The tragic events of September 11 have made too clear the risk Americans face in the world of international terrorism. In this critical study, a career CIA officer provides a guide to constructing and executing counterterrorist policy, urging that it function as an integral part of broader U.S. foreign policy. Pillar explains why the United States is a prime terrorist target, the degree to which it can become less of one, and weighs the efficacy of the counterterrorist instruments available to it.
Paul Pillar , who spent 28 years in the U.S. intelligence community, is now a visiting professor at Georgetown University.
"The book's strength is its nuanced sense of how Washington's counterterrorism policy actually works, day in and day out." -Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 10/3/2001 |"Paul Pillar, a career Central Intelligence Agency officer and former deputy director of its Counterterrorist Center, provides a guide to constructing and executing effective counterterrorist policy. The author offers a valuable overview of the dimensions" -Joshua Sinai, Washington Times, 10/3/2001 |"Provides hard realizations about the moral compromises that will be required in this new struggle." -Robert D. Kaplan, Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, New York Times Book Review, 10/11/2001 |"If you want to better understand the political context in which the war on terrorism will be fought, then Pillar's is the book to read." -Mitchell G. Bard, Executive Director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, Middle East Insight, 1/1/2002 |"An excellent new book on terrorism..." -Sebastian Mallaby, WashingtonPost.com, 9/24/2001 |"Paul Pillar... is one of the best-qualified U.S. writers on the subject of terrorism, and this is an excellent book.... this is a knowledgeable, clearly written, and comprehensive explanation of U.S. responses to terrorism.... Pillar's book is the best single source for balanced treatment of the advantages and disadvantages of counterterrorist tools available to the United States." -Audrey Kurth Cronin, Georgetown University, Perspectives on Political Science, 1/1/2002 |"By far the best volume for a broad understanding of American responses to terrorism.... It presents a nuanced, sophisticated, and timely discussion of the range of options available to the United States, placed firmly in the context of competing and overarching foreign policy goals.... This sort of balanced, informed discussion is a much needed antidote to the recent spate of alarmist publications in the field, which unwittingly support the main goal of most terrorists." -Audrey Kurth Cronin, Georgetown University, Joint Force Quarterly, 10/1/2001 |"[interview with Paul Pillar]" -Steve Hirsch, The National Journal, 1/26/2002 |"His arguments are logical and thoroughly supported by the evidence. Happily, the book does not rely on speculative future scenarios but on analysis of the facts.... anyone interested in contemporary terrorism would profit by reading it.... It consititutes an essential source of information and analysis." -Martha Crenshaw, Wesleyan University, Terrorism and Political Violence, 7/1/2001 |"[A] careful, well-balanced account of combating terrorism." -David Tucker, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, Book Review (?) |"Timely, wise, and restrained..." - Future Survey, 11/1/2001 |"In a timely and important work, Paul R. Pillar provides exactly what its refreshingly straightforward title promises-- a comprehensive, scholarly, well-organized and cogently written study of global terrorism as it relates to the practice of U.S. relations with the rest of the world.... The level of detail along with the breadth and depth of the sources insure its value to academics and seasoned practitioners alike.... 9-11 did not contradict, but instead confirmed the book's main arguments." -David W. Thornton, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, American Diplomacy, 9/30/2002 |"A welcome addition to a literature predominately focused on the nature, ideology, tactics, and motivations of terrorist groups.... The world has shifted dramatically as a consequence of September 11. 'Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy' is a useful springboard for exploring this new environment." -Paul D. Hoyt, International Politics, 12/1/2002
