Product Description

In this title, defender of civil liberties and lawyer Alan Dershowitz presents measures that aim to prevent terrorism and still uphold US legal, moral and humanitarian values.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #345164 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
"could not be more timely... an outstanding study that dares to think the unthinkable and to move beyond the conventional wisdom that has thus far failed Western societies in their battle against terrorism." Efraim Karsh, The Sunday Telegraph "highly readable overview of some of the moral and practical questions relating to America's 'War on Terror'" Dan Lerner, Financial Times "Perhaps America's most brilliant public intellectual, Alan Dershowitz attacks the central challenge of our times - terrorism - with ruthless honesty and striking originality, delivered in a narrative so compelling that the pages seem to turn themselves." Richard North Patterson, author of Protect and Defend "Critical reading for anyone interested in the legacy terrorism has left us, how our previous weak responses have encouraged more of it, and how we can end it." William J. Bennett, author of Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism "Dershowitz has a great deal to say - and to teach us - about the balance we are now struggling to achieve between domestic security and civil liberty." Barry Gewen, New York Times Book Review

Alan Judd, The Daily Telegraph, 10 October 2002
'[...]an important new book.'

Efraim Karsh, Sunday Telegraph, 3 November 2002
'an outstanding study that dares to think the unthinkable and to move beyond the conventional wisdom.'

Customer Reviews

Fighting terrorism without appeasement.
This excellent study on modern day terrorism perhaps appropriately bears the smiling portraits of Yasser Arafat and Osama bin Laden on it's cover. How appropriate the reader must decide for themselves as they assess the information presented in this analysis of how terrorism actually "works".

Amongst the chilling conclusions illustrated in this extremely interesting research is that perhaps the gravest danger facing the world today emanates from state sponsored, religiously inspired terrorist groups, in possession of weapons of mass destruction.

This declaration by the author might seem rather obvious to those who are only too aware of today's political climate, recent atrocities and the 'war against terror'.

However, the author takes a rather unique approach in that he considers that such organised global terrorism is largely of our own making. This seemingly ludicrous statement takes on a chilling relevance as one listens to the writer's arguments as he proceeds to scrutinize recent acts of terrorism, our reactions to them and the relative consequences/reactions by the terrorists themselves to our attitude of apparent appeasement.

The author maintains that merely trying to 'understand' terrorism, instead of overtly facing it head-on, presents a victory to the terrorists in itself.

The book attaches considerable blame to the UN and the international community in politicising the phrase "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" and selectively applying it to causes which serve the purpose of the day.

Also demonstrated is how the international community has served as midwife to the birth of international terrorism since the late 1960's, through appeasement and a declared 'recognition' of the so-called 'root causes' of many terrorist struggles. Thus simultaneously providing the necessary recognition/incentive for the terror to continue, whilst refusing to take the steps necessary to actually curtail the terror.

The book shows how much of our attitude towards terrorist groups has to some extent rationalised such terrorism as a valid response to certain 'root causes' in some parts of the world, where repression or desperation are perhaps recognised by some sympathetic entities.

A response that the author shows only serves to reward and encourage the continuation of the terrorism associated with the groups concerned. The Middle East being a prime example. Indeed, much reference is made to the Arab-Israeli issue, with Palestinian and Islamic terrorism being the core issues.

The book establishes that in a world where suicide/homicide attacks are now seen by some as a new political weapon/tool & which even attract sympathetic murmurings from some senior political figures & public acclaim from others, action must be taken before the world is swept by a current of violence and terrorism never seen before.

The reader is left in no doubt as to the intricacies of fighting terrorism. The book describes the terrorists' intent upon influencing the actions and attitudes of their intended audiences through the media. The difficulties in retaliating against terrorist are also ably dealt with, when the actual attacker now just as likely to be a woman, teenager or child,.

We are also left in no doubt as to the difficulties in facing perpetrators who can effectively disappear by blending into a welcoming, surrounding civilian population, and where any retaliation to prevent further attacks can be labelled by some as 'collective punishment' and forcibly condemned. The difficulties of rooting out terrorist groups as well as individuals from the midst of civilian populations, amongst whom the terrorists hide & shelter behind is also referred to.

The author insists that the terrorists themselves must bear and carry the full moral responsibility for their murderous atrocities. He then delves into an in-depth study of how terrorism should & could be fought, if not constrained by moral, legal and humanitarian considerations. (An interesting, thought provoking approach). Then on another level he devotes a whole section of the book to the anti-terrorism procedures that should in fact be adopted that will actively reduce the severity and frequency of international terrorist attacks, by striking a sobering balance between liberty and security.

Highly recommended...required reading !

To Be Read with an Open Mind
Dershowitz has written an unabashedly polemical look at Palestinian terrorism, from the early days of murdering Israeli athletes in Munich up to the present. It's a horrific story, not simply because of the bloodshed, but more because of the astonishing success of this strategy in the West. Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is now a commonplace amongst left/liberal commentators that Israel is uniquely evil, and that the Palestinians are suffering as no other people have ever suffered. Indeed a reviewer such as the Welsh doctor below can blithely dismiss this book as Jewish propaganda, part of some Zionist plot, which decent people can ignore: this just 60 years, two generations, after the holocaust.

Scary Stuff
Much, much easier to get into than most other books of this genre. Definately a good one to start the Dissertation with! Not too much jargon or specific (and therefore not relevant) case studies. Very scary truths about the world, but exceptionally well written and definately interesting.