What Is Counterterrorism For?

Author: Jackson, Leonie (Northumbria University)

Human rights

Published on 26 November 2024 by Bristol University Press in the United Kingdom as part of 'the What Is It For?' series.

Paperback / softback | 176 pages, 10 Illustrations, black and white
128 x 203 x 15 | 168g

Terrorism will always be frontpage news – counterterrorism is often discussed as an afterthought, yet it is vitally important to understand what is done in the name of our safety.

Since 9/11, there has been a huge ramping up of the state’s special powers in the name of security, such as indefinite detention, the assassination of suspected terrorists, the use of extraordinary rendition, torture, and changes to due process. However, these powers are often shadowy, they are rarely rolled back, and they can be counterproductive. This book focuses on understanding the costs of counterterrorism and asking how they can be reduced; global in scope, it looks not just at Western liberal democracies, but at numerous examples from across the world.