Debating Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Conflicting Perspectives on Causes, Contexts, and Responses

This innovative text, now in its third edition, focuses students on engaging and informative debates on the most crucial issues in the field of terrorism and counterterrorism. Leading scholars, practitioners, and think-tank experts provide original essays that juxtapose pro and con arguments on hotly contested topics of clear importance to the understanding of the past, present, and future of terrorism and counterterrorism. These include: disagreements over the evolving nature of terrorist organizations, whether terrorism is ever justified, the role of poverty as a root cause of terrorism, whether militant jihadism or far-right extremism poses the greater terror threat, the likelihood of nuclear terrorism, whether military or non-military solutions should lead counterterrorism efforts, the utility of international organizations in helping to combat terrorism, and whether trade-offs with civil liberties are necessary to protect national security in an age of mass-casualty terrorism.

The book's editor frames all twelve debate chapters (six each for terrorism and counterterrorism) with incisive headnotes providing historical context and highlighting the critical stakes involved for each topic. By the book's end, readers will have a sophisticated grasp of the terrorism challenges, conundrums, and counter-options being considered and contested in academic departments and policy circles in the United States and around the world.