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RICHARDENGLISH
Introduction
Itisarguablethatterrorismresearchhasbeentransformedevenmorethanterrorismitselfduringthe
yearssincetheatrocityof9/11.Thisexcellentcollectionofpapersreflectsonsomeofthemoreexciting
trendsthathavedeveloped,interrogatessomeofthemoreangularproblemsthatpersist,anddraws
deeplyoncase-studyexpertiseinordertomovenumerousdebatesonterrorismandcounter-terrorism
veryhelp​ful​lyfor​ward.
Thesubjectscoveredherearenotallonesthatwillappealtothesqueamish.Does“decapitation”
ofterroristleadershipswork?Ifso,why,andunderwhatcircumstances,andatwhatcost?Isthe
integrationofterroristsintostatenetworksandstructuresjustifiedandeffectiveasacounter-terrorist
tactic?Howfarshouldweconcentrateonterroristleadersanyway?ThecasestudiesrangefromEgypt
toAlgeriatoSpaintoFrancetoDenmark.Suchimpressivebalancehelpsavoidsomeoftheproblemsthat
havehinderedterrorismresearchinrecentyears,suchasanoveremphasisonAlQaeda(thereare
probablynowmorepeoplestudyingAlQaedathanareactuallyinit),orthelackofscrutinyofthose
po​li​cieswhichhaveinprac​ti​cewor​kedra​therwellaga​instnon-sta​teter​ro​ristgro​ups.
Historically,terrorismhaschangedworldpoliticsmuchmorepowerfullythroughtheprovocation
oflarge-scalestatereactionsthanithasthroughitsown(admittedlyperniciousandblood-spattered)
directlyviolenteffects.Boththe20thand21stcenturiesbeganwithincidentsofterroristviolence,state
reactionstowhichtransformedpoliticsandinternationalrelations.Thiswasclearlyfarmoredeleterious
inthecaseoftheFirstWorldWarthanthatoftheWaronTerror,butthebroadandunavoidablepoint
remains:itisstateresponsestoterroristatrocitiesthatprovidethemostimportantvariableinthis
an​ti​pho​nalre​la​tion​shipasitchan​gesworldhi​sto​ryinva​rio​usways.
Andtheconnectionbetweenterroristsandcounter-terroristsisindeedrelational,mutuallyshaping,and
evenintimate.Allscholarsofterrorismwhohaveworkedclose-uptotheirsubjectsandwhohavealso
dealtwithcounter-terroristactorsrecognisethemutualyethostileunderstandingthatcandevelop
betweenterroristsandcounter-terroristsduringperiodsofcat-and-mouseconflict.Thechallengefor
scholarsistotrytodrawoutfromsuchattritionalpatternsofengagementhistoricallessonsthatwill
allowustofast-forwardtowardseffectivepoliciesandtowardslimitinghumandamage;thiswillavoidour
stumblingbloodilytowardsanswersforwhichwealreadyhadtheinformationtograspamidthe
emer​gentcri​sesthem​se​lves.
Theseimpressivepapers,authoredbyparticipantsoftheNATOAdvancedResearchWorkshop(NATO,
ARW9884495:“ThePerseveranceofTerrorism:FocusonLeaders”)andgatheredtogetherherebytheco-
directoroftheWorkshop,themanagingeditorof
ThePolishQuarterlyofInternationalAffairs
and
apioneeringyoungPolishscholar,Dr.KacperRękawek,makeasignificantandvaluablecontribution
tothatpro​cessofun​der​stan​ding.