This annotated collection of primary documents and illustrations chronicles the rise of global terrorism and the U.S. response This documentary history examines the roots of global terrorism and its current state. The work's 70 documents range from the 1950s to 2004, and are drawn from terrorist training guides, recently declassified CIA reports, archival materials, excerpts from the 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 globally. Other material illustrates political and ethnic terrorism, terrorism's role in the Cold War, and its longstanding significance in the Middle East. Every document is followed by detailed analyses and exhaustive print and online bibliographies and is prefaced by annotations indicating the document's source, date issued, where issued, and importance. The work includes an overview foreword from James K. Kallstrom, Special Advisor on counter-terrorism to New York Governor Pataki. Other features include: 65 photographs, over 50 sidebars, and a comprehensive bibliography that includes video and internet resources.
Subjects include: Ronald Reagan's famous "one man's terrorist" quip - the Weathermen's Vietnam-war era call to revolution and violence in America - ecoterrorism attacks in the Pacific Northwest - presidential archive material on Yasser Arafat - new translations of Islamist Sayyid Qutb's anti-American attacks that inspired Osama bin Laden - Hezbollah's "identity and goals" - al Qaeda's secret terrorism manual - the 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 claim of responsibility for the 2004 Madrid train bombings - diverse perspectives on the ongoing "war on terrorism", and much more.. Includes many hard-to-find or newly released primary documents. Covers a topic of very high interest. Takes an interactive approach, with many photos and sidebars.