New Books in Terrorism and Organized Crime

View on AmazonThere are many books about the war against Al Qaeda. Most of these focus on counter-terrorism or counter insurgency military tactics or espionage operations. These books have become more frequent with the death of Osama Bin Laden. Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda (Times Books, 2011) is more than you can expect from its competitors. Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker have been reporting on this issue for many years and cover the topic from a number of angles. Most importantly they are the first to give full recognition to the non-military methods used to counter Al Qaeda. They recognize that there is an intellectual chess game at play as well as the brute force of military intervention or drone strikes. Subtle and patient schemes are being used by US governments to undermine the social networks and social capital of the terrorist group. Ploys are used to coax key figures out of hiding. Counter propaganda campaigns are waged to break down support from potential sources of new members. As well as covering the broader and nuanced techniques, the authors also have a clear understanding of the nature of the terrorist threat. Al Qaeda is a terrorist group but not all terrorists are in Al Qaeda. They recognize that this is a group with a unique history and specific goals that needs non-generic responses to break down its strengths. Al Qaeda still exists but is not what it once was. It has weakened but adapted. Schmitt and Shanker provide an excellent coverage of recent history that will allow you to get a more insightful understanding of counter terrorism in modern America.

Guido SteinbergView on AmazonI have read quite a few books on terrorism but always from an English language perspective. This has meant that I was missing the alternative stories from other nations. Guido Steinberg has done me a favour by publishing his German study in English. German Jihad: On the Internationalisation of Islamist Terrorism (Columbia UP, 2013)provides an excellent, detailed analysis of the recent history of the growth of Jihad inspired terrorism by German residents of both European and Asian heritage. He begins the book with one of the best explanations of the near enemy (apostate Islamic governments) and the far enemy (Western nations who are seen as supporting the near enemy), that I have read. He then explains the importance of the demographics of migration to Germany and its role in the Jihadist movement. Germany has a largely Turkish migrant population. As such they did not have the same influences or inspirations as Jihadists from an Arabic background. Importantly, they also did not have the same network of connections which allowed them to easily join international organisations such as Al Qaeda. These circumstances led to a particular series of connections and a lack of awareness by local law enforcement of the growing threat of terrorist activity. Guido gives us a professional and thorough analysis of this history and has sufficient detail to keep a research student engrossed for weeks. I highly recommend the book.

Martin A. MillerView on Amazon[Cross-posted from New Books in History] Terrorism seems like the kind of thing that has existed since the beginning of states some 5,000 years ago. Understood in one, narrow way–as what we call "insurgency"–it probably has. But modern terrorism is, well, modern as Martin A. Miller explains in The Foundations of Modern Terrorism: State, Society, and the Dynamics of Political Violence (Cambridge University Press, 2013). Miller traces our kind of terrorism to the French Revolution or thereabouts, and specifically to the formation of the idea that "citizens" have a right (and indeed duty) to rebel against their wayward governments "by any means necessary." Take that notion and another–that there are several different "legitimate" ways to organize governments–and you have modern terrorism: campaigns designed to change or overthrow governments that are deemed by political radicals to be acting illegitimately or to be wholly illegitimate.

Jeffrey D. SimonView on AmazonIt was timely to record this interview just after the Boston Bombing. Lone Wolf terrorists are individuals operating outside organized groups. If the allegations about the bombers in Boston are correct, then the brothers have acted in the same manner as Lone Wolves.  In Lone Wolf Terrorism: Understanding the Growing Threat (Prometheus Books, 2013), Jeffrey Simon provides us with an excellent book describing the modern history of lone wolf terrorism, their operation and their possible future. He explains how individuals can not only produce major destruction in the same manner as larger organizations, a case in point being the Oklahoma City Bombing, but they are difficult to find because they leave a small footprint. Much more importantly, Lone Wolves are extremely difficult to identify before they act. Their introspection usually means that they do not advertise their actions. Having said that the age of the internet means that many leave a trail of commentary online, but also have access to inspiration through internet radicalization and also access to skill sets via online 'how to' sites on bomb making, etc. The rise of the much more capable intelligence systems can recognize these individuals, but they are unlikely to stand out amongst the hundreds of thousands with similar footprints. Jeffrey Simon's book is an extremely informative and readable overview that gives an opportune reminder that, not only can terrorism be homegrown, but you don't need to be Al Qaeda to carry out acts of terror.

Paul LiebermanView on AmazonGangster Squad (St. Martin's Press, 2012)  the book is not Gangster Squad the movie. One is a detailed and thoroughly researched account of organized crime in Los Angeles and the other is a movie. If you are really interested in organized crime then you should read the book. Paul Lieberman has produced an excellent story of the gangsters and the police who tried to close them down. He presents both sides as real human beings – each with many foibles. This is the story of the growth of Los Angeles and the attraction of people from across the nation to the new world of sunshine and opportunity. Of course, the inhabitants of this city have the same needs for illicit goods and services as any other city and there is always someone who will provide the supply to meet the demand. Having said that, the distance from the East Coast to the West Coast, and the nature of the growing city, meant that LA was largely outside the control of the Italian mafia. It has its own characters and their own methods that reflect more of the brashness of Hollywood than the tradition of La Familia. The police who make up the Gangster Squad share many features of their targets – they just add a sense of justice and social responsibility. Besides being a great read, Gangster Squad fills a gap in the field by providing a history of organized crime that is neglected by the mainstream analysis. LA is a major city and its illicit economic story is equally as important as that of New York or Chicago.

