Can war be justified? Pacifists answer that it cannot; they oppose war and advocate for nonviolent alternatives to war. But defenders of just war theory argue that in some circumstances, when the effectiveness of nonviolence is limited, wars can be justified. In this book, two philosophers debate this question, drawing on contemporary scholarship and new developments in thinking about pacifism and just war theory. Andrew Fiala defends the pacifist position, while Jennifer Kling defends just war traditions. Fiala argues that pacifism follows from the awful reality of war and the nonviolent goal of building a more just and peaceful world. Kling argues that war is sometimes justified when it is a last-ditch, necessary effort to defend people and their communities from utter destruction and death. Pulling from global traditions and histories, their debate will captivate anyone who has wondered or worried about the morality of political violence and military force. Topics discussed include ethical questions of self-defense and other-defense, the great analogy between individuals and states, evolving technologies and methods of warfighting, moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, broader political and communal issues, and the problem of regional security in a globalizing world. The authors consider cultural and religious issues as well as the fundamental question of moral obligation in a world saturated in military conflict. The book was written in the aftermath of the war on terrorism and includes reflection on lessons learned from the past decades of war, as well as hopes for the future in light of emerging threats in Europe and elsewhere. The book is organized in a user-friendly fashion. Each author presents a self-contained argument, which is followed by a series of responses, replies, and counter-arguments. Throughout, the authors model civil discourse by emphasizing points of agreement and remaining areas of disagreement. The book includes reader-friendly summaries, a glossary of key concepts, and suggestions for further study. All of this will help students and scholars follow the authors' dialogue so they may develop their own answer to the question of whether war can be justified. Key Features Summarizes the debate between pacifism and just war theory Considers historical and traditional sources as well as contemporary scholarship and applications Models philosophical dialogue and civil discourse, while seeking common ground Discusses issues of concern in contemporary warfighting and peacemaking, while offering an analysis of the war on terrorism

When we take a look back at the way Western states have fought terrorist organizations in the last 20 years, it is difficult not to think that these alternatives to war might have been more ethical than the decisions to invade Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and in 2003. These cases speak for themselves as they have both led to the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, which is highly paradoxical in light of the logic that supported these interventions. There is a need to think of alternatives to war that will imply the legitimization of proactive sets of measures that would allow states to effectively prevent terrorist attacks through the use of kinetic force in a limited extent as a way to avoid the terrible and unpredictable effects of wars. Violent Alternatives to War: Justifying Actions Against Contemporary Terrorism engages in a moral discussion of the challenges associated with violent alternatives to war when confronting terrorism and suggests a comprehensive approach to how this form of violence can be legitimized and how it ought to be used against this contemporary threat.

This book engages a comprehensive approach to understand both traditional and non-traditional security issues in addressing dimensions of India's national security. The issues highlighted in the book through fourteen distinct, yet inter-related, chapters offer insightful reading to India's national security. This edited book explores the criticalities of various security issues in India, internal and external, and digs deep into the government responses to each of these issues. Stepping away from merely focusing on the state-centric understanding of national security, this book also includes human security perspectives. In this process, this book also offers set of policy recommendations which could be used for effectively dealing with the national security challenges. The themes covered in this edited book range from offering a conceptual framework of national security to issues such as energy security, maritime security, nuclear security, internal security, neighborhood policy, dumping, terrorism, economic security, cyber security, role of media, defense preparedness, and use of GIS in security domain. This book highlights some of the important security issues around the larger perspective of India's national security. This book will be highly useful for the students and scholars of security and strategic studies and international relations and also to the policymakers in the region.

This new fatwa from the renowned authority of Islamic world, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, leader of the overwhelming majority of Muslims deals a devstating blow to al-Qaeda and its affiliates by removing decisively any remnant of theological justifications for terrorism. In what is the most comprehensive edict on this topic in the history of Islam, Dr. Qadri has explicated how suicide bombings and terrorism is unequivocally un-Islamic and has condemned terrorism unconditionally without any "ifs and buts." Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri is a globally recognised authority on the Islamic and International law and Islamic scholarship. Drawing on his deep, erudite insight into the life and teaching of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and fourteen centuries of Islamic scholarship, Dr Qadri's 512-page, detailed fatwa demolishes the theological arguements advanced by terrorists in prisons, on websites, videos and their literature which are root causes of today's home grown terrorists which the west is trying to tackle. For the first time available in the United States this contains a foreword by the Washington D.C. based expert on Islam, Prof John Esposito of Georgetown University and Introduction by Dr. Joel Hayward (Royal Air Force College, UK) and a validation by Al-Azhar University, Egypt who have supported this fatwa.

