Terrorism
Authors: Peterson Kate , Burns Vincent 
Published: June 2024

Examining the roots of global terrorism and its current state,Terrorism: A Documentary and Reference Guideincludes over 70 documents that illustrate political and ethnic terrorism, terrorism's role in the Cold War, and its significance in Middle East violence. Much of the material relates to the lead-up to the September 11 attacks and its aftermath, and each annotated document is followed by detailed analyses along with exhaustive print and online bibliographies. Other features in this must-have sourcebook on modern terrorism include 65 photographs, 50+ sidebars, and a comprehensive bibliography that includes video and Internet resources.

This documentary history examines the roots of global terrorism and its current state. Documents range from the 1950s through 2004, and are drawn from terrorist training guides, recently declassified CIA reports, archival materials, excerpts from the U.S. PATRIOT Act, and suicide bombers' final letters. Much of the material relates to the lead-up to the September 11 attacks and their ongoing aftermath both in the United States and among its enemies. Other material illustrates political and ethnic terrorism, terrorism's role in the Cold War, and, finally, its longstanding significance to the history of violence in the Middle East. Every document is followed by detailed analyses and exhaustive print and online bibliographies and prefaced by annotations indicating the document's source, date issued, where issued, and importance. Besides the documents, the work includes an overview foreword from James K. Kallstrom, Special Advisor to Governor Pataki on Counter-Terrorism and former Assistant Director of the New York Office of the FBI. Other features in this must-have sourcebook on modern terrorism and the al Qaeda threat: 65 photographs, 50+ sidebars, and a comprehensive bibliography that includes video and Internet resources.

The work's 70 documents range from the rise of anti-American Islam to the Oklahoma City tragedy, and from the problem of defining terrorism to the U.S. PATRIOT Act. Subjects include: —Ronald Reagan's famous one man's terrorist quip —the Weatherman's Vietnam-war era call to revolution and violence in America —ecoterrorism attacks in the Pacific Northwest —presidential archive material on Yassir Arafat —fresh translations of Islamist Sayyid Qutb's bitter anti-American attacks (that inspired Osama bin Laden) —Hezbollah's identity and goals —al Qaeda's secret terrorism manual —CIA's secret 1996 assessment of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda —bin Laden's fatwa calling on supporters to kill the Americans —Mohamed Atta's final instructions to fellow 9/11 hijackers —FBI and CIA assessments of their 9/11 failures —9/11 Commission testimony and reports —PATRIOT Act legislation and the response from the American Library Association —Office of Homeland Security reforms, budgets, and legislation —Hezbollah's response to 9/11 —al Qaeda's grisly claim of responsibility for the 2004 Madrid train bombings that altered Spain's national elections —diverse perspectives from pundits and policymakers on the ongoing war on terrorism —and much more.