International Terrorism: Drivers, Trends and Prospects

نبذة عن كتاب International Terrorism: Drivers, Trends and Prospects

This study describes and analyzes the origins, drivers and future prospects of international terrorism. The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the United States of America (USA) on 11 September 2001 have certainly focused more attention on international and transnational terror than any other previous event. The possibility of terror attacks that are even more extreme and the use of weapons of mass destruction by terror groups have also raised the issue of whether a new form of terrorism may emerge in future.
The response to international terrorism has likewise escalated, both in terms of domestic counter-measures, for example in the USA, and in terms of regional and international initiatives. It has even included the overthrow of governments linked to the support of international terrorism, such as that of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and international terrorism was one of the US justifications for initiating the second Gulf War in 2003.
Although international terrorism tends to be placed in a category of its own, it cannot be entirely separated from domestic terrorism. Many groups are simultaneously involved in domestic terror against their own government or nationals and targeting foreign countries or foreign nationals. State-sponsored international terrorism has also received increased attention, although state support is not a necessary pre-condition for the survival of an international terrorist organization.
Prior to discussing the origins of international or transnational terrorism it is necessary to describe the concept, its various manifestations and the reasons for the growth of international terrorism. The origins and development of international terrorism are broadly traced, with specific reference to various phases since the 1960s and specific drivers or motives in each phase. This is followed by an overview of the practical manifestations of international terrorism from the late 1980s to the present.