Targeted Killing: Self-Defense, Preemption, and the War on Terrorism
Hunter's Targeted Killing is a brief treatise on the concept of "targeted killing" and how it fits into foreign-policy strategy. Weighing in at just over 100 pages, Hunter's book reads much like an advanced paper on foreign policy from a think tank or a professional journal. That's partly because the author has written for professional foreign-policy journals, and has been a foreign-policy professional as an intelligence analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency. He also holds a master's degree in "unconventional warfare" from the American Military University. It's also partly due to Hunter's objective, which is to write about a potentially divisive topic in a dispassionate, informative manner. The author does not judge his topic emotionally, but as a practical tool in terms of foreign-policy strategy. Targeted killing, as Hunter defines it, is a "purely defensive act," and more specifically, "the premeditated, preemptive, and intentional killing of an individual or individuals known or believed to represent a present and/or future threat to the safety and security of a state through affiliation with terrorist groups or individuals." Hunter differentiates this from assassination, which he defines as more of a political act. The author cites examples from Britain, Israel, and elsewhere in the Middle East of successful and unsuccessful accounts of targeted killing. He concludes is that it's effective in a tactical and operational sense, but limited in terms of overall strategy, with risks political and practical. It may slow down a terrorist organization, for example, but also allows them to use the killing as a recruiting tool. It may also isolate a state politically. Hunter lays out his case in a fairly simple, straightforward manner, although his academic language is not necessarily aimed at the casual reader. As such, by nature of its subject and execution, it lacks mass appeal. Clear and concise analysis presented in practical, dispassionate terms.  --Kirkus Discoveries Review