John DickieView on AmazonJohn Dickie is an historian of Italian organized crime who has a fairly unique perspective as he writes in English but is able to read the Italian sources. This allows him to bring new points of view and information to Anglo-American audiences. His new book is Mafia Brotherhoods: The Rise of the Italian Mafias (Septre, 2012). This book builds on his previous work Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia, by including the other major groups from southern Italy – the 'Ndrangheta and the Camorra. John points out the surprisingly recent creation of these groups and tracks their rise in their respective localities. The book is both entertaining and very readable. This is not dry history but the stories of real people, both as members of the organized crime groups and, in a much smaller category, those trying to fight the criminality in the region. It is not giving too much away to say that the criminals are winning – especially in the point of history at which this book ends, namely, the arrival of the Allies in World War II. Clearly this is volume one of a larger work and the next volume should be out this year. For those who are interested in the theory of organized crime, I suggest you suspend your assumptions as the data does not match current accepted wisdom. We see ethnocentric groups, hierarchical organizations, and the power of familial relationships. For those who simply enjoy reading about organized crime, you will not be disappointed as this book is full of everything you expect – crime, murder, drama and deceit. Overall it is a book of tragedy – tragedy for a beautiful region of the world overcome by a social disease

Patrick DunleavyView on AmazonPatrick Dunleavy is the author of The Fertile Soil of Jihad: Terrorism's Prison Connection (Potomac Books, 2011). He provides us with a fascinating insight into the radicalization process within the prison system. This is a sensitive topic but Dunleavy does not provide a political commentary on radicalization or Islam but rather acknowledges that the process can occur and gives us a detailed recounting of one such group within the New York Correctional system. He discusses a few key characters and how they ended up in prison and the circumstances that led to their participation in radical thought. The most interesting parts of the book for me were the methods of prison life that aided the process; the ability to communicate with the outside world and the massaging of internal security routines to allow interaction and coordination with others inside the system. This is not a morality play, but rather a description of a process. We can certainly learn a lot through books such as these that reduce our naivety about the ingenuity of prison inmates who have a lot of time to think and experiment with their immediate environment. Radicalization is a serious issue but for me this was a book more about the world of incarceration than terrorism.

Paul Rexton KanView on AmazonThe violence in Mexico is receiving a lot of media attention internationally. Paul Rexton Kan has produced a book that provides us with a comprehensive and comprehendible introduction to the background to the conflict and its effects. Cartels at War: Mexico's Drug-Fueled Violence and the Threat to US National Security (Potomac Books, 2012) is a relatively short book packed with detailed information. The book covers the nature of the drug war, the cartels involved, the national and international responses and the effects of this war on the local and international communities. But this is not just a descriptive work. Kan provides us with his recommendations for solutions and predictions about the future of the conflict. In particular, he draws comparisons between treating this as an insurgency and spells out how a counter-terrorist response would not be the correct way to deal with the issue. This is high intensity crime and requires a high intensity policing response. Overall the book is an excellent introduction to the very complex drug war in Mexico, as well as being a source of practical and realistic policy options for addressing a conflict this large.

Declan HillView on AmazonToday we are talking to Declan Hill about his new book The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime (McClelland & Stewart, 2010). Most of my research focuses on corruption and the link with organized crime. I have read commissions of inquiry, court cases, journal articles and innumerable books on the topic. But none of them exposes such a widespread and pervasive system of corruption as Declan discusses in this book. I also come from a family of bookmakers, so I understand the gambling industry, but I was overwhelmed by the amounts of money involved in the corruption of gambling on sport. After reading this book I felt severely depressed that all our work is in vain. All of these are reasons why this is an important book. Declan is clear in pointing out that the beauty and majesty of great sporting achievements are still real but that one has to have an eye out for the Fix and be aware that corruption of sport at all levels is not just possible but common. I highly recommend this book for anyone studying organized crime, corruption or even the nature of sport in modern society. One of the aspects I found particularly interesting was Declan's explanations of how corruption operates and the relative ease with which new participants are indoctrinated into the illicit practice. This is an extremely well written book partly because it is not an academic tome. Declan is telling a yarn about corruption and the individuals who participate in it, while still giving a thorough examination of the issue.

Federico VareseView on AmazonTonight we are talking with Federico Varese about his new book Mafias on the Move: How Organized Crime Conquers New Territories (Princeton University Press, 2011). Whenever you read a book about transnational crime one of the themes will be about how globalisation has made it easier for organized crime groups to operate. You will also see another chapter about how large mafia style groups are spreading outside their traditional domains. But there have been very few studies, other than individual case studies, of how this occurs and what circumstances help or hinder this expansion of operation. Federico takes a rigorous approach to try and answer these questions. He not only looks at how groups expand but also compares successful expansion to unsuccessful cases. He asks what features of the social environment allowed one group to succeed and another to fail. His answers are surprising and they reveal some cumbersome characteristics of large, structured organised crime groups which make it difficult for them to expand their operations to new environments. This is a very enjoyable book to read as it combines detailed stories with strategic data. Federico has clearly put many years of research into this work and the result adds significant new insights for organized crime research.

