Contending with Terrorism: Roots, Strategies, and Responses

Roots, Strategies, and Responses

Summary

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, scholars and policy analysts in national security have turned their attention to terrorism, considering not only how to prevent future attacks but also the roots of the problem. This book offers some of the latest research in terrorism studies. The contributors examine the sources of contemporary terrorism, discussing the impact of globalization, the influence of religious beliefs, and the increasing dissatisfaction felt by the world’s powerless. They consider the strategies and motivations of terrorists, offering contending perspectives on whether or not terrorists can be said to achieve their goals; explore different responses to the threat of terrorism, discussing such topics as how the United States can work more effectively with its allies; and contemplate the future of al-Qaida, asking if its networked structure is an asset or a liability.

The essays in Contending with Terrorism address some of the central topics in the analysis of contemporary terrorism. They promise to guide future policy and inspire further research into one of most important security issues of the twenty-first century.

Contributors: Max Abrahms, Daniel Byman, Erica Chenoweth, Audrey Kurth Cronin, Renée de Nevers, Mette Eilstrup-Sangiovanni, Hillel Frisch, Calvert Jones, Andrew Kydd, Sean M. Lynn-Jones, Elizabeth McClellan, Nicholas Miller, Assaf Moghadam, Michael Mousseau, Rysia Murphy, William Rose, Paul Staniland, Robert Trager, Barbara Walter, Dessislava Zagorcheva

About the Editors

Michael E. Brown is Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. 

Owen R. Coté Jr. is Associate Director of the Security Studies Program at MIT. 

Sean M. Lynn-Jones is a Belfer Center researcher at Harvard University and Editor of International Security, the International Security Program's quarterly journal.

Steven E. Miller is Editor-in-chief of International Security and Director of the International Security Program of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

"It is hard to be stimulating and instructive on a subject that has held as much attention as has terrorism for a decade and more. But the essays in this volume combine those characteristics for the benefit of students and experts alike. The reader will come away with valuable new insights and perspectives."
Philip B. Heymann, James Barr Ames Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, author of Terrorism, Freedom, and Security

"This collection of compelling analyses of the causes of extremist violence, terrorist strategies, and concepts for countering terrorism will be of great value to both nonspecialists and students seeking incisive introductions to these vexing issues and to officials looking for creative policy options."
Stephen J. Flanagan, Henry A. Kissinger Chair in International Security, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Co-editor of Strategic Challenges: America's Global Security Agenda