Martin Susanne. The Role of Terrorism in Twenty-First-Century Warfare

Manchester University Press, 2016. — 288 p.This book presents a critical reflection on the major armed conflicts that occurred during the 1990s and the first decade of the twenty-first century. Conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria all involved the use of terrorism by one or more groups. Looking to the future, the book asks what this means for violent conflicts yet to come? Using a variety of case studies, the authors provide a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the role played by terrorism as a stand-alone tactic as well as one used to ignite broad-scale conflict. They also pose the question on what occasions does terrorism tend to occur as an armed conflict begins to subside, and when, in other words, is it a trailing indicator? The role of terrorism in twenty-first-century warfare is a critical reflection on the major armed conflicts of the 1990s and 2000s. Wars in Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria all involved the use of terrorism by one or more groups - looking to the future, what does this mean for violent conflicts yet to come?Using a variety of case studies, Susanne Martin and Leonard Weinberg provide a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the roles played by terrorism both as a stand-alone tactic and as a means of igniting broad-scale conflict. They investigate whether terrorist violence occurs during the early stages of an insurgency - as a leading indicator of a wider conflict - or if it is employed throughout the conflict's duration. They also seek to determine the circumstances under which terrorism occurs as an armed conflict begins to subside, in other words acting as a trailing indicator. This study is the product of Martin and Weinberg's thorough investigations into the function and timing of terrorist violence in multi-dimensional conflicts. As such, it is an essential text for understanding the role that acts of terror play in contemporary warfare and future conflicts, and will be of interest to students in military studies, political science and international relations.