Terrorism as crime : from Oklahoma City to Al-Qaeda and beyond / Mark S. Hamm.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 225-242) and index.

Criminal stupidity and the age of sacred terrorism : the first World Trade Center bombing -- Vulnerabilities of the Jihad -- prelude to 9/11 : the U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania -- The legacy of lost causes : the covenant, the sword, and the arm of the Lord -- Charisma, conflict, and style : the Order -- The seduction of terrorist mythology : the Aryan Republican Army -- Al-Qaeda, the radical right, and beyond : the current terrorist threat.

Car bombing, suicide bombing, abduction, smuggling, homicide, and hijacking are all profoundly criminal acts. In Terrorism as Crime, Mark S. Hamm presents an understanding of terrorism from a criminological point of view, arguing that the most successful way to understand, detect, prosecute and deter these acts is to use conventional criminal investigation methods. Whether in Oklahoma City or London, Terrorism as Crime demonstrates that criminal activity is the lifeblood of terrorist groups and that there are simple common denominators at work that can remove the mystery surrounding many of these terrorist groups. Once understood the vulnerabilities of these organizations can be exposed. This important volume focuses in on six case studies of crimes committed by jihad and domestic right wing groups, including biographies of more than two dozen terrorists along with descriptions of their organizations, strategies, and terrorist plots. Terrorism as Crime offers an original and significant framework for explaining international and domestic terrorism, as well as how future acts might be detected or exposed.