Front cover image for Terrorism : the self-fulfilling prophecy

Terrorism : the self-fulfilling prophecy

In counterterrorism circles, the standard response to questions about the possibility of future attacks is the terse one-liner: "Not if, but when." This mantra supposedly conveys a realistic approach to the problem, but, as Joseba Zulaika argues in Terrorism, it functions as a self-fulfilling prophecy. By distorting reality to fit their own worldview, the architects of the War on Terror prompt the behavior they seek to prevent--a twisted logic that has already played out horrifically in Iraq. In short, Zulaika contends, counterterrorism has become pivotal in promoting terrorism. Exploring the b

eBook, English, 2010
University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2010