Best of
Terrorism

2005

102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers


Jim Dwyer - 2005
    Over the next 102 minutes, each would become part of a drama for the ages, one witnessed only by the people who lived it-until now. Of the millions of words written about this wrenching day, most were told from the outside looking in. "New York Times" reporters Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn have taken the opposite-and far more revealing-approach. Reported from the perspectives of those inside the towers, "102 Minutes" captures the little-known stories of ordinary people who took extraordinary steps to save themselves and others. Beyond this stirring panorama stands investigative reporting of the first rank. An astounding number of people actually survived the plane impacts but were unable to escape, and the authors raise hard questions about building safety and tragic flaws in New York's emergency preparedness. Dwyer and Flynn rely on hundreds of interviews with rescuers, thousands of pages of oral histories, and countless phone, e-mail, and emergency radio transcripts. They cross a bridge of voices to go inside the infernos, seeing cataclysm and heroism, one person at a time, to tell the affecting, authoritative saga of the men and women-the nearly 12,000 who escaped and the 2,749 who perished-as they made 102 minutes count as never before. "102 Minutes" is a 2005 National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction.

Calming the Fearful Mind: A Zen Response to Terrorism


Thich Nhat Hanh - 2005
    Teaching that we will only be safe when we acknowledge our real enemies, ignorance and violence, Nhat Hanh offers step-by-step instructions for calming the mind and looking deeply into our own misperceptions. He shows how compassion, deep listening, and mindful communication can conquer fear and terrorism. A valuable book for anyone who has felt possessed by anger and vengefulness, as well as those concerned about global terrorism, Calming the Fearful Mind shows how Nhat Hanh’s signature practices can help address the most challenging and emotions.

Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools


John Giduck - 2005
    This book tells the untold story about the victims, the soldiers who were there and the history of the events leading up to the tragic incident. But more than just the story, this book highlights the lessons America's school system can learn from the tragedy to protect itself from terrorism.

First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan


Gary Schroen - 2005
    This is the riveting first-person account of the treacherous top-secret mission inside Afghanistan to set the stage for the defeat of the Taliban and launch the war on terror.As thrilling as any novel, First In is a uniquely intimate look at a mission that began the U.S. retaliation against terrorism–and reclaimed the country of Afghanistan for its people.

The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims


Andrew G. Bostom - 2005
    But care is taken not to say how Islam expanded. Regarding this expansion, little is said about jihad. And yet it all happened through war!" The Legacy of Jihad provides a comprehensive, meticulously documented corrective to the genre of ahistorical assessments decried by Ellul. This unique, extensive compilation includes Muslim theological and juridical texts, eyewitness historical accounts by both Muslim and non-Muslim chroniclers, and essays by preeminent scholars analyzing jihad war and the ruling conditions imposed upon the non-Muslim peoples conquered by jihad campaigns. The Legacy of Jihad reveals how, for well over a millennium, across three continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe—non-Muslims who were vanquished by jihad wars, became forced tributaries (called dhimmi in Arabic), in lieu of being slain. Under the dhimmi religious caste system, non-Muslims were subjected to legal and financial oppression, as well as social isolation. Extensive primary and secondary source materials, many translated here for the first time into English, are presented, making clear that jihad conquests were brutal, imperialist advances, which spurred waves of Muslims to expropriate a vast expanse of lands and subdue millions of indigenous peoples. Finally, the book examines how jihad war, as a permanent and uniquely Islamic institution, ultimately regulates the relations of Muslims with non-Muslims to this day. Scholars, educators, and interested lay readers will find this collection an invaluable resource.

America's "War on Terrorism"


Michel Chossudovsky - 2005
    This title states that the 'war on terrorism' is a complete fabrication based on the illusion that one man, Osama bin Laden, outwitted the $40 billion-a-year American intelligence apparatus.

Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives Have Penetrated Washington


Paul Sperry - 2005
    In this startling book, investigative journalist Paul Sperry uses revealing new interviews and classified documents to courageously explain how, for the past thirty years, these Islamist extremists have been covertly working to destroy our constitutional government and the Judeo-Christian ethics on which our nation was built. Their goal, according to Sperry, is to replace the U.S. Constitution with the Quran and turn America into an Islamic state. And, as Sperry details point-by-point, they have been unwittingly aided in their sinister aims by the politically correct media, government, and citizens, who don't fully understand the dangers of the Muslim faith.Infiltration explodes the facade of moderation and patriotism that Muslim scholars, imams, clerics, businessmen, and other leaders in the burgeoning Muslim community in America have conveyed in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In reality, the Muslim establishment that publicly decries the radical fringe-represented by al-Qaida's brand of Islam known as Wahhabism, the official religion of Saudi Arabia-is actually a part of it. The only difference is that they use words and money instead of bombs to accomplish their goals. Now, thanks to Sperry's peerless research, piquant prose, and forthright presentation, their cover is blown. He will not only make readers forget nearly everything they've been told about these "moderate" and "mainstream" leaders, he will expose the true agenda of these "moderate" and "mainstream" leaders, and he will explain the full scope of the dangerous threat of Islam in America.With everyone still on edge after 9/11, this book will garner wide interest, appealing specifically to people interested in current events and/or religion. Additionally, the book will appeal strongly to women whose roles, values, and rights are greatly threatened by fundamentalist Islam.

