Difference between revisions of "Terrorism Expertise Portal"

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This is the portal for pages on terrorism expertse and terrorology.   
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This is the portal for pages on terrorism expertse and terrorology.  It links to a wide range of organisations, think tanks, academic research institutes and front groups which help to shape the views of the public, policy makers and elites on 'terrorism' and political violence.  This section is closely linked to [[Middle East Watch]], which focuses on Israel/Palestine and Iraq.
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==What is 'terrorology'?==
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As CAMPACC puts it: 'Academic terrorism 'experts' - or terrorologists - are deeply embedded in the elite power structure. They conveniently blur distinctions between political dissent, resistance to oppressive regimes, and violent threats to populations. These experts advise governments on counter-terrorism, thus sanitising Western state terror as legitimate techniques for self-defence. Where did these terrorologists come from? How do they gain influence and credibility? How can they be countered?'<ref>Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC), 'Embedded Experts in the 'War on Terror' [http://www.campacc.org.uk/embedded.htm http://www.campacc.org.uk/embedded.htm]</ref>
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According to journalist [[Kevin Toolis]]
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:'Throughout academia, the study of terrorism is booming. But in reality... these "experts" represent an ideology that has its roots in the cold war and in Israeli conservatism'<ref>Kevin Toolis, [http://www.newstatesman.com/200406140015 Rise of the terrorist professors], New Statesman, 14 June 2004.  (Accessed: 9 October 2007)</ref>
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:'A new field of "terrorology" emerged, with its own journals, conferences, and research institutes. This popular and scholarly literature informed the discourse of the first American "war on terrorism" during the mid-1980s.Middle East Studies Association members, to our everlasting shame according to some pundits, did not participate much in the scholarly field of terrorology. In my view, there was great wisdom in this abstention. The terrorologists have not accomplished a great deal of practical or intellectual significance. Their studies have not noticeably decreased the incidence of acts of violence against civilians throughout the world. Nor have they enhanced our understanding of the causes of such acts. What they have done is to focus attention on tactics and symptoms, thereby impeding investigation into historical and social causes. This is an ostensibly pragmatic, but fundamentally misguided, approach to understanding terrorism. If the term is to be understood in any useful rather than propagandistic way, terrorism must be regarded as a social and historical phenomenon, not a moral or political epithet.<ref>Joel Beinin (MESA President), [http://fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/Bulletin/Pres%20Addresses/Beinin.htm Middle East Studies After September 11], 2002 MESA Presidential Address, 2002 Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Summer 2003)</ref>.
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As part of the process of sanitising Western state terror as a legitimate technique for self-defence, senior officials and analysts have attempted to legitimise the use of torture among detainees in the "War on Terror".  Listed [http://www.spinwatch.org/profiles/index.php/Terrorology_and_political_violence#Legitimisation_of_the_use_of_torture below] are a number of documents that relate to these efforts to legitimise torture, as well as documents which critique this.
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==Alphabetical list of Terrorology groups==
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*[[Brunel Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies]]
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*[[Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence]]
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*[[Control Risks Group]]
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*[[Global Risk Strategies]]
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*[[International Crisis Group]]
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*[[Janusian Security Risk Management Limited]]
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*[[Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs]]
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*[[MPRI]] 
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*[[Risk Advisory Group]]
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*[[Risk Management Solutions]]
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*[[Rand Corporation]]
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*[[Safe Democracy Foundation]]
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*[[SITE Institute]]
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*[[Titan Corporation]]
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==Key terrorologist authors and their books==
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*[[Robert Baer]] ''Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude'', 2003
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*[[Arnaud de Borchgrave]] and [[Robert Moss]] ''[[The Spike]]'' (fiction), 1980.
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*[[Richard Clutterbuck]]
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*[[Anthony H. Cordesman]] ''Peace and War: Israel versus the Palestinians - A Second Intifada?'', [[Centre for Strategic and International Studies]], 2000
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*[[Martha Crenshaw]] - Professor of Government, Wesleyan University
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*[[Brian Crozier]]
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*[[Alan M. Dershowitz]] ''Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge'', 2002
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*[[Robin Evelegh]]
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*[[Brian Jenkins]], Senior Consultant to President of [[RAND Corporation]], Santa Monica
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*[[Anthony Glees]]
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*[[Rohan Gunaratna]]
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*[[Jeane Kirkpatrick]] ''Dictatorships and Double Standards'', 1982
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*[[Frank Kitson]]
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*[[Evan Kohlman]]
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*[[Robert Kupperman]]
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*[[Walter Laqueur]] Terrorism, 1977; The Age of Terrorism, 1987
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*[[Benjamin Netanyahu]], diplomat and future Israeli Minister, Terrorism: How the West Can Win, 1986)
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*[[Chris Pope]]
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*[[Magnus Ranstorp]], [[Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence]]
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*[[Alex P. Schmid]] - Erasmus University & UN Terrorism Prevention Branch
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*[[Claire Sterling]] The Terror Network, 1981
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*[[Kevin Toolis]] "an acknowledged terrorism expert and has studied and reported on conflicts in Africa, Ireland and the Middle East"<ref>[http://www.manyriversfilms.co.uk/about.htm About Many Rivers Films] (Accessed: 9 October 2007)</ref>
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*[[Maurice Tugwell]]
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*[[Paul Wilkinson]] Terrorism and the Liberal State, 1977; Terrorism: Theory and Practice, 1979
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==References and Resources==
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===Resources===
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*Edward Herman and Gerry O'Sullivan [[The "Terrorism" Industry: The Private Sector, Institutes, Think Tanks and Lobbying Organisations]], New York: Pantheon, 1989. Reproduced with permission of Ed Herman.
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*Edward Herman and Gerry O'Sullivan [[The "Terrorism" Industry: The Experts]], New York: Pantheon, 1989. Reproduced with permission of Ed Herman.
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===External links on Terrorology===
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*Abraham, Nabeel, [http://www.corkpsc.org/db.php?aid=2783 The Running Dogs Of Terrorology], ''Lies Of Our Times'', May 1993, pp. 6-8.
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*Jonny Burnett and Dave Whyte 'Embedded Expertise and the New Terrorism' Journal for Crime, conflict and Media culture, 2004 [http://www.jc2m.co.uk/Issue4/Burnett&Whyte.pdf]
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*Chomsky, N. 'International Terrorism: Image and Reality' In Alexander George (ed.), ''Western State Terrorism'', Polity, 1991. [http://www.chomsky.info/articles/199112--02.htm http://www.chomsky.info/articles/199112--02.htm]
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*Herman, Edward S. [http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Herman%20/RealTerrorNetwork_EH.html The Real Terror Network], excerpted from the book, published in 1982 by South End Press.
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*McClintock, Michael [http://www.statecraft.org/index.html Instruments of Statecraft: US Guerilla Warfare, Counterinsurgency, and counterterrorism, 1940-1990], New York: Pantheon Books.
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*Toolis, K. [http://www.newstatesman.com/Ideas/200406140015 'Rise of the terrorist professors'], ''New Statesman'', 14 June 2004.
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*James Petras, [http://www.counterpunch.org/petras08072004.html The Anatomy of "Terror Experts"], ''Counterpunch'', 7 August 2004.
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There are a list of categories associated with this page:
 
