Book Review The New Terrorism by Walter Laqueur Essay

THE NEW TERRORISM BY WALTER LAQUEUR Walter Laqueur’s book, â€Å"The New Terrorism: Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction†, is empowering readers with the entire spectrum of terrorism. The reasons behind terrorism are not easy to understand, but Laqueur goes into great detail to try and bring the reader to an understanding of what the terrorist is thinking in order to justify the means to the end. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Laqueur sheds enlightenment into a new arena for terrorism: Arms of Mass Destruction. The chemical and biological weapons of yesterday are available and relatively cheap on today’s open market. Mr. Laqueur goes into depth on previous usages by terrorist organizations using these types of weapons as well as the†¦show more content†¦The Aum Supreme Truth, an Armageddonist cult in Japan, is an example of a group that used a chemical agent to give the illusion that the world was nearing the end. The purpose for the use of sarin gas in the Tokyo subway system was to fulfill the prophecy of the cult leader Shoko Asahara. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Despite the motives of a terrorist organization, the access to weapons of mass destruction is just around the corner. With the breakdown of Russia and the outburst of technology, it will not be to long before the weapons of mass destruction fall into the wrong hands. This leads to Laqueur’s main concern for the 21st century. If in another twenty years, nuclear weapons and the technology to build such devices is as available as biological and chemical weapons are now, the terrorist will achieve a weapon that will have to be dealt with very delicately. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Another terrorist weapon that is still in the infancy stages is cyberterrorism. Currently the computer threat is minimal with only a few viruses here and there, but with the evolution process, Laqueur foresees a greater threat through the use of the computer. With a global society quickly becoming dependent on the use of the computer, the attacks could lead to total country disorientation. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One of the strongest points that Laqueur makes in this text is about the true natureShow MoreRelatedTerrorism : A Consolidation Of War And Theatre2001 Words   |  9 Pages Terrorism can be seen as a consolidation of war and theatre, which makes it a performance of the most arranged kind of violence that which is purposely executed on national non-combatant victims, frolicked in front of onlookers in the anticipation of generating a disposition of fear or for governmental purposes. Terrorism incorporates an act of violence, watchers in which a mood of distress is made, beleaguered civilians non-fighter victims, and political intentions or aims. 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