The Home Affairs Committee states in a report published today (HCP 311, session 2009-10, ISBN 9780215545060) that the wider introduction of full-body scanners is a welcome development in airport security. It states though that the Government's position of adopting "proportionate" measures is a euphemism for adopting a wholly reactive stance and waiting for terrorists to demonstrate their new capabilities before implementing improved security measures. In view of the ongoing terrorist threat to airline passengers and staff the Committee urge the Government to constantly look for further technological measures to improve airport security. The Committee is satisfied that the privacy concerns that have been expressed in relation to these devices are overstated and that privacy concerns should not prevent the deployment of scanners, but is concerned at the delay in the introduction of other security devices such as hand-held Electronic Trace Detection equipment. The Committee also says that the Government should be wary of relying on one make or model of equipment and where possible conceal the technical specifications of equipment away from the public gaze. Also international standards in aviation security must be made more stringent and more must be done to tackle terrorism at the source. The Committee also raises concerns at the institutional separation of airport security from wider counter-terrorism measures.

This book considers some of the most notable aspects of the legal response to the "war on terror" post- 9/11 and the use of technology to support them. It examines the shift from a criminal justice response to the creation of a parallel preventive system running in tandem with it. This system has tended to veer away from the commission of criminal offences or adherence to ordinary criminal justice safeguards. Such a preventive strategy relies on targeting terrorist suspects – those who it is thought may in future commit terrorist acts – and curbing their actions with the aim of preventing terrorist activity before it occurs. The book further considers the role that surveillance plays in the counter-terrorist efforts of state or non-state actors. It also evaluates the counter-productive effects that many of these measures have had. This book was originally published as a special issue of International Review of Law Computers & Technology.

In September 2001, the world witnessed the horrific events of 9/11. A great deal has happened on the counterterrorist front in the 20 years since. While the terrorist threat has greatly diminished in Northern Ireland, the events of 9/11 and their aftermath have ushered in a new phase for the rest of the UK with some familiar, but also many novel, characteristics. This ambitious study takes stock of counterterrorism in Britain in this anniversary year. Assessing current challenges, and closely mirroring the ‘four Ps’ of the official CONTEST counterterrorist strategy – Protect, Prepare, Prevent, and Pursue – it seeks to summarize and grasp the essence of domestic law and policy, without being burdened by excessive technical detail. It also provides a rigorous, context-aware, illuminating, yet concise, accessible, and policy-relevant analysis of this important and controversial subject, grounded in relevant social science, policy studies, and legal scholarship. This book will be an important resource for students and scholars in law and social science, as well as human rights, terrorism, counterterrorism, security, and conflict studies.

This document sets out the United Kingdom's strategy, known as CONTEST, for countering the threat from international terrorism. The aim of CONTEST is to reduce the risk to the United Kingdom (UK) and its interests overseas from international terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence. This is a revised and more detailed version of the strategy contained in "The national security strategy of the United Kingdom" (Cm. 7291, 2008, ISBN 9780101729123). The first part sets the context with a brief history of the changing threat to the United Kingdom and to UK interests overseas from international terrorism, examines the present threat, the factors which are shaping it and the assumptions about how it may develop. The second part sets out the principles which will govern the strategy, including a commitment to human rights and the rule of law, recognition of the need to address the causes as well as the symptoms of terrorism and the need to co-operate with other countries. The four main streams of the CONTEST strategy are: (1) pursue - to stop terrorist attacks; (2) prevent - to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism; (3) protect - to strengthen our protection against terrorist attack; (4) prepare - where an attack cannot be stopped, to mitigate its impact. The third part of the document outlines who will deliver the strategy and how its impact will be measured. The document concludes with a section explaining the importance of communications as a part of the counter-terrorism strategy.

This textbook presents a systematic study of terrorism from the standpoint of economic analysis. Choosing the kind and level of measures to counter terror is, to a large extent, an economic decision, as counterterrorism (CT) measures and their side effects are costly. This text, contains theoretical models that illustrate the economic mechanisms of different types of CT measures. A vast array of empirical studies and regularities are also presented. Some chapters discuss in depth the empirical results in the literature as well as the underlying statistical/econometric methodologies that go beyond ordinary regression. General Appendix A provides an exposition of the concept of compensating surplus and elements of the basic game theory, to help the reader with an economics background recapitulate micro theory concepts used in the book. General Appendix B lays out the notions of hypothesis testing, regression and more advanced statistical/econometric methods, so that the reader understands or at least can have an intuitive idea of how the results are derived and what they mean with some degree of inner comfort. Aimed at students at the intermediate undergraduate and graduate levels, the text requires knowledge of basic micro, first-order conditions of profit or utility maximization and cost minimization, and statistical concepts of hypothesis testing and regression. This textbook is intended for use in courses in economics, political science, criminal justice, and emergency management. Additionally, professionals working with national security in government and non-governmental organizations may find it useful.

Faisal Devji argues that new forms of militancy, such as the actions of al-Qaeda, are informed by the same desire for agency and equality that animates other humanitarian interventions, such as environmentalism and pacifism. To the militant, victimized Muslims are more than just symbols of ethnic and religious persecution-they represent humanity's centuries-long struggle for legitimacy and agency. Acts of terror, therefore, are fueled by the militant's desire to become a historical actor on the global stage. Though they have yet to build concrete political institutions, militant movements have formed a kind of global society, and as Devji makes clear, this society pursues the same humanitarian objectives that drive more benevolent groups.

National Counter-Terrorism Strategies provides an in-depth analyses of terrorism trends and responses in the US, UK, France, Turkey and Russia. The contributors are scholars and operational people from each of the countries. They contribute to the existing literature on terrorism by analyzing their countries’ response to the terror-organized crime nexus, coordination of state agencies fighting terrorism, and ability to manage trade-offs between protecting civil liberties and ensuring security. The book makes an important contribution by providing a comparative analysis of the various national responses to terrorism, showing where individual countries excel and lag behind. These analyses seek to provide the basis for improving the counter-terrorism approaches for each of the countries. The introductory chapters provide an analysis of current trends in terrorism today from a variety of different national perspectives. The different approaches and points of view allow the reader to gain a more nuanced understanding of terrorism and the current efforts to combat it.

For over 100 years, the agents of MI5 have defended Britain against enemy subversion. Their work has remained shrouded in secrecy—until now. This first-ever authorized account reveals the British Security Service as never before: its inner workings, its clandestine operations, its failures and its triumphs.