Rohan Gunaratna

"Inside Al Qaeda examines the leadership, ideology, structure, strategies, and tactics of the most violent politico-religious organization the world has ever seen. Although founded in 1988, Al Qaeda merged with, and still works with, several other extremist groups. Hence Al Qaeda rank and file draw on nearly three decades of terrorist expertise. Moreover, it inherited a full-fledged training and operational infrastructure funded by the American, European, Saudi Arabian, and other governments for use in the anti-Soviet jihad.". "This book sheds light on Al Qaeda's financial infrastructure and how the organization trains combat soldiers and vanguard fighters for multiple guerrilla, terrorist, and semiconventional campaigns in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the Caucasus, and the Balkans. In addition, the author covers the clandestine Al Qaeda operational network in the West."--BOOK JACKET.

With particular reference to Research and Analysis Wing of India.

Counter-Terrorism: A Reference Handbook outlines the threat of terrorism and ways to combat it. Written by two expert insiders in the field, this extensive examination surveys a wide range of diverse terrorist groups from the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) to Al Qaeda. It shows how key trends and patterns in domestic and international terrorism such as suicide bombings require counter strategies and tactics including surveillance and reconnaissance.||Case studies of terrorist organizations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Balkans, and the Caucasus, and profiles of terrorists like Khalid Sheikh Mohommad, alias Mokhtar (The Brain), who masterminded the Al Qaeda attack on 9/11, illustrate the growing network of groups and leaders harnessing the forces of globalization. Finally, the authors suggest lthat no single state can act effectively on its own to confront terrorism--instead, a wide range of strategies needs to be adopted by all.

Al Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban, and their allies are poised to return to Afghanistan and the Mujahidin in Pakistan may once again draw the support of pools of fighters. Experts from the countries discussed explain the post-2014 key strategic decisions that face policymakers in Afghanistan, the United States, and the region.

"Since January 2004, the violence in the southern provinces in Thailand has claimed more than 4,600 lives. The violence has also adversely affected the local economy and quality of life in the southern provinces. The atmosphere of fear and intimidation is dividing the society on religious lines with growing apprehension that what began as a separatist nationalist conflict might well end up as a clash between Buddhism and Islam. There is also a strong potential for the Muslim insurgency in southern Thailand to get sucked into the global jihad. Gunaratna and Acharya provide a short history of the conflict, which dates at least to the early 1900s, as well as an analysis of factors contributing to the most recent escalation of violence in 2004. The authors shed light on the causes of the Southern Thai conflict and examine its potential to spread from Thailand to neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. A strong potential also exists for this predominantly localized conflict to get absorbed into the global jihad. In addition to analyzing the insurgents' capabilities and opportunities, the authors provide a critique of government policies and make astute suggestions for resolving the conflict"--Provided by publisher.

"This unique work is the first to address the subject of community engagement strategies in countering extremism, and explores the development and research of these strategies. In so doing it demystifies the process of community engagement, while simultaneously extolling the virtues of the ground breaking strategies to have been effectively employed in Asia, the Middle East, and the West. The book then proceeds to examine the efforts of community engagement made by several countries against their unique operational and geopolitical environments. Finally, detailed reference is made to the role and work of the media and non-government organizations to have conducted effective community engagement efforts. With contributions from authors of diverse backgrounds, including media, the social services, security, and academia, this book will be of interest to both the general public and to researchers. "--Publisher's website.