Inside terrorism

Description

Are religious terrorist groups more likely than secular groups to use weapons of mass destruction? How do the media at once promote and combat terrorist attacks? How has terrorism evolved into a multimillion-dollar operation in the Middle East? Bruce Hoffman addresses these questions as he describes the changing face of terrorism, probing the new adversaries, new motivations, and new methods that have surfaced in recent years to challenge many of our most fundamental assumptions about terrorists and how they operate. Hoffman dissects terrorism past and present, charting its evolution and predicting where it might be headed in the next century. These fringe groups are built upon - and react to - a sense of isolation, and are more likely to use weapons of mass destruction than the nationalist terrorist groups with which we are familiar. Hoffman also considers the issue of media coverage and how it relates to political power. Although the media provide a platform for terrorist agendas, terrorists achieve their ultimate political goals by exploiting the media, and are often captured as a result of news reports - as in the Unabomber case. South Africa's African National Congress, which won sympathy for its plight and eventually obtained power in part through terrorist activities, is a rare exception to the rule.

Description

In this revised edition, the author analyzes the new adversaries, motivations, and tactics of global terrorism that have emerged in recent years, focusing specifically on how Al Qaeda has changed since 9/11; the reasons behind its resiliency, resonance, and longevity; and its successful use of the Internet and videotapes to build public support and gain new recruits. He broadens the discussion by evaluating the potential repercussions of the Iraqi insurgency, the use of suicide bombers, terrorist exploitation of new communications media, and the likelihood of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear terrorist strike. Looking at the U.S., he reconsiders the Timothy McVeigh case and the threats posed by American Christian white supremacists and abortion opponents as well as those posed by militant environmentalists and animal rights activists. He argues that the attacks on the World Trade Center fundamentally transformed the West's view of the terrorist threat.

Subjects

Other Editions

• Inside terrorismColumbia University Press1998-01-01
• Inside terrorismColumbia University Press2006
• Inside terrorismVictor Gollancz1998-01-01
• Terrorismus, der unerklärte Krieg. Neue Gefahren politischer Gewalt.HardcoverFischer (S.), Frankfurt1999-03-01
• Inside terrorismColumbia University Press2006-01-01