Ten years after the 9/11 attacks this book reassesses the effectiveness of the "War on Terror", considers how al-Qaeda and other jihadist movements are faring, explores the impact of wider developments in the Islamic world such as the Arab Spring, and discusses whether all this suggests that a new approach to containing international, especially jihadist, terrorism is needed. Among the book’s many richly argued conclusions are that the "War on Terror" and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq have brutalised the United States; that the jihadist threat is not one, but rather a wide range of separate, unconnected struggles; and that al-Qaeda’s ideology contains the seeds of its own destruction, in that although many Muslims are content to see the United States worsted, they do not approve of al-Qaeda’s violence and are not taken in by the jihadists’ empty promises of utopia.

The Legacy of 9/11 is a retrospective about how policing, intelligence, and counter-terrorism have changed in the more than twenty years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Bringing together scholars and practitioners, the book takes an interdisciplinary approach with fields including history, international relations, intelligence studies, law, and political science. It highlights how some challenges in policing, intelligence, and counter-terrorism brought about by the attacks have been resolved, how some persist and how others have been transformed. The chapters explore state and non-state actors’ actions, reactions, and overreactions that shape contemporary aspects of policing, intelligence, and terrorism. In all three worlds, intelligence, policing, and counter-terrorism, the 9/11 attacks changed how the threat of terrorism is perceived, approached, and effectively countered by learning from the mistakes that led to the success of the attacks and initiating a process on the national and international levels of integrating security structures and implementing changes that have made 9/11 the last large scale terrorist strike on U.S. soil. To illustrate these accomplishments and to highlight future challenges, the volume examines the inextricably connected elements of policing and intelligence in counter-terrorism as well as how counter-terrorism practitioners and jihadists were transformed by one day of attacks, more than twenty years ago. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism.

Prize-winning historian Robert Gildea dissects the legacy of empire for the former colonial powers and their subjects.

Faith and Fire: Afghanistan's Jihad Against Superpowers by Hakimullah Safi presents an intricate examination of Afghanistan's historical defiance against foreign dominion, with a specific emphasis on the nation's confrontations with formidable global powers throughout its storied past. This tome, which is part of the "People Resistance" series, is meticulously organized into chapters that narrate pivotal episodes and themes intrinsic to Afghanistan's tumultuous narrative. Opening with a preface that elucidates Afghanistan's infamous moniker as the "Graveyard of Empires," the book ventures into the historical milieu preceding the Soviet incursion of 1979. It scrutinizes monumental incidents, notably the Soviet offensive, the ascendance of the Mujahideen, and the subsequent rise of the Taliban. This narrative arc stretches from antiquity, reflecting on invasions by titans such as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, to more contemporary turmoil, including the U.S.-led invasion following the cataclysmic events of September 11, 2001. Safi’s discourse also probes the ideological underpinnings of jihad, the nuances of guerrilla warfare methodologies, and the complex motivations that propel modern jihad—intertwining religious fervor, burgeoning nationalism, and a resolute stance against imperialism. The work delineates Pakistan's impactful role within these intricate conflicts and articulates Afghan viewpoints regarding foreign subjugation. Ultimately, the author—being an Afghan himself—endeavors to illuminate the persistent legacy of Afghanistan's insurrection and its profound repercussions on global geopolitical dynamics.

This handbook presents a comprehensive survey of the formation and transformation of nationalism in 15 East and Southeast Asian countries. Written by a team of international scholars from different backgrounds and disciplines, this volume offers new perspectives on studying Asian history, society, culture, and politics, and provides readers with a unique lens through which to better contextualise and understand the relationships between countries within East and Southeast Asia, and between Asia and the world. It highlights the latest developments in the field and contributes to our knowledge and understanding of nationalism and nation building. Comprehensive and clearly written, this book examines a diverse set of topics that include theoretical considerations on nationalism and internationalism; the formation of nationalism and national identity in the colonial and postcolonial eras; the relationships between traditional culture, religion, ethnicity, education, gender, technology, sport, and nationalism; the influence of popular culture on nationalism; and politics, policy, and national identity. It illustrates how nationalism helped to draw the borders between the nations of East and Southeast Asia, and how it is re-emerging in the twenty-first century to shape the region and the world into the future. The Routledge Handbook of Nationalism in East and Southeast Asia is essential reading for those interested in and studying Asian history, Social and Cultural history, and modern history.

Many scholars of international relations in Asia regard bilateralism and multilateralism as alternative and mutually exclusive approaches to security co-operation. They argue that multilateral associations such as ASEAN will eventually replace the system of bilateral alliances which were the predominant form of U.S. security co-operation with Asia-Pacific allies during the Cold War. Yet these bilateral alliances continue to be the primary means of the United States’ strategic engagement with the region. This book contends that bilateralism and multilateralism are not mutually exclusive, and that bilateralism is likely to continue strong even as multilateralism strengthens. It explores a wide range of issues connected with this question. It discusses how US bilateral alliances have been reinvigorated in recent years, examines how bilateral and multilateral approaches to specific problems can work alongside each other, and concludes by considering how patterns of international security are likely to develop in the region in future.

North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has provoked much apprehension in the international community in recent years. The Six Party Talks were convened in 2003 to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. They brought together the US, China, Russia, Japan as well as North and South Korea in the effort to negotiate a multilateral resolution of North Korea’s nuclear program but the parties had widely different views and approaches. This book will examine the Six Party Talks as a study in multilateral negotiation highlighting the expectations vested in them and their inability to develop a common approach to the issue. It holds out some important lessons for multilateral negotiation, diplomacy and dealing with North Korea.