View on AmazonToday we talked to Blake Mobley about his new book Terrorism and Counter-Intelligence: How Terrorist Groups Elude Detection (Columbia University Press, 2012). There have been many books examining the intelligence operations of counter-terrorist agencies. Also there are books about how terrorist groups operate. This is a book about how terrorist groups conduct intelligence, specifically counter-intelligence designed to protect themselves from the gaze of the government based counter-terrorist agencies. Blake presents us with a varying set of levels of counter-intelligence sophistication that these groups practice as well as the social, geographic and structural elements that affect the success of these practices. He demonstrates that both these tactics and elements are two edged swords; success in one aspect can create a weakness in another.  Blake points out that this is good news for counter-terrorist agencies and recommends that they focus on these weaknesses of the terror groups as a means of disrupting their operations.

Maurice PunchView on AmazonToday we spoke to Maurice Punch about his new book: State Violence, Collusion and the Troubles: Counter Insurgency, Government Deviance and Northern Ireland (Pluto Press, 2012). The Troubles refers to the conflict in Northern Ireland between the IRA and the British government. The government response to the terrorist attacks involved a broad range of policing, intelligence and military agencies, including the SAS. There are many books about the actions of terrorist groups but this book looks at the actions of the government response. A number of independent inquiries have revealed serious breaches of ethics and even criminal acts by these agencies; some of which have had fatal consequences for innocent members of the community. At the very least, some others have been extra-judicial killings. Maurice examines the evidence and lists the offences. In many respects the title summarises the book and its conclusions. He explains how the many decades of conflict saw 'organizational deviance' on the part of the collective policing and military agencies. The book is an excellent study of how enthusiasm can lead to justification of illegal actions with deadly results.

Antonio GuistozziView on AmazonToday we have been talking to Antonio Guistozzi about his new book The Art of Coercion: The Primitive Accumulation and Management of Coercive Power (Hurst, 2012). Antonio has written an analysis of how groups obtain and maintain their monopoly on violence in a community. This may not seem relevant to a podcast on terrorism and organized crime, however, insurgent, terrorist and criminal groups exist as challengers to the government's monopoly. They use violence to oppose government, or in the case of organized crime, create their own centres of power. All these groups can also create havens where they exercise their own monopoly on violence. Antonio's book is full of historical information and political scientific arguments which give a thorough explanation of the difficulties of creating and holding this monopoly. But, as you will hear in the interview, he has a particular interest in Afghanistan where he conducts most of his research. This experience provides him with an excellent contemporary case study to explain the theses of the book. Antonio tries to move away from the traditional explanations of violence based on economic theories of rational actors and instead explains the sociology of violence from empirical evidence and political necessity. This book changed my assumptions about the environment of political action especially in developing countries facing insurgent movements.

Riaz HassanView on AmazonSuicide Bombings is a Routledge Shortcuts version of Riaz Hassan's longer book Life as a Weapon: The Global Rise of Suicide Bombings (Routledge, 2011), a study of suicide bombing around the world. Prof Hassan came to this topic via the study of suicide and therefore, provides a different perspective on terror attacks than most other authors. The book provides very detailed information on the rate and type of suicide bombings from 1981 to 2006. According to Prof Hassan, suicide bombings are nothing new to history but have taken a new turn in the modern era as a weapon of political frustration. He examines the history of suicide bombing over the last three decades and explains the reasons, not only why people resort to this type of attack, but also why individuals agree to participate. Prof Hassan provides us with an explanation that does not rely on religion or psychosis but quite rational motivations based on groups of individuals being driven into what they see as a position of last resort. This is a thorough analysis of the field and I highly recommend it. I think it is a book that should be read widely and can change the nature of political debate on this issue.

Philip GounevView on AmazonToday we are talking with Philip Gounev (co-edited with Vincenzo Ruggiero) about his new book Corruption and Organized Crime in Europe (Taylor & Francis, 2012). He is the co-author of this book with Vincenzo Ruggiero, and they have a number of people who have made contributions to individual chapters. This is a great combination of two researcher's skills. Prof Ruggiero is a major theorist on the topic of organized crime and Philip is a leading researcher into corruption in Europe. The issue of corruption is always 'timely'. It may be that in a global financial crisis the consequences of corrupt practices have even greater impact. The authors focus on the connection between corruption and organized crime, especially how these two concepts interact in a market place. Organized criminals need security to ensure stable operations, and the public officials can provide that security through corrupt practices. I do a great deal of research into corruption and organized crime but I still learnt an enormous amount from this book. Any researchers in this area from the English speaking world will benefit from reading this book as about half of their references come from non-English speaking sources; thus this is an opportunity to see data and theories that you otherwise would not have the chance to read in English.  I really enjoyed both reading this book and talking with Philip. I hope you enjoy the interview.