In This Review
The Politics Of Terrorism: Terror As A State And Revolutionary Strategy

The Politics Of Terrorism: Terror As A State And Revolutionary Strategy

Edited by Barry Rubin

Johns Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute, 1990, 250 pp.
The Politics Of Counterterrorism

The Politics Of Counterterrorism

Edited by Barry Rubin

Johns Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute, 1990, 222 pp.
Terrorism And The Media: Dilemmas For Government, Journalists And The Public

Terrorism And The Media: Dilemmas For Government, Journalists And The Public

Edited by Yonah Alexander and Richard Latter

Brassey's, 1990, 147 pp.

Most books on international terrorism are collections of essays of uneven quality, and these works are no exception. The first two books are intended as companion volumes. The first has some thoughtful essays on terrorism in a number of nations, some of which, like Egypt and Peru, have been little analyzed. The work on counterterrorism examines the experience of democratic nations such as France, Italy, Japan and the United States, and shows how they have been able-not without difficulty-to overcome domestic obstacles to effective strategies for dealing with terrorists. The third volume does a fine job of outlining some of the dilemmas that coverage of terrorism can present for the media. Can news reports and coverage-the very things terrorists seek-actually encourage such incidents? And where is the dividing line in delicate situations between self-censorship and the responsibility of the press to keep the public informed?

More: