TERRORISM

Literature from the 1990s

L - R

Laqueur, Walter A. The New Terrorism: Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction. New York: oxford University Press, 1999.

Chapman, IJI&C 14.1, is bothered that to Laqueur "there are no revolutionaries or revolutionary organizations, only terrorists." In addition, the reviewer believes that "skim[ming] lightly over the years 1950-1980 ... is a serious error." However, reviewer and author agree that the threat from terrorists with weapons of mass destruction is significantly less than is often portrayed.

Laqueur, Walter A. "Postmodern Terrorism." Foreign Affairs 75, no. 5 (Sep./Oct. 1996): 24-36.

"[T]oday society faces not one terrorism but many terrorisms.... Most international and domestic terrorism these days ... [is] ethnic-separatist in inspiration.... The trend now seems to be away from attacking specific targets like the other side's officials and toward more indiscriminate killing.... [T]errorism's prospects, often overrated by the media, the public, and some politicians, are improving as its destructive potential increases.... The possibilities for creating chaos are almost unlimited even now, and vulnerability will almost certainly increase.... [I]ntelligence services and policymakers must learn to discern the significant differences among terrorists' motivations, approaches, and aims."

Lesser, Ian, et al., eds. Countering the New Terrorism. Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 1999.

Livingstone, Neil C., and David Halevy. Inside the PLO: Covert Units, Secret Funds, and the War Against Israel and the United States. New York: Morrow, 1990.

Petersen: "U.S. has ignored intelligence on PLO terrorism; CIA once had a back-channel relationship with the PLO."

Long, David E. The Anatomy of Terrorism. New York: The Free Press, 1990.

Clark comment: Long was assistant director of the State Department's Office of Counter Terrorism.

Surveillant 1.1 says the book "explores the social, political, and economic factors that help shape the face of terrorism"; it includes "methods for combatting it and protecting us from its effects." Motley, IJI&C 5:3, adds that "while interesting to read, it offers little that is new."

Marenches, Alexandre de, comte, and David A. Andelman. The Fourth World War: Diplomacy and Espionage in the Age of Terrorism. New York: William Morrow, 1992.

Clark comment: The author was Director-General of the French foreign intelligence service, Service de Documentation Exterieure et de Contre-Espionnage (SDECE), from 1970 to 1981, under Presidents Pompidou and d'Estaing.

Surveillant 2.6 notes that this is an "updated and adapted version of the original work Dans le Secret des Princes, published in 1986 by Editions Stock and signed Alexandre de Marenches and Christine Ockrent. The de Marenches/Ockrent version was reprinted in English in the U.K. under the title The Evil Empire: The Third World War Now. This is an impressive presentation of responses by the Count de Marenches ... to questions posed by journalist Ockrent in a series of interviews."

Valcourt, IJI&C 6.1, adds that de Marenches is "[o]ften referred to as the Henry Kissinger of France." The Fourth World War "combatants are the Northern nations versus the Southern.... The intelligence organizations of the Western nations must be redirected to study the new opposition." The author's "views must be considered seriously."

Rurarz-Huygens, IJI&C 2.1, comments that "'Dans le secret des princes' is a powerful book." It is both a "political and philosophical statement." The author is "profoundly troubled by the behavior of the 'soft democracies.'" McCormick, I&NS 4.1, concludes that "this is a constructive book which should be read widely by all who care about the future of intelligence and security services."

According to Pierre, FA 71.5, the author "tells his many cloak and dagger stories with verve and color," but he "goes off track ... when he looks to the future. He sees the opening skirmishes of a new world war -- between South and North -- the new enemies being terrorists, drug lords and dictators. 'Mutual Assured Destruction' must now be replaced by a doctrine of 'Certain Destruction' of terrorist groups; a 'Decent People's Club' of nations that believe in individual liberty must be created. These extreme views inadvertently cast some doubt on his judgment while running French intelligence."

Medd, Roger, and Frank Goldstein. "International Terrorism on the Eve of a New Millennium." Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 20, no. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1997): 281-316.

Mufson, Steven, and Thomas Lippman, "U.S. Slightly Softens View of Iran." Washington Post, 1 May 1999, A10.

In its annual terrorism report, "Patterns of Global Terrorism," issued on 30 April 1999, the State Department "modestly softened language on Iran ... Whereas last year the State Department called Iran 'the most active state sponsor of terrorism in 1997,' the new report said only that Iran 'in 1998 continued to be involved in the planning and execution of terrorist acts'.... Despite the altered language, Iran was still one of seven governments branded in the report ... as state sponsors of terrorism.... Other countries in that category are Cuba, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. The list has not changed since August 1993. Afghanistan would have been included, a senior State Department official said, but it is not considered a functioning state."

Pope, Laurence. "Department's Efforts to Combat International Terrorism." US Department of State Dispatch 4, no. 17 (26 Apr. 1993): 299-301.

Pope was Acting Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism, Department of State.

The terrorism "threat continues to be significant.... [T]ensions in many parts of the world have increased. We know ... that terrorism is often a by-product of such conflicts.... The basis of our policy is the effort to reduce and eventually eliminate the support which states provide to terrorist groups.... Of the current state sponsors, Iran is the major problem we face."

Prince, James. "Is There a Role for Intelligence in Combating Terrorism?" Conflict 9 (1990): 301-318. [Petersen]

Reeve, Simon. The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden and the Future of Terrorism. London: Deutsch, 1999. New York: Northeastern University Press, 2002. [pb]

Seale, Sunday Times (London), 26 Sep. 1999, calls this a "scaremongering book," and adds that the "apocalyptic vision [presented] is wrong on several counts." The author's "references show that he had ample access to western intelligence sources, but there is no evidence that he ever met an Afghan Arab or attempted to penetrate the mind of a Muslim activist, except through the filter of a police investigation."

Reich, Walter, ed. Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1998.

Roberts, Brad, ed. Terrorism with Chemical and Biological Weapons: Calibrating Risks and Responses. Alexandria, VA: Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute, 1997.

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