This textbook presents a systematic study of terrorism from the standpoint of economic analysis. Choosing the kind and level of measures to counter terror is, to a large extent, an economic decision, as counterterrorism (CT) measures and their side effects are costly. This text, contains theoretical models that illustrate the economic mechanisms of different types of CT measures. A vast array of empirical studies and regularities are also presented. Some chapters discuss in depth the empirical results in the literature as well as the underlying statistical/econometric methodologies that go beyond ordinary regression. General Appendix A provides an exposition of the concept of compensating surplus and elements of the basic game theory, to help the reader with an economics background recapitulate micro theory concepts used in the book. General Appendix B lays out the notions of hypothesis testing, regression and more advanced statistical/econometric methods, so that the reader understands or at least can have an intuitive idea of how the results are derived and what they mean with some degree of inner comfort. Aimed at students at the intermediate undergraduate and graduate levels, the text requires knowledge of basic micro, first-order conditions of profit or utility maximization and cost minimization, and statistical concepts of hypothesis testing and regression. This textbook is intended for use in courses in economics, political science, criminal justice, and emergency management. Additionally, professionals working with national security in government and non-governmental organizations may find it useful.

First book to look at the issue of extreme-right activists returning from fighting in Ukraine Topical issue amid concerns about right-wing violence Important reading for scholars of terrorism, peace and conflict studies, and right-wing extremism

Film and terrorism go back a long way. The very birth of cinema in the 1890s coincided with an early golden age of terrorism, as bomb-throwing anarchists and nationalists captured headlines in countries as far apart as France and India. "Cinematic Terror" provides the first history of cinema's depiction of terrorism from the early 1900s to the present day. It looks at how cinema has been the site of conflict between filmmakers and terrorists for over a century and identifies important trends in the ways that film industries in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East have framed terrorism. From the birth of moving pictures to the internet age, the author explains how filmmakers from around the world have depicted terrorists, have made money and propaganda out of terrorism, and have died at the hands of terrorists. Professor Shaw shows that for over a century, cinema has had a profound impact on peoples' understanding of terrorism.

Dabashi's newest book is a meditation on suicidal violence in the immediate context of its most recent political surge and a critical examination of the radical transformation of the human body, supported by close readings of cinematic and artistic evidence.

This book is concerned with the role that communication - understood as including both the factual and fictional mass media as well as the performative and visual arts - can play in post-civil war peacebuilding. It engages with questions of how a society can move from the civil war conditions of discursive dehumanisation to peaceful cooperation in post-civil war settings and how peacebuilders can help communities utilise the transformative capacity of communication to encourage the reimagining of and engagement with former enemies as co-citizens. Ultimately, civil and peaceful cooperation depends on the observance of discursive civility and the building of safe discursive spaces in which civil engagement between different groups of society (including former combatants and survivors) can safely take place. This book argues that understanding communicative peacebuilding in this way is fundamental to the achievement of self-sustainable everyday peace.

Terrorism: Commentary on Security Documents is a series that provides primary source documents and expert commentary on various topics relating to the worldwide effort to combat terrorism, as well as efforts by the United States and other nations to protect their national security interests. Volume 144, Autonomous and Semiautonomous Weapons Systems, examines the impact of robots and autonomous and semiautonomous weapons systems on the waging of modern warfare. It considers the likely effects of emerging technological innovations in this area from both a political and strategic standpoint, in addition to considering the implications of such technologies within the context of the law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law. This volume is divided into three sections: (1) U.S. policy and approaches to the use of autonomous and semiautonomous weapons systems; (2) U.S. armed forces use of such weapons systems; and (3) potential terrorist use of such weapons systems. Official policy documents from the DoD and the U.S. Army and Air Force are complemented by reports from the Strategic Studies Institute/Army War College Press and other U.S. military sources.