Writing the War on Terrorism: Language, Politics and Counter-terrorism


Richard Jackson - 2005
    It discusses how language has been used to deliberately manipulate public anxiety about terrorist threats to gain support for military action, and how the abuse of Iraqi prisoners has been normalised through rhetoric and practice. . The author argues that the normalisation and institutionalisation of the administration's current counter-terrorism approach is damaging to society's ethical values and to democratic political participation.

A Special Kind of Courage


Chris Ryder - 2005
    321 EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Squadron was posted to Northern Ireland at the outset of the Troubles to provide bomb disposal expertise. Since then it has answered over 50,000 'bomb scare' calls, over 5,500 of them to deal with actual devices. It is impossible to estimate the number of lives, or value of property, saved by its work. But the cost is clear. Conspicuous courage is an essential qualification and 321 EOD is the most decorated unit in the entire British Army. Its members have been awarded 2 George Crosses, 29 George Medals and 281 other medals for outstanding gallantry. 20 officers have lost their lives; 24 have been severely injured. One still serves despite the loss of a hand. It is grimly appropriate that the unit has as its mascot and radio call-sign the cartoon cat, Felix, with his nine lives and ability to withstand mayhem. As peace emerges in Northern Ireland, 321 EOD is now ready to tell its story for the first time. Written with its full co-operation, A Special Kind of Courage traces the history and development of bomb disposal and the use of explosives by terrorists; the human courage and techniques used to counter it; and the international dimension - how violent revolutionary groups abroad, such as ETA in Spain, copied the methods of Irish terrorists. It describes how 321 EOD's pioneering devices - notably the remote-controlled 'wheelbarrow' - have been exported around the world, earning it a global expertise that is sought by many other nations facing the threat of terrorism. Written with the full co-operation of past and present members of the squadron, and with a new Postscript for the paperback edition, this is the extraordinary story of the courage, skill and cool professionalism of the most decorated unit in the British Army.

Suicide Terrorism


Ami Pedahzur - 2005
    Drawing on a variety of sources, Suicide Terrorism explores the use of human bombs in Lebanon, Israel, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Chechnya and Iraq and the ostentatious attacks of Al-Qaeda and the global jihad. It is the only book to offer such an in-depth, up-to-date, cross-cultural analysis of suicide terrorism in the twenty-first century."--Jacket.

Terrorism and Peacekeeping


Volker C. Franke - 2005
    National security, today more than at any other time, demands decision-making under uncertainty. The issues presented in this book demonstrate that the value of planning lies in how well the United States can prepare for a perpetually unpredictable future.Each chapter examines pertinent management, leadership, and accountability issues related to U.S. national security and places readers at the center of difficult decisions. Although the cases collected in this volume revolve around national security related policy questions, they also illustrate more general policy dilemmas and are designed to stimulate new ideas.

Outlaws of America: The Weather Underground and the Politics of Solidarity


Dan Berger - 2005
    A meticulously researched and well-referenced study of the Weather Underground. . . . A gripping story, drawing important lessons for the younger generation of activists.”—Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of Outlaw Woman: A Memoir of the War Years, 1960–1975Outlaws of America brings to life the motivations and actions of America’s most famous renegades, who bombed their way into history. Through detailed and original research, Dan Berger offers a nuanced and compelling portrait of the group that risked everything in opposition to war and racism.This explosive, engaging, and timely book uncovers the untold story of the Weather Underground, from its incendiary beginning to its tumultuous ending—never sparing a critical analysis of the group. Especially noteworthy is Berger’s groundbreaking discussion of the infamous 1981 Brinks case, where former Weather Underground members allied with the Black Liberation Army in a failed robbery that resulted in the deaths of three men and the longtime incarceration of several activists.Outlaws of America is culled from dozens of in-depth interviews with former Weather Underground members, as well as with civil rights activists, Black Panthers, Young Lords, and others—many of whom speak about their experiences publicly here for the first time. The book also features an extensive appendix including Weather Underground communiqués, a chronology of actions, a collection of rare photographs, and current biographical sketches of many ex-Weather Underground members.Outlaws of America is published at a time of surging interest in the history of the group, immediately following the release of the Oscar-nominated documentary entitled The Weather Underground, of which Outlaws is the essential companion volume.Dan Berger is a writer, activist, and PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. A longtime anti-racism organizer, he is the co-editor of Letters From Young Activists (Nation Books, 2005).

