khalid Sheikh Mohommad, alias Mokhtar (The Brain), who masterminded the Al Qaeda attack on 9/11, illustrate the growing network of groups and leaders harnessing the forces of globalization. Finally, the authors suggest lthat no single state can act effectively on its own to confront terrorism--instead, a wide range of strategies needs to be adopted by all.

Graeme C. S. Steven is a research associate at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, specializing in counterterrorism, tri-border areas, threat assessment, and profiling terrorist groups.

Rohan Gunaratna is head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies, Singapore; senior fellow at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, West Point, NY; and honorary fellow at the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Herzlia, Israel. His published works include the international bestseller Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror.