The No-Nonsense Guide to Terrorism

by Barker, Jonathan

• ISBN13: 9781859844335
• ISBN10: 1859844332
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-04-17
• Publisher: Verso

Summary

Since the events of September 11, 2001, the uses of the word terrorism seem to have multiplied, and it has never been clearer that one person's terrorist is another's freedom fighter. The No-Nonsense Guide to Terrorism looks at debates about September 11 and the responses to it, but also analyses the causes and contexts of terrorism the world over. Jonathan Barker provides a highly accessible historical sketch of terrorism, looking at core examples from the Middle East, instances of state terrorism, and the existence of a terrorist fringe to political movements such as anti-apartheid. He guides readers through the moral and political theories justifying and guiding terrorist acts and draws attention to the battle of images and ideas that accompanies them. The book moves away from moral judgements, demonstrating how social analysts and psychologists view the dynamics of terrorism. Furthermore it examines the consequences of terrorist acts for popular politics.

Author Biography

Jonathan Barker taught political science at the University of Toronto for many years; he has also taught at the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Arizona.

Table of Contents

Foreword	5	(3)
Paul Rogers
Introduction	8	(2)
Questioning terrorism	10	(22)
Assessing the danger	32	(29)
State terrorism	61	(26)
Morality and history	87	(25)
Between war and politics	112	(29)
Contacts	141	(1)
Bibliography	141	(1)
Index	142