Islamic terror abductions in the Middle East / Shaul Shay.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shay, Shaul.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Terrorism--Middle East.

Terrorism.

Kidnapping.

Middle East.

Kidnapping--Middle East.

Physical Description:

viii, 197 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Brighton ; Portland : Sussex Academic Press, 2007.

Summary:

This book investigates abductions, hostage taking, beheadings, and global jihad influences in four theatres in the Middle East over the last 25 years (1980-2005): Israel (as a part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. It includes discussion of the William Buckley, William Higgins and "Iran gate" abductions. The "Nachshon Waxman" affair - the Israeli soldier abducted and murdered by HAMAS in 1994 - is presented as a case study in understanding the four major phases of an abduction - preparation and planning, carrying out the abduction, negotiations, and the rescue attempt.

Terrorist organizations use abduction as a tool for promotion of their and their patrons' interests. Examination of Middle East abductions, and the relations/correlations between Islamic terrorist organizations and Iran, demonstrates Iran's role as a terror supporting state, and the promotion of Iranian interests by its terrorist surrogates.

The author examines the challenge posed by terrorist organizations for countries whose citizens have been abducted and the answers to that challenge, and provides theoretical classifications of the terror phenomenon in general and abductions/beheadings in particular. An Epilogue details the June/July 2006 abductions of Israeli soldiers, and the context of Operation "Change of Direction" - the Israeli Defense Forces incursions into Lebanon, and the simultaneous action against Gaza.

Contents:

Terror and abductions : western vulnerability and dilemma

Defining terror

Defining abduction

Abductions : an "act of war" or a "criminal act"?

State intervention in abduction and bargaining incidents

Abductions in the Palestinian arena and the Nachshon Wachsman affair

Abductions and bargaining incidents in the Israeli/Palestinian confrontation

The Hamas movement : ideological, operational, characteristics

Abductions and attempted abductions by the Hamas

The abduction and killing of Nachshon Wachsman

The main characteristics of Hamas abductions

The Hizballah and abductions in the Lebanese arena

Iran and its use of terror

Exporting the Iranian revolution

Iranian intelligence and terror agencies

The Iranian terror system

The Hizballah Organization

Links between Iran and the Hamas

Hizballah abductions against Israel

Israel's policy regarding captives and hostages

The abduction of foreign hostages in Lebanon

Imad Muraniya and the attack mechanism

The kidnapping of foreign nationals

Abductions in the Iraqi arena

Hostage-taking and decapitations, 2003-2005

The Islamic tradition of decapitation

Justification through religious doctrine

Abductions in Yemen

Yemen and Islamic terror

The abduction of foreign residents

The arrest of the "British" terror network in Yemen (December 23, 1998)

The confrontation arenas, western governments' policy, and crimes against humanity by offending states and organizations

The Israeli-Palestinian confrontation arena

The Lebanese arena

Yemen

The Iraqi arena

Points of emphasis and lessons to be drawn

Epilogue : abduction of Israeli soldiers and civilians (June and July 2006)

The Hamas government, Abu Mazen and kidnapping

Abductions by Hizballah in the Zar'it sector

Al Qaida claims responsibility for the murder of the Egyptian Ambassador in Iraq.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 182-184) and index.

ISBN:

9781845191672

1845191676

OCLC:

77504121