Terrorism

Introduction

Since September 11, there has been increased interest in terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism, biological warfare, and related topics.

This Web page is intended as a guide to:

Finding books
Finding magazine & journal articles
Finding Web sites
Citing information in a paper

In addition to the resources specific to terrorism listed here, there is also a guide to issues of civil liberties, particularly in the post-9-11 environment.

Finding books & videos

The Library's online catalog lists books, videos, magazines, journals, and other items available at the SFCC or SCC. You can search by author, title, or subject. The keyword option is particularly useful if you aren't sure of a title or the exact Library of Congress subject heading.

Potentially useful headings include:

[for example]

If the book you want is only available at SCC's library, you can request it. Courier service between campuses is fast and efficient for items that aren't already checked out. Items requested from SCC can generally be delivered to the SFCC circulation desk overnight (except on Fridays, with delivery on Monday).

Reference sources

Also consider general reference works on countries and cultures, the most current of which are often located in the Reference stacks on the first floor of the Library. While these items are generally unavailable to be checked out, you are welcome to photocopy from them. You may also wish to browse similar call numbers in the second floor stacks to find sources which can be checked out.

Ref 305.8003 WORLDMA	Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life
Ref 306.097 EN19	Encyclopedia of World Cultures
Ref 320.03 OXFORD	Oxford Companion to Politics of the World
Ref 341.184 EUROPA	Europa World Year Book

Newspapers, Magazines, and Scholarly Journals

Daily newspapers aren't usually scholarly resources, but they can be valuable for documenting local stories and the local effects of national or international events. The SFCC Library subscribes to a variety of newspapers. Paper copies are only kept for one to two months, but older articles can sometimes be found online through services such as ProQuest Direct (see below). Newspapers on microfilm are kept behind the Reference Desk.

Journals and Magazines

To find articles in magazines and scholarly research journals, you can browse current and back issues. However, it is more efficient to use an index. We recommend

ProQuest Direct http://library.spokanefalls.edu/_auth/journal.asp: This is our best general purpose index for a broad range of articles from 1980-present; the full text of some articles is provided online. This index is available from any campus computer; students who have Internet access from home can use this index with a current student ID number. See below for tips on searching ProQuest.
Electric Library http://library.spokanefalls.edu/_auth/journal.asp: Electric Library is aimed at K-12 students, teachers, and parents. It provides full-text articles from magazines and newspapers, book excerpts, and transcripts of selected television broadcasts. Content is rated by "reading level." Look for the "BigChalk Special Report: America's Tragedy" button at the top of the main page.
Country Watch http://library.spokanefalls.edu/_auth/journal.asp: Country Watch is primarily used for background information about political, economic, cultural, business and environmental information. However, one can also find current news wire reports for each country via the Country Wire®. Contact the SFCC Reference Desk for off campus access to this database.

Improving your ProQuest search

A basic search in ProQuest searches article titles, subject headings, and article descriptions for the key words you enter. You almost always get decent results as long as you don't enter too many key words. You can search more precisely, however, using standardized subject or name headings. For example, try entering any of the following, exactly as shown:

NAME(Bin Laden Osama)
SUB(terrorism)
CO(Taliban-Afghanistan)
GEO(Afghanistan)

If you want to narrow your search, you can combine these. For example:

NAME(Bin Laden Osama) and SUB(terrorism)

Locating magazines in the library

The most recent two or three issues of periodicals are kept on the open shelves next to the reference desk. Older issues are in storage; ask for them at the circulation desk.

World Wide Web Resources

The World Wide Web is increasingly useful for scholarly research, as long as you use it with caution.

Try to identify stable, reputable sources. Start with ones we have already selected for you (listed below). If you want to search the Web yourself, here is an excellent site which recommends various search tools for different purposes:

Choose the Best Search Engine for Your Information Needs: http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html

General information on search strategies is available at

"Why Can't I Find Anything I Want on the Internet?": http://GeorgeSuttle.com/teaching/websearching/

Finally, these sites have been selected for you to use as starting points:

Terrorism

11 September 2001: the response http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2001/rp01-072.pdf: This is a 120-page research report (in Adobe's PDF format) from the UK House of Commons on the reaction to events of September 11. It discusses Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda network, Afghanistan, Pakistan, available military options and international law issues. Caution: this server is sometimes slow or unavailable.
Counter-Terrorism http://www.cdt.org/policy/terrorism/: The Center for Democracy and Technology's Counter-Terrorism page includes useful information on the need to respect civil liberties while fighting terrorist threats and activities. They note that "Terrorism poses a serious threat, [but] has been used as the justification for eroding civil liberties. In recent years, communications technologies and the Internet have become the increasing focus of proposals–introduced in the name of fighting terrorism–that really end up only diminishing privacy."
Countering the Changing Threat of International Terrorism http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/commission.html: A lengthy report from the National Commission on Terrorism, released in 2000.
Foreign Terrorist Organizations http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rpt/fto/: Published by the U.S. Department of State, " 'Foreign Terrorist Organizations' is compiled every two years [and] subject to judicial review. The Secretary of State [designates organizations as 'terrorist,' and these designations] expire in two years unless renewed. The law also allows groups to be added at any time following a decision by the Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury. Designations can also be revoked if the Secretary determines that there are grounds for doing so and notifies Congress. Congress can also pass legislation to revoke designations." The 2001 edition of "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" is the most recent one available. This is published under the aegis of the U.S. State Department's Counterterrorism Office, whose website is also worth visiting.
Islamic Terrorism in the United States http://www.nscf.net/terror: This article is by Yossef Bodansky, an "ASCF National Security Fellow." It is published on the website of, and presumably under the aegis of, a Washington-area group called the "National Security Caucus Foundation."
Separatist, Para-military, Military, Intelligence, and Aid Organizations http://www.cromwell-intl.com/security/netusers.html: Terrorists can have Web pages too. So can "freedom fighters." This very long page was "started as a much smaller list of organizations widely accepted as terrorist organizations openly using the Interent ... [but] has since generalized to include those widely accepted as freedom fighters on the side of good, other parties in armed conflicts, quasi-national groups, and other fairly surprising Internet users. Sometimes the Internet presence seems to be the organization itself, sometimes it seems to be nothing but advocacy for or against a cause by an individual or group, and sometimes it is very difficult to tell just what is going on." Author Robert Cromwell, a computer networking and security consultant, does a creditable job tracking and listing the various groups and factions. However, given the nature of these groups, the reliability of their Web presence varies, so caveat browser.
Single Issue Terrorism http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/eng/comment/com74_e.html: Although terrorism is most often associated with a political (or politico-religious) agenda, there are others kinds as well. In this article, Dr. G. Davidson (Tim) Smith, a counter-terrorism specialist with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, discusses "terrorist activities associated with animal rights, environmentalism and abortion."
Terrorism, the Future, and U.S. Foreign Policy http://www.cnie.org/nle/crsreports/risk/rsk-69.pdf: The Congressional Research Service arm of the Library of Congress is noted for its high-quality, non-partisan reports. This one, updated in the wake of the World Trade Center disaster, is an excellent overview of terrorism and the U.S. government's options for response.
Terrorism Research Center http://www.terrorism.com/index.shtml: "Founded in 1996, the Terrorism Research Center, Inc. (TRC) is an independent institute dedicated to the research of terrorism, information warfare, critical infrastructure protection and other issues of low-intensity political violence and gray-area phenomena." The site features "essays and thought pieces on current issues, as well as links to other terrorism documents, research and resources."
Terrorism: Motivations and Causes http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/eng/comment/com53_e.html: The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has a lengthy series of unclassified documents available online in its Commentary series; see the complete Commentary Menu for more articles such as this one, which is by Paul Wilkinson, Head of the School of History and International Relations, University of St. Andrew's, Scotland.
Terrorist and Insurgent Organizations http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/tergps/tg98tc.htm: This list, from the Air University Library at Maxwell AFB, has not been updated recently, though one suspects some of the subsidiary pages, at least, will soon get a make-over. In particular, try the page on Usama bin Laden's al-Qai'da group, the page on International/Transnational Terrorists and the page on general Internet resources.
The Terrorist Attack on America: Background--Foreign Affairs http://www.foreignaffairs.org/home/terrorism.asp: This site, courtesy of the journal Foreign Affairs, offers the full text of ten articles and thirteen book reviews that "contribute to an understanding of the tragic attacks on New York and Washington."
Usama bin Laden Page http://www.emergency.com/1999/bnldn-pg: From the Emergency Response & Research Institute, this is a bibliography of EmergencyNet news articles concerning Usama Bin Laden

