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7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 A primer for a tough subject Nov 30, 2009
By Barbara
"ouma geek"
Except for the use of torture in interrogating terrorist prisoners, no other topic in the field of counterterrorism generates as much heated controversy and debate as "targeted killing." In this small but comprehensive book Thomas Hunter provides counterterrorism scholars, analysts, and experts with a much needed primer that defines, explains and discusses the practice of targeted killing. Hunter begins by distingushing the difference between assassination, which he defines as the premeditated killing of a prominent person for political or ideological reasons, and targeted killing, which he asserts is a valid method of state self-defence in the war on terrorism. Despite a number of serious legal and moral issues raised by opponents of targeted killing, Hunter makes a well reasoned, clearly articulated and altogether persuasive case for using it as a defensive tactic against terrorist threats. Backed by exhaustive research, he explores the legal and moral issues involved, the position of the United Nations on a state's right to self-defense and preemption, and includes a sensible discussion of how targeted killing may be used to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Hunter also reviews several case studies of targeted killing by the US, Israel, and Great Britain. In addition he provides a most useful appendix of selected international instances of targeted killing between 1973 and 2004. Soon after taking office, President Barack Obama quickly made clear that his administration intended to continue the policy of targeted killing, primarily through the use of unmanned armed drone aircraft, against radical muslim terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the border areas of Pakistan. This policy is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future thus making Thomas Hunter's seminal book a required tool for understanding the growing complexity of the struggle against terrorism.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Highly Recommended... this is a great book! Nov 18, 2009
By E. Werner
I don't normally post reviews, but I wanted to take a minute to recommend this book. Like most folks, I follow the news on a daily basis, whether on CNN, BBC, or the local news. But, I often find that some of the stories pertaining to terrorism/terrorist attacks seem to raise more questions than provide answers. I am often wondering who these groups are, where do they operate, why do they do what they do, and most importantly, what policies could we implement to counter-act these terrorist groups and their activities. This book goes a long way to explaining one aspect of that - the targeting of specific terrorists in order to stop specific incidents from occurring. While the author admits that this counterterrorism policy (for lack of a better term) isn't always the correct solution, the argument he presents did get me thinking a lot about this aspect of fighting terrorism. I recommend this book wholeheartedly - hopefully people will grab a copy so that we can all have some better insight into countering terrorism. Highly recommended!!!
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Informative Nov 19, 2009
By Ellen H. Mai
"E."
I recently read this book while on an overseas trip and wanted to commend the author on presenting this subject to the public in such a straightforward yet insightful manner. Obviously, the author seems quite qualified to write on this subject, which is one of the main reasons I ordered it - and I was not disappointed! I have often wondered how and why governments "go after" certain terrorists (like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq) and this book goes a very long way to explaining the whole of the subject matter. I have already recommended this to friends as a great resource for information as to how the US (and other countries) fight the war on terrorism.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 An explanation of the topic Dec 31, 2009
By Naor Wallach
What is the concept of "targeted killing"? How does it differ from "assassination", or military deaths? If you care about these distinctions, or wonder if targeted killing is a technique that can or should be used as an instrument of state, then this book will answer those questions.
The book is written as an explanation of this controversial technique. Targeted killing is defined as "the killing of an individual or group of individuals without regard for politics of ideology, but rather exclusively for reasons of state self-defense". This is in contrast to an assassination which is defined by the book as "the killing of an individual or group of individuals for purely political or ideological reasons" As you can see there are two differences here: one being that politics and ideology either play, or do not play a role, and secondly, that a state employs targeted killed for self defense reasons.
Targeted killings have been around for a long time, but they have become more commonplace in this age of Islamic terrorism. Terrorists do not abide by the "rules of war" - for instance, they do not wear uniforms, do not carry their weapons openly, and do not restrict themselves to their country of origin or sponsor. So, it is not easy to tell who they are. In addition, they tend to like to live in densely populated cities surrounded by thousands of innocent people who provide an additional cover to them. And it is even better if those people are even remotely sympathetic to their cause as then they can build support networks and move around without suspicion while those sent to take them out will stick out like sore thumbs. Of course, the host countries may be tacitly supporting them and would not appreciate another country breaking down its sovereignty to kill the terrorists.
