Voices Of Terror: Manifestos, Writings and Manuals of Al Qaeda, Hamas, and other Terrorists from around the World and Throughout the Ages

Rating:
Summary: If you want to know what we are up against...
Review: "Voices of Terror" is an important book. It does not have a narrative, simply some introductory and explanatory text to tie things together as it is simply a reference for those who wish to study the history, present state and future of terrorism. Assembled by Walter Laquer, who has a long background as a security and foreign policy, an expert with a deep knowledge of the Middle East, it is a well researched and selective compendium of written texts and manifestos that have justified and advanced the cause of political assassination and terrorism. First of all, Laquer correctly criticizes the use of the phrase "War on Terror" as he like others reminds us that terror is a means, a strategy that different groups with different agendas use, but it is not an ideology. Perhaps the Bush Administration is hesitant about declaring war on "Islamic Radicalism" or "Islamic Terror." The series of documents begin in the classical era with the justifications for tyrannicide and then move into the Enlightenment and era of the early political revolutions with writings from France and then 19th century radical tracts from Russia, there is then a section on 20th century terror with manifestoes from the Irish Republican movement, the Palestinian terrorists, our home grown Weather Underground and Europe's Red Army Faction, both of whom resorted to terror. Laquer includes interpretations of terrorism from Goldman, Marx, Lenin and Trotsky. Part Two is a series of four sections devoted to guerrilla war from the 19th century to the present day. The final component of the book, Part Three, is devoted to the "Origins of 21st Century Terrorism" and it includes the religious justifications from many of the major Islamic intellectuals who have written in an effort to normalize the use of terrorism. Unfortunately, they have succeeded all too well. The final section of Part Three is another series of manifestoes from groups as disparate as the Tamil Tigers, The Red Brigade and Jemaah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia. This book is truly vital reading as it is important to realize that there is an ideology behind those who stalk innocent men, women and children in New York, in Spain or Iraq. There has to be elaborate justifications to convince so many to commit he most heinous murders - and there are. To know what type of threat we face, we must understand what motivates those who threaten us and "Voices of Terror" is a stark look into the heart of the terrorist movements.
Jeffrey Morseburg