Counting Terrorism and WMD:
Creating a Global Counter-Terrorism Network,
edited by Peter Katona, Michael D. Intriligator, and John P. Sullivan, Routledge, New York, 2006, Hardcover, $37.95, 328 pages, indexed.

REVIEWED BY: Mayer Nudell,
CSC, is an independent consultant on crisis management,
contingency planning, and related issues.

Frequently we hear that international cooperation is a major requisite for successfully dealing with the terrorist threat. Equally often, we are presented with examples of how this isn’t happening. This has been the case for a variety of reasons–ranging from turf battles to ideological differences. In the aftermath of 9/11, one hopes that this can be changed.

Countering Terrorism and WMD: Creating a Global Counter-Terrorism Network is an effort to demonstrate how an effective international network can be created informally, obviating many of the obstacles accompanying formal networks. The three editors, two professors (Peter Katona and Michael Intriligator) and a law enforcement professional (John Sullivan), have drawn on their own experience with the Los Angeles Terrorism Early Warning Group and assembled a stellar group of contributing authors who collectively address the terrorism threat and provide insights on how to create the type of international cooperative network that can effectively share and fuse the information and analysis needed to deal with the terrorist threat.

The book’s contents are much broader than its title suggests. Countering Terrorism and WMD not only deals with WMD, but also provides an historical context for current terrorism and takes looks at cyberterrorism, the role of the community in fighting terrorism, technology, and other important topics. The range of expertise of the contributors–public health, economics, law enforcement, public policy, military, etc.–itself demonstrates the need for cooperation and their international makeup is one example of how this can be done. This is a book that in one volume can provide serious students of terrorism and security with both an overview of the terrorism problem and ideas for countering it. Security professionals will benefit greatly from reading it.

©2007 by Mayer Nudell, CSC,
Worldwide Consulting Services for Crisis Management, USA

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