The new face of terrorism

the long version

"The end of the Cold War saw the end of the enemy 'out there' as the greatest security threat and its replacement by the 'enemy within' - the increased threat from international terrorism and the new menace from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons - a threat of extreme urgency. High profile terrorist attacks are nothing new and fear of indiscriminate slaughter by weapons of mass destruction is balanced by the argument that such mass violence could harm the cause of radical groups by forfeiting public support, stiffening government resolve and encouraging international co-operation. But the apocalyptic vision of attack by 'Super Terrorism' or 'Catastrophic Terrorism', with NBC weapons failing into the hands of smaller states freed from hegemonic control by Cold War superpowers or, even more alarming, of tiny and fanatical groups, haunts governments worldwide." "This timely book examines actions by Aum Shinrikyo and similar groups as well as the activities of individuals such as Timothy McVeigh and Usamah bin-Laden, exploring the debate raging in the USA, Europe, Japan and Russia. The authors argue convincingly that it is foolish and counterproductive to exaggerate the threat but that it is vital for governments and security agencies to maintain extreme vigilance in the face of a possible doomsday disaster."--Jacket.