[.ca] Terrorism and the International Legal Order: With ... (ISBN 9067041483)

Terrorism and the International Legal Order:
Since the tragic events of September 11th, there have been many books written about terrorism and the law but few are as balanced as van Krieken's Terrorism and the International Legal Order. Rather than focusing on the perpetrators or their acts, this book places terrorism in context with the various instruments of law. It is a must read for any student of international relations and/or international law. It is an excellent resource and guide to the relevant United Nations (UN) and non-UN conventions and legal instruments dealing with terrorism The "red line" of the book is that terrorism is "unjustifiable" regardless of the perpetrators motives, actions or intentions. This, van Krieken points out, was not always the case. The General Assembly, especially in the 1960's during the years of decolonisation and self-determination, dared to sympathize with terrorists. In the General Assembly's Resolution 44/29 it sought to determine "the underlying misery, frustration and despair which cause some people to sacrifice human lives, including their own in an attempt to effect radical changes" (pg. 113). Such thinking, van Krieken argues, has never been legally nor morally correct and is no longer the accepted stance of the United Nations. The book investigates each of the six arms of the Untied Nations (the General Assembly, Security Council, Secretariat, International Court of Justice, Economic and Social Council and the now defunct Trusteeship Council) and outlines their contribution to the fight against terrorism. Each of the arms has passed significant resolutions and reports and investigated incidences of terrorism which have contributed to the international legal order. Van Krieken, however, is quick to point out that the law is only a tool and not a goal in itself. While the law may view terrorism as illegal, politics may frustrate these laws. For example, the decision to provide the gunmen who seized the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem safe haven in Europe is in direct contrast to the intentions of Security Council Resolution 1373 which states that terrorists should never be allowed safe haven and that the principle of aut dedere aut judicare (prosecute or extradite) should be reinforced. Remarkably, with all of the legal documents and conventions contained within this book, it is very readable especially for non-lawyers. At the same time, it is also a valuable resource for practitioners and academics. van Krieken is careful to always place terrorism in today's context; the discussion on crossborder issues and terrorism is particularly interesting and one that is usually forgotten. It therefore represents one of those rare marriages of "legalize" and common sense. Despite over a hundred different definitions and the emotion associated with terrorism, van Krieken is able to tease out the new international legal order and make it tangible. His writing is clear and precise. The footnotes, rather than being a distraction, contribute to the reader's understanding of the thinking behind many of the resolutions and should not be missed. The one weakness of this book, however, is the lack of annotated index; this should be included in any new revisions of the book. Terrorism is, sadly, not a new concept and one that we read about nearly every day in the newspaper. If you wish to place terrorism within the greater legal context, then this book is a must read.

In-depth analysis of international law and terrorism:
Terrorism and the International Legal Order is an excellent compilation of international law regarding terrorism. The book reviews important UN resolutions passed before and after September 11th, it presents definitions of terrorism throughout recent history in order to determine exactly what terrorism is, and it supplies information on the treatment of the topic by several UN bodies. Further, Van Kieken explores the connection between international terrorism and migration (laws), and refers to several cases while putting them in an international law context. The book also includes most relevant texts of UN conventions, resolutions, etc. Overall, this book provides a clear and concise insight into the legal aspects regarding (international) terrorism. It is especially recommended to those who have a previous understanding of international law/institutions/relations, without which this volume might prove somewhat challenging to read. Also, it is very useful for students of international law/relations, or anyone attempting to grasp these issues surrounding terrorism.

In-depth analysis of international law and terrorism:
Terrorism and the International Legal Order is an excellent compilation of international law regarding terrorism. The book reviews important UN resolutions passed before and after September 11th, it presents definitions of terrorism throughout recent history in order to determine exactly what terrorism is, and it supplies information on the treatment of the topic by several UN bodies. Further, Van Kieken explores the connection between international terrorism and migration (laws), and refers to several cases while putting them in an international law context. The book also includes most relevant texts of UN conventions, resolutions, etc. Overall, this book provides a clear and concise insight into the legal aspects regarding (international) terrorism. It is especially recommended to those who have a previous understanding of international law/institutions/relations, without which this volume might prove somewhat challenging to read. Also, it is very useful for students of international law/relations, or anyone attempting to grasp these issues surrounding terrorism.

Excellent reading:
I find this book to be an excellent addition for those who already have some sort of background or knowledge of international relations and international law etc. It looks into certain aspects of terrorism - examning certain cases. By looking to each organ of the United Nations and its role within combatting terrorism, I find it to be of great use to my studies. The author not only offers facts and documentation - he deeply examines the issues at hand with reference to those facts and documents. By doing so he clarifies somewhat difficult to read UN documents and non-UN documents - explaining them in clear english. Not only did I add to my knowledge of international relations, I learned a lot of new things as well.

A Concerted Approach to the Fight Against Terrorism:
After the initial shock caused by the 09/11/2002 terrorist attacks on the United States, the need to better understand the mechanisms of terrorism, and above all the existing tools to fight it, has become more pressing and has been felt throughout the globe. As rarely a day goes by without some media reference to a possible or an actual terrorist attack, awareness of the available international instruments to fight terrorism is the key to understanding current affairs and the world of today. In the book Terrorism and the International Legal Order, Peter J. van Krieken shares with the reader his in-depth knowledge over international legal institutions. In spite the complexity of the subject, the reader will be guided through some of the major legal instruments - UN and non-UN, international and regional - available in the fight against terrorism with relative ease. The detailed table of contents also offers the reader the possibility of glancing through the whole spectrum quickly and choosing, for example, to learn more precisely about the role of the UN or of some of its bodies (Security Council, General Assembly, ECOSOC, Trusteeship Council, ICJ) in the fight against international terrorism. Before the end of the book, the reader will come to grasp that these present instruments only need to have their effectiveness increased and that, with enhanced cooperation, they can serve as efficient tools in the fight against international terrorism. Terrorism and the International Legal Order is recommended reading for anyone who wishes to understand more clearly and in a very concrete manner the challenges of today's world in the face of terrorism. It is equally recommended to all of those who remain shocked and unconditionally condemn terrorist acts of any kind. It is also recommended to those who realize that civil liberties cannot exist without safety and that at times concessions on the former must be made. Finally, to those rightly concerned about the balance between civil liberties and security, this book is a serious way of understanding the dangers posed by terrorism and possibly a new way to look at the balancing of both.