Terror and the Sublime in Art and Critical Theory: From Auschwitz to Hiroshima to September 11


Gene Ray - 2005
    Critically engaging with the work of continental philosophers Theodor W Adorno, Jacques Derrida, and Jean-Francois Lyotard and of contemporary artists Joeph Beuys, Damien Hirst, and Boaz Arad, the book confronts the shared cultural conditions that made Auschwitz and Hiroshima possible and offers searching meditations on the structure and meaning of the traumatic historical "event." Ray argues that globalization cannot be separated from the collective tasks of working through historical genocide. He provocatively concludes that the curent US-led "war on terror" must be grasped as a globalized inability to mourn.

Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in Iraq


Bruce Hoffman - 2005
    450-character abstract: For 50 years, the United States has had ill-fated experiences in effectively fighting insurgencies. In counterinsurgency terms, Vietnam and Iraq form two legs of a historically fraught triangle-with El Salvador providing the connecting leg. In light of this history, the author analyzes where the United States has gone wrong in Iraq; what unique challenges the conflict presents to coalition forces deployed there; and what light both shed on future counterinsurgency planning, operations, and requirements.

Murder and Monarchy: Regicide in European History, 1300-1800


Robert von Friedeburg - 2005
    Using case studies of physical assaults on kings and on members of royal families, major changes and continuities in the meaning and nature of monarchy across periods and societies are brought to light. The volume ranges from Gothic kingship to the transformation of monarchy within the emerging modern constitutional context of the American and French Revolutions. The introduction and the contributions of fifteen leading senior scholars from England, Scotland, France, the Netherlands and Germany combine cutting edge research with authoritative synthesis on the changing relationship between monarchy and society in medieval and early modern Europe.

In the Name of Terrorism: Presidents on Political Violence in the Post-World War II Era


Carol K. Winkler - 2005
    In the Name of Terrorism describes and analyzes the public communication strategies presidents have deployed to discuss terrorism since the end of World War II. Drawing upon internal administration documents, memoirs, and public papers, Carol K. Winkler uncovers how presidents have capitalized on public perceptions of the terrorist threat, misrepresented actual terrorist events, and used the term terrorism to influence electoral outcomes both at home and abroad. Perhaps more importantly, she explains their motivations for doing so, and critically discusses the moral and political implications of the present range of narratives used to present terrorism to the public.

A Devil's Triangle: Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Rogue States


Peter Brookes - 2005
    The rise of international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missiles, and the troubling actions of rogue states replaced the US-USSR superpower rivalry as the central organizing theme of the new national security environment. The idea of a 'peace dividend, ' consisting of years of international tranquility and stability, were dashed on September 11, 2001. The threats of the Cold War were supplanted by new national security environment characterized by unpredictable, motivated, capable adversaries posing multiple threats. Peter Brookes, one of the most respected national security experts in the United States, reminds Americans that the world continues to be a very dangerous place, filled with people and groups eager to topple the United States. This devil's triangle-the intersection of terrorism, Chemical/Biological/ Radioactive/Nuclear weapons, and state sponsors-raises the timely question, What should America do about these new security challenges? America is at war and there is no other course but action. The United States can face these threats squarely and emerge victorious if we have the will and resolve to carry it through. Terrorism can be defeated. Proliferation can be curtailed. The behavior of rogue states can be modified. The United States is in an epic struggle in the defense of freedom and our way of life. A failure to identify, understand, and meet these security challenges head on could lead to an incident that would make the unspeakable horrors of 9/11 seem like a minor tragedy. With resolve, determination and a willingness to lead, America will successfully meet these challenges, and freedom will prevail.

Down Range: Navy Seals in the War on Terrorism


Dick Couch - 2005
    Here for the first time is a SEAL insider’s battle history of these Special Operations warriors in the war on terrorism. “Down range” is what SEALs in Afghanistan and Iraq call their area of operations. In this new mode of warfare, “down range” can refer to anything from tracking roving bands of al-Qaeda on a remote mountain trail in Afghanistan to taking down an armed compound in Tikrit and rousting holdouts from Saddam Hussein’s regime. It could mean interdicting insurgents smuggling car-bomb explosives over the Iraqi-Syrian border or silently boarding a freighter on the high seas at night to enforce an embargo. In other words, “down range” could be anywhere, anytime, under any conditions. In Down Range, author Dick Couch, himself a former Navy SEAL and CIA case officer, uses his unprecedented access to bring the reader firsthand accounts from the warriors in combat during key missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Couch creates a pulse-pounding, detailed narrative of the definitive engagements of this war, while painting an unusually intimate portrait of these warriors in the field. The performance of the SEALs in difficult, changing environments—in the heat of the Afghan desert, in the snow-packed Hindu Kush, on the high seas, and in the urban chaos of Baghdad—has been nothing short of extraordinary. The SEALs, coordinating with other American forces, the CIA, and foreign special operations units like the Polish GROM, have once more shown their genius for improvisation and capacity for courageous action in leading the fight against this new and vicious enemy. The first battle history of its kind, Down Range is a riveting close-up of some of America’s finest warriors in action against a deadly foe. Also available as an eBookFrom the Hardcover edition.