Terrorism and Torture An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Terrorism and torture are twin evils that have dominated news headlines - particularly since the horrifying events of 9/11. In this thought-provoking volume, scholars from a diverse range of disciplines examine the complex motivational and situational factors contributing to terrorist acts and state-sponsored torture, and the potential linkage between those two heinous human behaviors. They also consider the strategies that might reduce the threat of future terrorist acts, and the perceived necessity to engage in morally reprehensible - and often illegal - torture practices. With its integrated synthesis of contemporary theories and research on the complex dynamics of the terrorism-torture link, this is an authoritative source for scholars and students of psychology, criminal justice, law, media, communication studies, and political science. It will also appeal to students of other disciplines with an interest in the study of terrorism and torture.

Preface; 1. The terrorism-torture link: when evil begets evil Werner G. K. Stritzke and Stephan Lewandowsky; 2. Torture, terrorism, and the moral prohibition on killing non-combatants Alex J. Bellamy; 3. The equivalent logic of torture and terrorism: the legal regulation of moral monstrosity Ben Saul; 4. War versus criminal justice in response to terrorism: the losing logic of torture Clark McCauley; 5. Reducing the opportunities for terrorism: applying the principles of situational crime prevention Ronald V. Clarke and Graeme R. Newman; 6. From the terrorists' point of view: toward a better understanding of the staircase to terrorism Fathali M. Moghaddam; 7. If they're not crazy, then what? The implications of social psychological approaches to terrorism for conflict management Winnifred R. Louis; 8. The cycle of righteous destruction: a Terror Management Theory perspective on terrorist and counter-terrorist violence Tom Pyszczynski, Zachary Rothschild, Matt Motyl and Abdolhossein Abdollahi; 9. Misinformation and the 'War on Terror': when memory turns fiction into fact Stephan Lewandowsky, Werner G. K. Stritzke, Klaus Oberauer and Michael Morales; 10. Icons of fear: terrorism, torture, and the media John Tulloch; 11. What explains torture coverage during war-time? A search for realistic answers Doris Graber and Gregory Holyk; 12. Reversed negatives: how the news media respond to 'our' atrocities Rodney Tiffen; 13. Terrorism and TV news coverage of the 2001 Australian election David Denemark; 14. Terrorism, anxiety, and war Leonie Huddy, Stanley Feldman and Erin Cassese; 15. I'm right, you're dead: speculations about the roots of fanaticism Carmen Lawrence; 16. Reducing terrorist risk: integrating jurisdictional and opportunity approaches Joseph Clare and Frank Morgan.

In this 2009 volume, scholars from various disciplines examine the complex factors contributing to terrorist acts and state-sponsored torture, and the potential linkage between these two behaviours. They also consider the strategies that might reduce the threat of terrorist acts and the perceived necessity to engage in morally reprehensible - and often illegal - torture practices.