Book Reviews

In March of 2002, experts in the field of security studies gathered together in Singapore to formulate appropriate responses to the 9/11 attacks in the United States. These experts came from America, Europe and Asia, bringing with them a diversity of views about terrorism in all its facets – religious, political, ideological. This diversity of backgrounds is what made this meeting of minds rich in content and keen in analysis.

The book The new terrorism: Anatomy, trends and counter-strategies is the result of that gathering.

What makes this book unique are the authors’ audacity to break away from pandering to traditional perceptions about terrorism, sans ironclad concepts and theories. The more prevalent belief that the United States is at the center of this storm is subtly reevaluated, with conclusions pointing to the Middle East and Asia as the emerging battleground of terrorism.

The new terrorism explores the elements of terrorism that are emerging, in contrast to those that are already established. Certainly, terrorist networks becoming more organized while at the same time becoming more decentralized is a marked contradiction, the impact of which is explored in this book. The apparently intrinsic incompatibility of Islam with other creeds and societies is also a focal point discussed by the authors, assessing whether or not there is an imminent and credible threat of a clash of civilizations.

The authors claim that Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network are the epitome of this new form of terrorism. Bruce Hoffman, for instance, reveals how bin Laden has adroitly married technology to religion as weapons to be wielded against his enemies. Indeed, globalization as a phenomenon, with all its accompanying technological innovation, has also been widely used by Al Qaeda to strike fear in the hearts and minds of its opponents. He further categorizes the newly emerging levels of Al Qaeda’s operational styles – from professional cadres, to trained amateurs, and local walk-ins.

Gavin Cameron’s analysis centers on the unconventional nature of this new terrorism. He cites specific incidents wherein terrorist attacks have featured weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) as well as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) elements. His take on the weaponization and delivery of such unconventional tactics is as astute as it is frightening. This is further enriched by Ely Karmon’s finding that CBRN-related incidents most often occur in developed countries.
Kevin O’Brien’s discussion on cyber terrorism introduces an element that has not always been associated with this type of terrorism, that is, nationalism. According to O’Brien, this was manifested when Chinese hackers attempted to attack US government websites, provoking American hackers to return the favor in the wake of the incident involving a downed US plane in Chinese airspace.

The book also includes a remarkably pragmatic segment by Farish Noor on how the Islamic world itself has been factionalized because of the events of 9/11. Inasmuch as he emphasizes that there are Muslims who did not condone any Islamic culpability in 9/11, these same Muslims according to him also do not accept the US’s strategy in its global war on terror (GWOT). It is interesting to note though Noor’s assertion how Islamic radicals do seem to gag their moderate counterparts. He offers valuable insights as to the reasons behind this move.

Meanwhile, Kumar Ramakrishna issues a thought-provoking caveat in the book that countering this new terrorism has to be done without generating a civilizational conflict. How so? Counter-terrorism strategies developed and implemented by the international community has to take into consideration the transnational character of this new terrorism. As such, the book presents various ways on how to achieve this end.

As can be observed, the war on terror takes on the next level, ultimately higher and unconventional. This development therefore requires a more ingenuous counter-strategy, using conventional tactics on gathering more accurate intelligence, more credible diplomatic discourse, and a better coordinated international cooperation. Not simply painting a rather grim picture of this new face of terrorism, the book also offers considerable hope and concrete recommendations for the resolution of conflicts that have become the breeding ground for terrorism. As one top US government official puts it, there’s a need to “to drain the swamp.”

The book is definitely a must-read for those who want to keep up with the changing landscape of security studies in general, and terrorism in particular.

Senator Nene Pimentel. 2008. Federalizing the Philippines: A primer. Manila: Philippine Normal University Press. xviii. 494 pages.

by Albert E. Alejo, SJ, PhD

Like the proverbial cat that has nine lives, federalism is in the air again, perhaps stronger this time, because of the failure of the central government to dissociate itself from high level corruption, or perhaps weaker, and for the same reason that the settlers in Malacañang simply want to survive by whatever means, including adopting federalism as a reason for charter change. Senate Minority Leader Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr. is aware of this argument...

Grace Nono, with Mendung Sabal, Henio Estakio, Baryus Gawid, Salvador Placido, Sarah Mandegan, Gadu Ugal, Florencia Havana, Sindao Banisil and Elena-Rivera-Mirano. 2008. The shared voice: Chanted and spoken narratives from the Philippines. Ed. Carolina Malay. Pasig City: Anvil Publishing and Fundacion Santiago. 248 pages.

by Albert E. Alejo, SJ, PhD

“My name is Grace Nono. I am a singer and a creator of songs.” That is how the author of this magical book introduces herself. That is also how she immediately connects her identity with the rest of the million “singing Filipinos” whose voices she celebrates in print. By voice Grace Nono means much more than a physiological function. “It is the summation of spiritual and sociocultural experience, of vision, and of creative imagination.” In the first few chapters...