Chemical & Biological Weapons

An Assessment of the Biological Weapons Threat to the United States http://www.fas.org/bwc/papers/dartmthb.htm: Milton Leitenberg prepared this " 'White Paper' ... for the Conference on Emerging Threats Assessment. Biological Terrorism, at the Institute for Security Technology Studies, Dartmouth College, July 7-9, 2000."
Anthrax as a Biological Weapon: Medical & Public Health Management http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v281n18/ffull/jst80027.html: A "consensus statement" originally published in JAMA, (Journal of the American Medical Association) in 1999. In it, "Specific consensus recommendations are made regarding the diagnosis of anthrax, indications for vaccination, therapy for those exposed, postexposure prophylaxis, decontamination of the environment, and additional research needs." The article is also available in PDF format.
Anthrax Vaccine and Biological Weapons Issues http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/anthrax/anthrax.htm: Somewhat forgotten in the aftermath of September 11th is the story of the U.S. Army's less than successful anthrax vaccination plan for all enlistees. Many of the links and resources on this somewhat dated bibliography (July 2000) deal with that, although there are also useful links and citations for general chem/bio information.
Biological, Chemical Weapons: Arm Yourself With Information http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=MH00027: A lengthy article from MayoClinic.com, with sound advice and links to further information.
Biological Weapons in the 20th Century: a Review and Analysis http://www.fas.org/bwc/papers/bw20th.htm: "This paper [by Milton Leitenberg] was prepared for the 7th International Symposium on Protection against Chemical and Biological Warfare, Stockholm, Sweden, June 2001."
Bioterrorism Homeland Defense: the Next Steps http://www.rand.org/publications/CF/CF155/CF155.1.pdf: See also the Rand page of newslinks on terrorism as well as their resources on Afghanistan, some of which are available online.
Botulinum Toxin as a Biological Weapon: Medical & Public Health Management http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v285n8/ffull/jst00017.html: Another in a series of "consensus statements" originally published in JAMA, (Journal of the American Medical Association) in 1999. As with other articles in the series, the authors seek consensus recommendations for the medical and public health communities to follow in the event of an attack on a civilian population. The article is also available in PDF format.
Chemical and Biological Arms Control Program http://www.fas.org/bwc/: This site, from the Federation of American Scientists, deals largely with C&B arms control issues, although there is also much useful information on the weapons themselves. See in particular the section entitled Focus on Recent Developments.
FAQ on the deliberate use of biological agents and chemicals as weapons http://www.who.int/emc/questions.htm: From the World Health Organization, this is a brief overview (with answers) of the most frequently asked questions.
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons http://www.opcw.nl/: This Netherlands-based Web site offers a plenitude of resources, especially in the sections entitled "Fact-Finding Files" and "Links to Other Internet Sources." The page on Responding to Chemical Terrorism answers common questions.
Plague as a Biological Weapon: Medical & Public Health Management http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v283n17/ffull/jst90013.html: This is another in a series of "consensus statements" originally published in JAMA, (Journal of the American Medical Association) in 1999, to discuss "measures to be taken by medical and public health professionals following the use of plague as a biological weapon against a civilian population." The authors conclude that "an aerosolized plague weapon could cause fever, cough, chest pain, and hemoptysis with signs consistent with severe pneumonia 1 to 6 days after exposure. Rapid evolution of disease would occur in the 2 to 4 days after symptom onset and would lead to septic shock with high mortality without early treatment." The article is also available in PDF format.
Smallpox as a Biological Weapon: Medical & Public Health Management http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v281n22/ffull/jst90000.html: The goal of this "consensus statement," originally published in JAMA, (Journal of the American Medical Association) in 1999, is to "develop consensus-based recommendations for measures to be taken by medical and public health professionals following the use of smallpox as a biological weapon against a civilian population." The authors conclude that "In the event of an actual release of smallpox and subsequent epidemic, early detection, isolation of infected individuals, surveillance of contacts, and a focused selective vaccination program will be the essential items of an effective control program." The article is also available in PDF format.
The Specter of Biological Weapons http://www.sciam.com/1296issue/1296cole.html: An article by Leonard Cole which originally appeared in Scientific American, December 1996.
The Threat of Chemical/Biological Terrorism http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/eng/comment/com60_e.html: This article, from 1995, is slightly outdated, but there is still much valuable background information.
Tularemia as a Biological Weapon: Medical & Public Health Management http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v285n21/ffull/jst10001.html: As with other "consensus statements" originally published in JAMA, (Journal of the American Medical Association), the goal here is to "develop consensus-based recommendations for measures to be taken by medical and public health professionals following the use of tularemia as a biological weapon against a civilian population." The article is also available in PDF format.

