A World Challenged: Fighting Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century - Tapa dura

"... a candid, sobering account of the menacing threat to international security posed by disparate terrorist organizations." -- Parameters, 12/1/2004 "Primakov's book will prove essential reading to academics and political planners alike, seeking to understand from within the nature of contemporary Russian perspectives on the radically alterted international security environment and to gain insight into Russia's views on terrorism in the twenty-first century." --Roger N. McDermott, University of Kent at Canterbury, The Slavonic and East European Review, 7/1/2005 "offers a sobering account of the Russian perspective on the state of terrorism in the world today while addressing the global challenges we face as terrorism evolves in the wake of recent events. In 'A World Challenged,' Primakov draws on a wealth of knowledge and experience to present an alternate view of the war on terrorism, and he does so with remarkable frankness and clarity of thought. His opinions, often controversial yet universally intriguing, are timely and relevant to our efforts to stem the tide of violence that continues to put innocent lives at risk across the world...A World Challenged is a candid work by an intriguing and compelling author...a must-read for anyone concerned with the future of global security." --Steve Leonard, Military Review

In this candid and sobering account, former Russian premier Yevgeny M. Primakov considers the threats posed by independent terrorist organizations to the security of the global community. As the attacks of September 11, 2001 made clear, the course of international affairs is no longer shaped exclusively by cooperation and confrontation among nations. Stateless factions with extreme agendas -their methods enhanced by globalization and technological advances -pose serious threats to global stability. Primakov expresses grave concern over the likelihood that independent terrorist organizations will obtain weapons of mass destruction. More than 100 nations are stockpiling nuclear material, he writes, and there is no reason to believe that all of it is well managed or protected. A terrorist group intent on developing a weapon can easily find the information and fissile material to develop a compact nuclear device. He recommends that the global community develop a comprehensive Charter on Terrorism to facilitate criminal prosecution of terrorism. And he urges Russia and the United States to join forces more readily to share information and intelligence about emerging terrorist threats.