THE TERRORISM READER Edited by David J. Whitaker           George W. Bush is right when he proclaims that terrorism is a world-wide phenomenon and that the war against terrorism is not going to be won anytime soon.           Until 9-11 most Americans thought of terrorism as something that happened in foreign places. Even though we have had the first Trade Tower bombing and the Oklahoma bombing on our shores, we were not much worried about terrorism.           Since then it has become a primary concern. We went to “war” in Afghanistan to combat an assumed source of terrorism against America.           “The Terrorism Reader” provides information about the nature and scope of terrorism in the world that we all should read.            As a nation that has funded and trained terrorists for reasons of national interest, we cannot claim innocence with regard to the matter. One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist. Guerilla war-fare, as fought in Vietnam and other places even before that, looks a great deal like terrorism. Most definitions of terrorism describe it as an attack against people. Sometimes it is kidnapping, assassination, mass destruction of lives. It is usually unexpected and designed to create terror. The Whitaker book has an extended section devoted to describing and defining terrorism.           Motivation is not always apparent. More often than not there is a political quotient. The goal is usually to influence some political change. Religion and ideology are motivating forces. Certain personality types of individuals tend to be drawn into terrorist activities. “Individuals become terrorists in order to join terrorist groups and commit acts of terrorism.” That’s one idea. Another is “A terrorist group needs to commit acts of terrorism in order to justify its existence.”  So there is an individual psychological quotient beyond politics, religion and ideology.           It is chilling to note the extent of terrorism in the world. There are at least 44 major terrorist groups operating in 25 different countries. Some of the states that actively sponsor terrorism include Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan and Syria. We note the absence of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine and Somalia, just to name a few.            The book provides case studies of terrorist activity and attempts to deal with it in twelve different countries; Lebanon, Libya, Sri Lanka, Northern Ireland, Argentina, Spain, Algeria, Peru, Columbia, Germany, Italy and South Africa. Each case has its own complexities. There are often long term religious, ethnic and political differences. At some point protest turned to violence. When direct attack was not possible a terrorist approach was developed. Talk turned to violence.           The book points out the difficulty in telling the difference between an act of anarchy and terrorist activity and an act of war. Are participants criminals or are they military enemies? It is not an easy question. Our government is engage in anti-terrorist activity that we call “war.” But the “war” is not against any nation. In fact, it is an undeclared “war.” As “enemies” are captured they are not considered prisoners of war, but as “criminals.” The problem is difficult.           At any rate, if anyone seeks a general survey of terrorism, this “Reader” can be an eye-opener. The book was edited and published by Routledge Press in 2001, but before the Trade Towers event. Therefore it lacks the extent to which terrorist cells have penetrated the United States and the extent to which America has been drawn into the struggle against terrorism in the world.          — Art Morgan, January 2002