This book explores the threats posed by al Qaeda in Afghanistan and examines the Western narrative of whether it is necessary to eliminate the militant threat in order to stabilize the country. It is argued that Al Qaeda's ideology has now become stronger than its ability to threaten international security; that its aim to become an agent of change within the Muslim world has come to outweigh the threat attributed to it as a conventional, kinetic, and terrorist entity. The current instability within Afghanistan is not due to al Qaeda's physical presence there but rather an amalgamation of factors. It will be argued that the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 has contributed to Al Qaeda's weakening there but it has not contributed to stabilize Afghanistan itself. The instability in Afghanistan will require a strong, long-term commitment by the international community, while the fight against Al Qaeda will require more focus on combating its ideology, and less on military action.

Developing ideas established in the successful first edition, this new version of America's War on Terror updates and expands the original collection of essays, allowing the reader to fully understand how the causes of the war on terror, both the domestic and foreign policy implications, and the future challenges faced by the United States have moved on since 2003. Features include: " Four specifically designed sections which examine the topic from different perspectives and orientations to provide a balanced and nuanced understanding of the issues. " New material takes into account events through the election of Barack Obama and potential changes in the US-led war on terror. " Four additional core chapters look at Homeland Security, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, Iraq and the Persian Gulf and Globalization, all with a focus on the War on Terror. " A robust introduction builds on the previous preface, while the editors have also developed a concluding section that brings together the major themes of the work and provides an overview of future policy challenges and options. The book's existing tables and appendices are also completely updated. " Essays written from a variety of perspectives provide instructors with a useful tool to supplement course materials. " The book also offers the student an analytical means with which to understand the factors behind the attacks, the nation's response to them, and the continuing evolving impact of terrorism on domestic and international politics. America's War on Terror, Second Edition will be of interest and utility to academics, the general public and most significantly to students as a reader for such courses as US foreign policy, international security, terrorism, Islamic studies, American politics and international relations.

In the seminal Just and Unjust Wars, Michael Walzer famously considered the ethics of modern warfare, examining the moral issues that arise before, during, and after conflict. However, Walzer and subsequent scholars have often limited their analyses of the ethics of combat to soldiers on the ground and failed to recognize the moral responsibilities of senior political and military leaders. In Just War Reconsidered: Strategy, Ethics, and Theory, James M. Dubik draws on years of research as well as his own experiences as a soldier and teacher to fill the gaps left by other theorists. He applies moral philosophy, political philosophy, and strategic studies to historical and contemporary case studies to reveal the inaccuracies and moral bankruptcy that inform some of the literature on military ethics. Conventional just war theory adopts a binary approach, wherein political leaders have moral accountability for the decision to go to war and soldiers have accountability for fighting the war ethically. Dubik argues, however, that political and military leadership should be held accountable for the planning and execution of war in addition to the decision to initiate conflict. Dubik bases his sober reassessment on the fundamental truth that war risks the lives of soldiers and innocents as well as the political and social health of communities. He offers new standards to evaluate the ethics of warfare in the hope of increasing the probability that the lives of soldiers will not be used in vain and the innocent not put at risk unnecessarily.

This thoroughly updated edition with expanded coverage explores the impact of terrorism on economics, public health, religion and pop culture, and also includes details of ethical issues and debates relating to terrorism.

This Eleventh Edition of ANNUAL EDITIONS: VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM provides convenient, inexpensive access to current articles selected from the best of the public press. Organizational features include: an annotated listing of selected World Wide Web sites; an annotated table of contents; a topic guide; a general introduction; brief overviews for each section; a topical index; and an instructor’s resource guide with testing materials. USING ANNUAL EDITIONS IN THE CLASSROOM, ISBN 0073301906 is offered as a practical guide for instructors. ANNUAL EDITIONS titles are supported by our student website, www.mhcls.com/online.