The book discusses the definition of targeted killings and spends the bulk of its space in doing so and in examining examples of how states use this tool. There are three case studies of countries that have been known to use the tool both successfully and unsuccessfully and mention is made of many other countries that are not studied in depth, but the implication is that most countries will consider the use of this technique if necessary. The author builds the case for the technique and explains some of the ways in which it can fail - punctuated by examples. There is also a chapter that discusses how the tool fails and what the consequences can be.
The one area that the book spends very little space on - which is a shame - is in providing recommendations. Once we have reached the point where we understand what the author is telling us about this tool, and understand the history of its evolution, and especially its recent evolution, the next obvious question in one's mind is to look for recommendations on when, how, and where such a tool should be used. That part is missing in this book and caused me to take away one star from the review. This is especially true in this case as the book is very topical and current and the world demands an answer to the question of how to stop terrorism. But, this book stops short of discussing the best ways and times of using targeted killings as a tool against terrorism and when it should not be used. The book itself is a very short one (an expanded set of essays, really) so it should not have been too difficult to add some more chapters with recommendations.
Since the author is clearly well versed in the details and particulars of this subject, and has thought long and hard about it, and investigated, researched, and read much about it, I am sure that a set of recommendations would have been a more than welcome addition to this book and one that would have made it a very valuable addition to the current literature on the subject and a step forward in understanding how to deal with and eliminate terrorism. I am hoping that the author will take that into consideration if he chooses to revise the book. This would be particularly useful as the author clearly shows that targeted killings can be a mixed bag in fights against death cults like the current strains of Islamic terrorism. So, what has he learned and thought could be done?
For us more casual readers, this is a good introduction to the subject and provides much candid information and a framework for thinking about the war on terrorism and how bound modern countries are by restrictions from the past and how we need to evolve to help the whole world get rid of the evil specter of terrorism. If you want to understand more about the concept and practice of targeted killings and the limitations of it, this is a productive read!
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
The best defense is a good offense Dec 27, 2009
By Jason Kirkfield
"The Pride and Sorrow of children's book reviewers"
All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.
(François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire)
***
Voltaire was speaking cynically of the double standard of morality as it applies to soldiers at war. To be fair, a nation's military has different responsibilities than does its common citizenry. But even in this arena, there is apparently an even more specialized role (operating under an equally more nebulous cloud of moral ambiguity) for those who espouse the theory put forth in the title of this review (General Carl von Clausewitz, Prussian military strategist and author of "On War"). And while even Monday Night Football announcers recite this stratagem nowadays, the idea of preemptive self defense is apparently not a new one, although the increase in asymmetric warfare (see War on Terror) has made targeted killing one more way to put up a fight, though it remains a hotly debated topic.
I enjoyed Mr. Hunter's honesty and insight. Obviously his background in intelligence analysis serves him well in communicating a technical (and generally not commonly known) subject matter. Certainly I learned something from the volume, whether the distinction--made early on--between targeted killing and assassination, or the enumeration of state-sponsored targeted killing actions over the past thirty years.
Unlike most cases of self-defense, justification for targeted killing is not necessarily based on an immediate and direct threat of harm, but rather a strategic elimination of a possible future threat. Essentially it is taking a chance. A huge chance in some cases. And the downsides are myriad. Are the estimates of potential future harm even accurate? What about collateral damage to nearby innocents? Even if successful, will political fallout damage the nation's international reputation?
The War on Terror being what it is, despite all these concerns, targeted killing will continue to be an option for some nations. Indeed, in the absence of a time machine, it may offer the best option for neutralizing a threat before it happens.
The book, with its black cover and lack of publisher (it must surely be self published) has an arresting appearance; it looks like it belongs in the reference library of an intelligence service!
[The reviewer was provided with a complimentary copy of the book.]
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