Inside Terrorism

New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Later printing. Trade paperback. Very good. 296 pages. Illustrations. Author's signed inscription, dated, on title page. Abbreviations. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Bruce Hoffman (born 1954) is a political analyst known for his views on terrorism and insurgency. He is the Director of the Center for Security Studies and Director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He is a specialist in the study of terrorism and counterterrorism and insurgency and counter-insurgency. In 1981, Hoffman joined the RAND Corporation. He left RAND in 1994 when he was appointed Senior Lecturer at the University of St. Andrews. In 1994, he co-founded (with Professor Paul Wilkinson) and was the first director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) at St. Andrews where he was also Chairman of the Department of International Relations (1994-1998). Hoffman returned to RAND as Director of RAND's Washington Office (1998-2006). Hoffman served as a commissioner on the 9/11 Review Commission, which examined the FBI's ability to counter terrorism, radicalization and cyber crime. He was Scholar-in-Residence for Counterterrorism at the Central Intelligence Agency between 2004 and 2006; an adviser on counterterrorism to the Office of National Security Affairs, Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad, Iraq in 2004, and an adviser on counterinsurgency to the Strategy, Plans, and Analysis Office at Multi-National Forces-Iraq Headquarters, Baghdad. Hoffman was also an adviser to the Iraq Study Group (2006). Bruce Hoffman's "Inside Terrorism" has remained a seminal work for understanding the historical evolution of terrorism and the terrorist mindset. In this revised edition of the classic text, Hoffman analyzes the new adversaries, motivations, and tactics of global terrorism that have emerged in recent years, focusing specifically on how al Qaeda has changed since 9/11; the reasons behind its resiliency, resonance, and longevity; and its successful use of the Internet and videotapes to build public support and gain new recruits. Hoffman broadens the discussion by evaluating the potential repercussions of the Iraqi insurgency, the use of suicide bombers, terrorist exploitation of new communications media, and the likelihood of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear terrorist strike. Closer to home, Hoffman reconsiders the Timothy McVeigh case and the threats posed by American Christian white supremacists and abortion opponents as well as those posed by militant environmentalists and animal rights activists. He argues that the attacks on the World Trade Center fundamentally transformed the West's view of the terrorist threat. More relevant and necessary than ever, "Inside Terrorism" continues to be the definitive work on the history and future of global terrorism.