The New Terrorism : Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction

Recent attacks in Oklahoma City, at the World Trade Towers, and at American embassies in Africa demonstrate the consequences of a terrorist strike. But as technological advances make weapons of mass destruction ever easier to acquire, a revolution is occurring in the very nature of terrorism. In this book Walter Laqueur, one of the foremost experts on terrorism and international strategic affairs, recounts the history of terrorism and examines the future of terrorist activity worldwide. Laqueur traces the trend away from terrorism perpetrated by groups of oppressed nationalists and radicals seeking political change to small clusters of fanatics bent on vengeance and simple destruction. Coinciding with this trend is the alarming availability of weapons of mass destruction. Chemical and biological weapons are cheap and relatively easy to make or buy and even nuclear devices are increasingly feasible options for terrorists. With the information age, "cyber-terrorism" may be just around the corner.