Assessing the War on Terror

Charles Webel is the Delp-Wilkinson Chair and Professor of Peace Studies at Chapman University, USA, and Professor of International Economic Relations at the University of New York in Prague, Czech Republic. He is author/editor of eights books, including Terror, Terrorism, and the Human Condition (2007) and Peace and Conflict Studies, 3rd edition (with D. Barash, 2014).Mark Tomass is an economist and instructor at Harvard University, USA, and author of The Religious Roots of the Syrian Conflict: The Remaking of the Fertile Crescent (2016).Contributors: Noam Chomsky, Oliver Richmond, Ioannis Tellidis, Sarton Weinraub, Buthaina Shaaban, Anwar Said al-Haidari, Sher M. Khan, John Arnaldi, William Cohn, Laurie Calhoun, Scott Atran, Johan Galtung, Casey Douglas Carr and Audrey Kurth Cronin.

• Introduction, Charles Webel Section I: Framing and Assessing the War on TerrorSection Overview, Mark Tomass 1. The Evil Scourge of Terrorism, Noam Chomsky2. Realizing Hegemony? Symbolic Terrorism and the Roots of Conflict, Oliver P. Richmond3. Trauma and the City: The Psychology of America’s Terrorism Trauma, Sarton WeinraubSection II: Hearing from the Victims of Terror-Inflicted RegionsSection Overview, Mark Tomass 4. The Syrian Tragedy: The Role of the West, A Government Insider’s Account, Buthaina Shaaban5. Iraq: A Victim of Terror and the War on Terror, Anwar Said al-Haidari6. The Ideological Origins of ISIS: Fighting Terror with Facts and Common Sense, Mark Tomass7. Winning the Hearts and Minds of the Pukhtuns of Afghanistan and Northwest Pakistan with Altruism, Public Health and Development, Not by Terrorism and Counterterrorism, Sher M. KhanSection III: Calculating the Costs of the War on TerrorSection Overview, Mark Tomass 8. The Global War on Terrorism: How Ethical and Effective?, Charles Webel and John Arnaldi9. Led Astray: Legal and Moral Blowback from The Global War on Terror, William Cohn10. Terror from Above and Within: The Hidden Cultural and Political Costs of Lethal Drones, Laurie Calhoun Section IV: Analyzing, Negotiating with, and Ending Terror GroupsSection Overview, Mark Tomass 11. A Dialogue on Why Western Youth are Attracted to ISIS, Scott Atran and Mark Tomass12. Negotiating with the Taliban, Johan Galtung13. A Tale of Two CTs: A Ground-level Counterinsurgency Perspective on Belgian Counter-Terrorism Measures, Casey Douglas Carr14. The War on Terrorism What Does it Mean to Win?, Audrey Kurth Cronin Conclusion, Charles Webel

'This impressive work demonstrates that the Global War On Terror (GWOT) is both ineffective and inhumane, and that there are better, more ethical ways to deal with political violence. Especially praiseworthy is the variety of voices the book contains: prominent academics and activists, as well as victims. It should be required reading for anyone seeking a critical understanding of our present dilemma.' -- Charles Lindholm, Boston University, USA'This is a timely work that combines insight with style. It offers a fine example of engaged scholarship. It is a book well worth reading!' -- Stephen Eric Bronner, Rutgers University, USA