Targeting Terrorists: A License to Kill?(Ethics and Global Politics)

About the Book

Targeting Terrorists: A License to Kill? examines the political history and ethics of targeted killing. Avery Plaw's analysis addresses the questions of moral, political and legal justification in the context of the current 'war on terror' and of legitimate/illegitimate forms of counter-terrorism more generally. Given the increasing number of terrorist targetings conducted around the world today and the virtual absence of a sustained public and scholarly debate over the practice, this study makes a crucial contribution to the examination of an increasingly important and troubling subject.

Incorporating insights and arguments from a range of disciplines and approaches, and offering an excellent balance between theory and case studies, this book is highly relevant for courses on ethics, politics, international relations and international law.

Table of Contents:

Contents: The issue of targeting terrorists; The development of Israel's terrorist targeting policy; The expansion of Israeli targeting during the 2nd intifada; The development of the US terrorist targeting policy; The legality of targeting terrorists; The politics of targeting terrorists; The morality of targeting terrorists; Talking about targeting; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author :
Avery Plaw is Assistant Professor, Political Science Department, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, USA.

Review :
Shortlisted for the 2009 CPSA Prize in International Relations 'Avery Plaw's book is a timely and insightful analysis of the neglected issue of targeted killings in the context of international law and world politics...This is a work of "international ethics"; but it is one that is grounded solidly in empirical and historical research. While some of Plaw's conclusions may be controversial, there is no doubt that this book will be of great interest to both academics and practitioners - indeed, to all those who ponder the political and normative dilemmas that have arisen in the wake of 9/11.' CPSA Annual Meeting Programme 'Avery Plaw's title exactly describes his book. He doesn't use terrorism as an excuse for meta-ethical theorizing. He addresses the actual moral and legal arguments as they are being made, right now, and he evaluates them with great analytical skill. He is genuinely interested in the immediate question: Should terrorists be targeted? His book provides a model for answering questions like that.' Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA 'Throughout the world, political and military leaders constantly grapple with the legal and ethical challenges of targeted killings. Avery Plaw's analysis of this controversial tactic in our nation's counter-terrorism arsenal is compelling, comprehensive and timely.' James Forest, US Military Academy, USA 'Avery Plaw provides an invaluable service to those interested in the normative dilemmas that have arisen during the "war on terror". By reading American and Israeli policies of targeted killing alongside of each other, he demonstrates the logics that motivate counter-terrorism policies in both countries. His analyses of the legal, political and ethical dimensions of these policies is nuanced and reflects an engagement with the most recent literature in these fields. This book should be required reading for scholars in a wide range of fields, including international relations, security studies, and international law.' Anthony F Lang, Jr., University of St Andrews, UK 'While there has been considerable discussion on the use of water-boarding, phone-tapping, preemptive strikes, rendition, and other novel tactics in the war on terror, Avery Plaw's well researched book introduces a tactic that has gone largely un-noticed: the targeted killing of terrorists. Looking at the Israeli precedents for a campaign of targeted assassination, Plaw provides a highly readable account of America's journey into the killing of its Al Qaeda enemies. Targeting Terrorists provides cutting edge insight into topics ranging from the morality and logistics of using predator drones, laser guided bombs and gunmen to kill high value targets to the history of Israeli assassinations of its Palestinian enemies. This work is must reading for both counter-terrorism experts and generalists interested in the murkier aspects of America's global war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the globe.' Brian Williams, Jamestown Foundation, and University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, USA '...Avery Plaw's examination of terrorist targeting is a commendable, practical application of "jus ad bellum" principles...recent books on Just War thinking...invite scholars to take Just War scholarship outside of the ivory tower and into a realm of actuality - this is exactly what Plaw does after he rigorously examines the arguments for and against state targeting of terrorists.' Journal of Military Ethics 'Undoubtedly, this is a compelling and incisive book that gives a reader value for time...The book is thought provoking and it is certain to arouse crucial international debate on the subject.' Military Law and the Law of War Review 'Mr. Melzer's monograph is a very articulated and expert account of the legal framework governing targeted killings in both peacetime and during an armed conflict. It is recommended for those who want to expand their knowledge of the topic.' NATO Legal Gazette