After a coup in 1964 that ousted Brazil's leftist President João Goulart from power, a brutal military dictatorship took the reins of the state. As a result, elements of the persecuted Brazilian Communist Party split from a more peaceful, orthodox line and declared their intent to wage an insurgent war against the government, plunging the country into a conflagration of violence marked by cycles of urban bombings, political assassinations, institutional torture, kidnappings, and summary executions. Concrete Inferno relays this period in Brazil in a lucid narrative history, exploring what drove the military coup of 1964, the subsequent rise of the Armed Left, and the successes and failures of the insurgency and how it concluded. Stretching from the rumblings of discontent during João Goulart's ascendancy in 1961 to the strange conclusion of the dictatorship in 1985, the book draws on new primary sources and a wealth of English- and Portuguese-language resources to provide a complete and evenhanded portrait of the conflict.

Former political officer for the Nicaraguan Resistance (the contras), Rogelio Pardo-Maurer shares his experiences of the factional dynamics of that group in this provocative new study. Providing an historical account of internal politics in the Resistance, Pardo-Maurer analyzes the principle factions or issues of contention, devoting special attention to the influence of the U.S. political process on Resistance policy. The book provides an intriguing inside look at one of the most controversial resistance movements of the 20th century. Pardo-Maurer follows the internal dynamics of the contras from the exposure of Oliver North to the signing of the ceasefire at Sapoa, the period in which he served as political assistant to the representative of the Resistance in Washington, DC.

Most recent works about the efforts of local communities caught up in a civil war have focused on their efforts to remain places of security and safety from the violence that surrounds them-neutral peace communities or zones. This book, in contrast, focuses on local peace communities facing new challenges and opportunities once a peace agreement has been signed at the national level, such as those in South Africa, the Philippines, Burundi, East Timor, Sierra Leone, and the present peace process in Colombia between the FARC and the Colombian Government. The communities' task is to make a stable and durable peace in the aftermath of a violent civil war and a deal on which local people have usually had little or no influence. Such agreements seek to involve them in both short and longer term peace-building, and expect local communities to cope with problems of armed ex-combatants, IDPs and refugees, law and order in the absence of much state presence, high unemployment and the need for widespread and massive reconstruction of physical infrastructure damaged or destroyed during the war. How local communities have coped with the demands of "peace" is thus the theme that runs through each of these individual chapters, written by authors with direct experience of grassroots communities struggling with such "problems of peace."

'Punctuated by the stories of a host of interesting and extraordinary characters, Crossland has produced a fascinating exploration of the long nineteenth century's development of terrorism and counterterrorism, highlighting the role of fear and the paranoia, repression, and overreaction it engendered.' Michael Stohl, Professor at the University of California Author of Crime and Terrorism 'By applying an innovative historical lens, The Rise of the Devils by James Crossland offers a remarkable perspective on the history of terrorism that is not overdetermined by the events of 9/11 and explores a "violent strain of nihilism intoxicated by a whiff of martyrdom." The book reads like the prequel to the "National Treasure" movie franchise and offers a completely unique understanding of Terrorism's First Wave.' Mia Bloom, Georgia State University Author of Dying to Kill: the Allure of Suicide Terror In the dying light of the nineteenth century, the world came to know and fear terrorism. Much like today, this was a time of progress and dread, in which breakthroughs in communications and weapons were made, political reforms were implemented and immigration waves bolstered the populations of ever-expanding cities. This era also simmered with political rage and social inequalities, which drove nationalists, nihilists, anarchists and republicans to dynamite cities and discharge pistols into the bodies of presidents, police chiefs and emperors. This wave of terrorism was seized upon by an outrage-hungry press that peddled hysteria, conspiracy theories and, sometimes, fake news in response, convincing many a reader that they were living through the end of days. Against the backdrop of this world of fear and disorder, The rise of devils chronicles the journeys of the men and women who evoked this panic and created modern terrorism - revolutionary philosophers, cult leaders, criminals and charlatans, as well as the paranoid police chiefs and unscrupulous spies who tried to thwart them. In doing so, this book explains how radicals once thought just in their causes became, as Pope Pius IX denounced them, little more than 'devils risen up from Hell'. -- .

This is the first comprehensive discussion of all the main philosophical issues raised by terrorism against the background of its past and recent developments. Prominent philosophers discuss definitions of terrorism, approaches to its moral evaluation, and the contentious subject of state terrorism. Also included are four case studies, showing how the concepts and arguments philosophers deploy in discussing violence, war and terrorism apply to particular instances of both insurgent and state terrorism, ranging from World War II to September 11, 2001.

