Terrorism and Counterterrorism

This book highlights a contemporary problem faced by the world—Terrorism. It is an extremely complex term to be defined because of the lack of clarity in the manifestation of terrorist acts, motives and objectives. Terrorism is often referred to as an act of violence directed towards civilians and noncombatants in pursuit of a political or ideological aim. Today, it has become one of the biggest security challenges to the world community. It can threaten the dignity and security of human beings to a great extent; disturb peaceful existence and create fear in the minds of people. It can also jeopardize  the very fundamental freedom and destabilize governments.

Contemporary terrorism is hologrammatic;   it thrives on fear created through violence  and propagated by using communication technology. Contemporary terrorism has shaken the traditional concept of security. It has shifted the entire debate to a nontraditional security domain. To carry out effective counterterrorism measures, it requires a strategy centred on human security and national interest. In most of the counterterrorism strategies, the role of law enforcement agencies and domestic intelligence has drastically increased.

A mustread book not just for defence professionals and strategists but also for political decisionmakers across the globe. This illuminating book would be of immense value even to students of statecraft and the uninitiated.