Abstract
International terrorism and contemporary domestic and international counter-terrorism strategies trigger questions as to whether the prevailing attitude towards terrorism has changed. Laws, Outlaws and Terrorists: Lessons from the War on Terrorism offers a comprehensive and timely analysis of how law, policy and morality should shape counter-terrorism practice in order to protect security and liberty. By reference to the US counter-terrorism measures employed since September 2001, the authors present the lessons learned from the war on terrorism and argue for the development of a counter-terrorism model that is distinct from the war and peace paradigms against contemporary terrorism threats.
The first part of the book focuses on the relationship between counter-terrorism and law and argues for adherence to both domestic and international legal rules in the struggle against terrorism. The final section of Part I is most interesting, dealing with a topic that has been widely overlooked, that is, the role of legal counsel to the executive in the context of the war on terror. Drawing upon the issues covered in Part I, the second part addresses the implications of coercive and non-coercive measures such as targeted killing, detention and interrogation and provides an insight into the lessons learned from the use of such counter-terrorism measures. In the final part of the book, the authors manage to challenge the traditional absolute view of non-negotiation with terrorists and they offer some creative suggestions in order to reduce moral support for terrorism.
The book is written in a comprehensive and exceptionally accessible manner and will be essential reading for those specialising in the field of terrorism and counter-terrorism. It casts light on some of the most difficult and controversial questions on counter-terrorism and encourages those engaged with the topic to reconsider whether a rebalancing exercise is necessary in order to deal with the terrorism threat successfully. The book is innovative in calling for a reappraisal of the non-negotiation with terrorism policy, and it stands apart from the available literature on terrorism that has been published in recent years. A further distinctive feature of the book is that it is not limited to a traditional legal analysis of the application of domestic and international legal rules to the fight against terrorism. The authors manage not only to shed ample light on the lessons learned from the war on terrorism, but also to contribute to the search for a counter-terrorism strategy that respects the rule of law and democratic values.