This book explores how ordinary Arab-speaking social media users have reacted to propaganda from the Islamic State, rather than how IS propaganda has targeted ordinary users, thus providing a change in perspective in the literature. The authors provide a comprehensive account of the evolution of the Arabic discourse on IS, encompassing all phases of the Caliphate's political evolution, from the apogee of the Islamic State in October 2014 to the loss of its unofficial capital of Raqqa in September 2017. Taking into account key events, the book also considers the most recurrent topics for IS and its opponents who engage in the Twitter conversation. The analysis is based on around 29 million tweets written in the Arabic language, representing a random sample of around one-third of all Arabic tweets referring to IS over the 2014-2017 timeframe.

This book analyses the reasons for women's participation in the various Lebanese and Palestinian militias involved in the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990). Whilst most existing accounts of the Civil War in Lebanon either overlook the roles and experiences of women entirely or focus on women as victims or peacemakers only, 'Women and the Lebanese Civil War' highlights that women were involved as militants (and often also as fighters) in all of the militias partaking in the war. Analysing individual motivations, organisational characteristics, security-related aspects and societal factors, the book explains why women were included as fighters in some of the militias but not in others. Based on extensive fieldwork in Lebanon, the book is the first comprehensive study of female perpetrators and supporters of political violence during the Lebanese Civil War. Beyond the case of Lebanon, it questions widespread assumptions about the roles of women at times of violent conflict and war.

Challenging the standard paradigm of terrorism research through the use of Norbert Elias's figurational sociology, Michael Dunning explores the development of terrorism in Britain over the past two centuries, focusing on long-term processes and shifting power dynamics. In so doing, he demonstrates that terrorism as a concept and designation is entwined with its antithesis, civilization. A range of process sociological concepts are deployed to tease out the sociogenesis of terrorism as part of Britain's relationships with France, Ireland, Germany, the Soviet Union, the industrial working classes, its colonies, and, most recently, jihadism. In keeping with the figurational tradition, Dunning examines the relationships between broad, macro-level processes and processes at the level of individual psyches, showing that terrorism is not merely a 'thing' done to a group, but part of a complex web of interdependent relations.

Featuring a unique overview of the different forms of extreme violence, this book considers the psychology of extreme violence alongside a variety of contributing factors, such as brain abnormalities in homicide offenders. Featuring several contemporary real-world case studies, this book offers insight into the psychology of serial homicide offenders, mass shooters, school shooters and lone-actor terrorists. The main purpose of this book is not to glorify or condemn the actions of these individuals, but to attempt to explain the motivations and circumstances that inspire such acts of extreme violence. By adopting a detailed case study approach, it aims to increase our understanding of the specific motivations and psychological factors underlying extreme violence. Using nontechnical language, this book is the ideal companion for students, researchers, and forensic practitioners interested in the multidisciplinary nature of extreme violence. This book will also be of interest to students taking courses on homicide, mass shooting, school shooting, terrorism, forensic psychology and criminology and criminal justice.

"Using a transnational approach, this volume surveys the origins of Irish terrorism and its impact on the Anglo-Saxon community during an era of intense imperialism. While at times it posed sharp disagreements between Britain and the United States, their ideological repulsion to terrorism later led to cooperation in counter-terrorism strategies"--Provided by publisher.

The study of violent extremism in the wake of ISIS has largely been devoted to the process of radicalization and strategies to counter and de-radicalize extremists. However, little has been written on the subject of Diversion - early, upstream interventions aimed at deflecting individuals from a pathway of radicalization. This volume addresses this gap in scholarship by analysing the Diversion strategies being deployed worldwide, aimed at diverting or deflecting individuals, and communities, from the path of radicalization. These include Diversion methods used among social workers, teachers, counselors and the police both in relation to individuals and communities. Case studies range across the Global North and South, presented by both academic and practitioner contributors, and address different branches of radicalization, the variety of strategies used as Diversion, and the results of these interventions.

The battle is for a city. The war is for history. In autumn 2016, Iraqi forces began operations to recapture Mosul from the Islamic State. Millennia-old, Mosul was a birthplace of Western culture but also infamous for its cruelty, from the Assyrians to Saddam Hussein. Through the eyes of soldiers and families and jihadis, award-winning reporter James Verini chronicles the combat that followed. Among the most devastating urban conflicts since World War II, the battle for Mosul was both archaic and modern. Troops and jihadis fought house by house, block by block, matching bullet for bullet, while co-ordinating their movements on WhatsApp and uploading execution videos. Verini describes how this viciously contested patch of earth came to represent a war for the soul of a country, for its history and its future.