Fight For Legitimacy, The: Democracy Vs. Terrorism

Description:
Terrorism cannot be treated as a monolithic threat. Not should terrorists be viewed simply as people who carry out acts of terror, without examining the ends they hope to achieve. Good policy can only be crafted with an understanding of the terrorist strategy; that is, how terrorists integrate their means to secure their goals. The groups covered in this book change and evolve. While all governments take actions to secure their populations against attacks, those governments that recognise real grievances can simultaneously take action that addresses those grievances. This two-pronged approach simultaneously bolsters state legitimacy, while demonstrating state effectiveness. The authors argue that the best way for states to win legitimacy in the eyes of the terrorists' potential supporters is by adhering to liberal democratic values, cooperating with other states, and applying prudent counterterrorist tactics. The book begins by analysing five hotspot situations and their regional effects: the Basques in Spain, the ethnic Albanians in Macedonia, the Kurds in Turkey, the Chechens in the Russian Federation, and the Palestinians. These cases shed some light on how we should understand, characterise, and categorise terrorism, and they provide insights into the concepts of political legitimacy, liberal democracy, political culture, and political community. Democracies must resist any temptation to weaken their liberal democratic values, and must encourage other states to adhere to these values. Liberal democracy is not a luxury, but a security imperative in today's world.

Author Biography:
CINDY R. JEBB is a US Army colonel, and Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy, West Point. P. H. LIOTTA is the Director of the Pell Center at Salve Regina University. THOMAS SHERLOCK teaches comparative politics and international relations at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he is currently Head of Comparative Politics in the Department of Social Sciences. RUTH MARGOLIES BEITLER is an Associate Professor of International Relations and Comparative Politics in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy, West Point.