There are a list of categories associated with this page:
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*[[Terrorexpertise:Israeli Media List]]
 
*[[Terrorexpertise:Israeli Media List]]
 
*[[Terrorexpertise:Australian Media List]]
 
*[[Terrorexpertise:Australian Media List]]
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===References===
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<references/>
 
[[Category:Terrorexpertise]]
 
[[Category:Terrorexpertise]]

Revision as of 15:13, 2 January 2008

This is the portal for pages on terrorism expertse and terrorology. It links to a wide range of organisations, think tanks, academic research institutes and front groups which help to shape the views of the public, policy makers and elites on 'terrorism' and political violence. This section is closely linked to Middle East Watch, which focuses on Israel/Palestine and Iraq.

What is 'terrorology'?

As CAMPACC puts it: 'Academic terrorism 'experts' - or terrorologists - are deeply embedded in the elite power structure. They conveniently blur distinctions between political dissent, resistance to oppressive regimes, and violent threats to populations. These experts advise governments on counter-terrorism, thus sanitising Western state terror as legitimate techniques for self-defence. Where did these terrorologists come from? How do they gain influence and credibility? How can they be countered?'[1]

According to journalist Kevin Toolis

'Throughout academia, the study of terrorism is booming. But in reality... these "experts" represent an ideology that has its roots in the cold war and in Israeli conservatism'[2]
'A new field of "terrorology" emerged, with its own journals, conferences, and research institutes. This popular and scholarly literature informed the discourse of the first American "war on terrorism" during the mid-1980s.Middle East Studies Association members, to our everlasting shame according to some pundits, did not participate much in the scholarly field of terrorology. In my view, there was great wisdom in this abstention. The terrorologists have not accomplished a great deal of practical or intellectual significance. Their studies have not noticeably decreased the incidence of acts of violence against civilians throughout the world. Nor have they enhanced our understanding of the causes of such acts. What they have done is to focus attention on tactics and symptoms, thereby impeding investigation into historical and social causes. This is an ostensibly pragmatic, but fundamentally misguided, approach to understanding terrorism. If the term is to be understood in any useful rather than propagandistic way, terrorism must be regarded as a social and historical phenomenon, not a moral or political epithet.[3].

As part of the process of sanitising Western state terror as a legitimate technique for self-defence, senior officials and analysts have attempted to legitimise the use of torture among detainees in the "War on Terror". Listed below are a number of documents that relate to these efforts to legitimise torture, as well as documents which critique this.

Alphabetical list of Terrorology groups

Key terrorologist authors and their books

References and Resources

Resources

External links on Terrorology


There are a list of categories associated with this page:

And a number of lists of terror experts including:

References

  1. ↑ Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC), 'Embedded Experts in the 'War on Terror' http://www.campacc.org.uk/embedded.htm
  2. ↑ Kevin Toolis, Rise of the terrorist professors, New Statesman, 14 June 2004. (Accessed: 9 October 2007)
  3. ↑ Joel Beinin (MESA President), Middle East Studies After September 11, 2002 MESA Presidential Address, 2002 Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Summer 2003)
  4. ↑ About Many Rivers Films (Accessed: 9 October 2007)
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