Does Terrorism Work?: A HistoryTerrorism is one of the most significant security threats that we face in the twenty-first century. Not surprisingly, there is now a plethora of books on the subject, offering definitions of what terrorism is and proffering advice on what causes it and how states should react to it. But one of the most important questions about terrorism has, until now, been left remarkably under-scrutinized: does it work? Richard English now brings thirty years of professional expertise studying terrorism to the task of answering this complex—and controversial - question. Focussing principally on four of the most significant terrorist organizations of the last fifty years (al-Qaida, the Provisional IRA, Hamas, and ETA), and using a wealth of interview material with former terrorists as well as those involved in counter-terrorism, he argues that we need a far more honest understanding of the degree to which terrorism actually works—as well as a more nuanced insight into the precise ways in which it does so. Only then can we begin to grapple more effectively with what has become one of the most challenging and eye-catching issues of our time. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Jihadist Terror The Case of alQaida | 42 |
Ireland and theProvisional IRA | 92 |
Hamas and PalestinianTerrorism | 148 |
Basque Terrorism ETA andthe Spanish State | 186 |
Conclusion | 220 |
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Common terms and phrases
1st edn achieved activists Afghanistan al-Qaida al-Zawahiri argued armed struggle Army assessment Ayman al-Zawahiri Basque Country Basque nationalism Belfast Bergen British brutal Cambridge campaign cent central complex conflict context Democracy effect efficacy emerged enemies ETA’s Ethnicity and Violence evidence ex-PIRA example Gaza Global Hamas Hamas’s Hezbollah historians historical Hoffman important inherent rewards insurgency involved Iraq Irgun Irish Republican Islamic Islamist Israel Israeli Jihad jihadist killed London Merari movement Muslim nationalist non-state non-violent Northern Ireland one’s operations opponents organization organizational Osama bin Laden Palestine Palestinian partial strategic past peace process people’s PIRA PIRA violence PIRA’s political violence Provisional IRA Provos Quoted regarding Reinares religious resistance revenge role Routledge scholars secondary goal securing significant Sinn Fein Spain Spanish strategic victory suggests suicide attacks suicide bombings sustained tactical success Tamil terrorist terrorist groups terrorist violence threat tion undermining unionist University Press wider