Edward Marks

Michael B. Kraft

"Writing with years of experience in government, Ambassador Edward Marks and Michael Kraft have produced a splendid history of America’s long campaign against terrorism. The book analyzes the recent changes in technology and tactics that have profoundly altered today’s terrorist challenge...to understand where we are and how we got there, start here."—Brian Michael Jenkins, The Rand Corporation "...This book provides important perspective on where the United States has been in this fight and how that fight must evolve in the new administration. It is must reading for the Trump Administration and anyone else seriously concerned about the next steps in this long struggle." —Brig. Gen. Francis X Taylor, USAF (Rtd.), Former U.S. Coordinator for Counterterrorism and DHS Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis "...an indispensable guide to U.S. counterterrorism efforts and policies spanning five decades and nine presidencies ... (The book) fills a significant gap in the literature by providing an invaluable historical context to this unending struggle." —Professor Bruce Hoffman, Director, Security Studies, Georgetown University "A clear and comprehensive survey of American policy toward terrorism over the past half century ... it provides essential background for analysis of future policy." —Martha Crenshaw, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University U.S. Counterterrorism: From Nixon to Trump - Key Challenges, Issues, and Responses examines the "war on modern terrorism," from the Nixon administration to the early stages of the Trump administration. The book describes the evolution of U.S. counterterrorism responses to the changing terrorist threats, from primarily secular groups, to those with broad-reaching fundamentalist religious goals such as ISIS. The authors highlight the accelerating rate of changes in the terrorism situation from modern technology; the internet, "lone wolf" terrorists, cyber threats, and armed drones. The book describes the Bush Administration’s dealing with terrorism as an existential threat and a Global War on Terrorism following 9/11. It then discusses how the Obama administration both continued and modified previous policies. The book provides an extensive list of key documents for those interested in the original texts and a discussion of legal issues. U.S. Counterterrorism provides insights and a useful backdrop for future decisions by the new administration and Congress.

From Nixon to Trump – Key Challenges, Issues, and Responses

U.S. Counterterrorism

Young American Foreign Service officers are accustomed to being teased by friends and relatives as to what they do in the “Foreign Legion” or the “Forest Service.” In the United States, unlike in many countries, the role of a professional diplomat is little known or understood. In A Professional Foreigner Edward Marks describes his life as an American diplomat who served during the last four decades of the twentieth century, from 1959 to 2001. Serving primarily in Africa and Asia, Marks was present during the era of decolonization in Africa (but always seemed to be at the opposite end of the continent from the hottest developments), was intimately involved in the early days of the U.S. government’s antiterrorism programs, observed the unfolding of a nasty and tragic ethnic conflict in one of the most charming countries in the world, and saw the end of the Cold War at UN headquarters in New York. Along the way Marks served as the U.S. ambassador to two African nations. In this memoir Marks depicts a Foreign Service officer’s daily life, providing insight into the profession itself and what it was like to play a role in the steady stream of history, in a world of quotidian events often out of the view of the media and the attention of the world. Marks’s stories—such as rescuing an American citizen from a house of ill repute in Mexico and the attempt to recruit mongooses for drug intervention in Sri Lanka—are both entertaining and instructive on the work of diplomats and their contributions to the American story.

Life in Diplomacy

A Professional Foreigner

William Hubert Lewis

Peacekeeping emerged in the post-Cold War period as the most prominent UN activity. This is largely because governments have come under increasing scrutiny & criticism for failure to adhere to a growing body of international standards. However, while world opinion is more willing to consider intervention in principle, it is also increasingly leery about mil. intervention in practice except in extreme cases. Chapters: the search for a new European architecture; commonwealth of independent states; Africa & the Americas; peacekeeping in Asia; & range of organizations available.

Regional Organizations and Peace Operations

Searching for Partners

Michael Kraft

U.S. Government Counterterrorism: A Guide to Who Does What is the first readily available, unclassified guide to the many U.S. government agencies, bureau offices, and programs involved in all aspects of countering terrorism domestically and overseas. The authors, veterans of the U.S. government’s counterterrorism efforts, present a rare insider’s view of the counterterrorism effort, addressing such topics as government training initiatives, weapons of mass destruction, interagency coordination, research and development, and the congressional role in policy and budget issues. Includes a Foreword by Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Advisor RAND Corporation Individual chapters describe the various agencies, their bureaus, and offices that develop and implement the counterterrorism policies and programs, providing a useful unclassified guide to government officials at all levels as well as students and others interested in how the U.S. counters terrorism. The book also discusses the challenges involved in coordinating the counterterrorism efforts at federal, state, and local levels and explains how key terror events influenced the development of programs, agencies, and counterterrorism legislation. The legislative underpinnings and tools of the U.S. counterterrorism efforts are covered as are the oft-debated issues of defining terrorism itself and efforts to counter violent extremism. In addition to outlining the specific agencies and programs, the authors provide unique insights into the broader context of counterterrorism efforts and developments in the last 10-plus years since 9/11 and they raise future considerations given recent landscape-altering global events. The authors were interviewed by National Defense Magazine in a January 23, 2012 article entitled Counterterrorism 101: Navigating the Bureaucratic Maze. They were interviewed on April 30, 2012 by Federal News Radio. Michael Kraft was also interviewed on June 27, 2014 by Federal News Radio.

Edward Marks

Books

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