Homeland Defense & Responding to Terrorist Incidents

Combating Terrorism http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/cqr19950721.html: A thorough, though now dated, article originally published in The CQ Researcher, July 21, 1995.
Emergency Response to Chemical/Biological Terrorist Incidents http://www.emergency.com/cbwlesn1.htm: The Emergency Response and Research Institute includes several pages that are of interest. This one, on responding to chem/bio incidents, dates from August, 1997, but still offers useful background and advice.
Terrorists, WMD, and the Army Reserve http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/97autumn/mercier.htm: The use of WMD, or Weapons of Mass Destruction, on the U. S. civilian population would cause massive casualties and property damage. In this article, which originally appeared in , Colonel Charles L. Mercier, Jr. discusses the scope of such a disaster and the role of Army Reserve personnel in the aftermath of an attack. The article originally appeared in 1997 in Parameters: US Army War College Quarterly, XXVII (3), 98-118.
When Terror Strikes, Who Should Respond? http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/01autumn/Weiss.htm: Aaron Weiss discusses "the Defense Department's role in domestic consequence management following a catastrophic terrorist attack," noting that the Defense Dept. "has been assigned a disproportionate amount of domestic consequence management responsibilities." A timely article from the Autumn 2001 issue of Parameters: US Army War College Quarterly, XXXI (3), 117-33. The same issue of Parameters also contains Terrence Kelly's article "An Organizational Framework for Homeland Defense."

Islam & the Arabic World

Islamic Fundamentalism http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/cqr20000324.html: This is a solid, reasonably even-handed overview, originally published in The CQ Researcher 10 (11), March 24, 2000.
Islamic Studies, Islam, Arabic, and Religion http://www.arches.uga.edu/~godlas/: This website is maintained by Dr. Alan Godlas of the University of Georgia. In addition to information on Islam and related subjectsm, there is a special section on the recent acts of terrorism, the Taleban, Bin Laden, the crisis in Afghanistan, and Islamic responses.
Jihad http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/epr_jihad.html: Extracted from Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion, ed. Robert Wuthnow. 2 vols. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1998, 425-426.

Other Guides and Resources

Bibliographies http://web.nps.navy.mil/~library/bibliogs.htm: From the Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Contemporary Conflicts http://www.cfcsc.dnd.ca/links/wars/index.html: A site provided by the Information Resource Centre at the Canadian Forces College. It is part of their "War, Peace, and Security" Web server.
Countries of the World and International Organizations: Sources of Information http://www.cnie.org/nle/crsreports/information/info-2.cfm#_1_11: An extended bibliography compiled by Barbara A. Salazar and published under the auspices of the Congressional Research Service.
DefenseLink sites http://www.defenselink.mil/sites/: This page offers direct links to some of the most important and most popular DoD Sites; you may also want to browse the parent DefenseLink page.
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical [Weapons] http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/nbc/nbccont.htm: A lengthy bibliography of mostly print sources, compiled by by Linda K. Colding at the Air University Library, Maxwell AFB. The Air University Library has many other bibliographies of varying vintage.
Reference & Research Resources on the Events of September 11, 2001 http://www.freepint.com/gary/91101.html: A very extensive list of resources compiled by free-lance librarian and researcher Gary Price. He has compiled a separate Anthrax and Bioterrorism Webliography.
Resources on the Islamic World http://cmcu.georgetown.edu/resources.htm: An extensive list of resources provided by the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.
Terrorism http://web.nps.navy.mil/~library/terrorism.htm: A list of resources prepared at the Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. The Knox Library's list of resources on Chemical , Biological, and Nuclear Terrorism/Warfare has not been updated as recently, but is extensive and still worth consulting.
Terrorism and Security Collection http://www.nap.edu/terror/: The National Academy Press allows people to read the full text of all its books online; one can also order them in hard copy. This page offers easy access to 26 books they deemed relevant to the issues of terrorism and security. In addition to browsing the books' content, readers can search using the site's search engine for specific text within books.

How to cite sources in your paper

As with any other source you use, information found on Web sites must be cited and attributed. No one really agrees yet on the best method for citing electronic and Internet sources. The two most common citation styles--the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA)--have been modified and adapted to keep track of Internet sources:

MLA Style

Citing Sources: A collection of links, handouts, and class guides dealing with citing print and online sources in MLA style
Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format: A good general purpose handout from Purdue's Online Writing Center (OWL)

APA Style

Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the APA: http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html
Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html

For comments or questions about this page contact SFCC Reference Desk

URL: http://library.spokanefalls.edu/guides/terrorism.stm
Last modified: Thursday, January 13, 2005.