A major international security concern that surfaced in the post-World War II period was the emergence and evolution of international terrorism. The dominant theme in the evolution of this threat has been anti-American terrorism. No other country has had its overseas interests subjected to the same level, lethality, diversity, and geographic scope of international terrorist activity as the United States. This five-volume work chronicles the development of this threat through 12 U.S. presidential administrations over a 70-year period. It assesses the terrorist threat in the U.S. and overseas and how the government responded. The expansion of the field of terrorism in academia, think tanks, institutes, and the private sector over this period is also addressed.

Volumes I and II covered the Eisenhower through to the George H.W. Bush administrations. This volume documents the terrorist threat faced by the Clinton administration (1993–2000) and how it responded. It was during this administration that Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda emerged as major terrorism actors and the planning and preparation for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks took place. The 1993 World Trade Center bombing, 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and 2000 bombing of the USS Cole missile destroyer also occurred during this period. Importantly, this book is the first to address in detail a plan — neglected by the media and suppressed by the U.S. government — to kill President Clinton during a visit to Manila in November 1996, in which al Qaeda was suspected. Executive orders, presidential decision directives, domestic legislation, international treaties, special counterterrorism units, terrorist renditions, presidential findings, public diplomacy, and counterterrorism actions are also examined.

Contents:

• 
  

  The Internal Threat:

  
  
  
  
  • Foreign Spillover Terrorism and Foreign Incursion Terrorism
  
  
  • Domestic Terrorism
  
  
  • Right-Wing Terrorism and Extremism, the Unabomber, Etc.
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  The Overseas Threat:

  
  
  
  
  • Left-Wing Terrorism in Western Europe
  
  
  • Left-Wing Terrorist Groups in Latin America, Ethnonational Terrorism, and Anti-American Protests
  
  
  • Palestinian Secular Terrorism, State-Sponsored Terrorism, and Terrorists' Utilization of Suicide
  
  
  • The Overseas Threat: Islamic Revolutionary Terrorism
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  The Evolution of Al Qaeda as an Overseas Threat:

  
  
  
  
  • The Overseas Threat: The Evolution of Al Qaeda — A Key Decadal Development, Part I
  
  
  • The Overseas Threat: The Evolution of Al Qaeda — A Key Decadal Development, Part II
  
  
  • The Bojinka Planes Plot
  
  
  • Al Qaeda's Plots against President Clinton
  
  
  • Bombings and Embassy Attacks between 1995 and 1998
  
  
  • Plots and Bombings during the Year 2000
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  The Response:

  
  
  
  
  • Approaches of the President and the National Security Team
  
  
  • Terrorism Rises as a National Security Concern and US Counterterrorism Policy
  
  
  • Offensive Counterterrorism Operations, Executive Orders, and Presidential Decision Directives
  
  
  • Presidential Findings and Memoranda of Notification
  
  
  • National Security Strategy Papers, Domestic Legislation, and International Protocols and Conventions
  
  
  • Government Counterterrorism Units, Part I: The Department of Justice and the FBI
  
  
  • Government Counterterrorism Units, Part II: The State Department and the CIA
  
  
  • Government Counterterrorism Units, Part III: CIA Counterterrorist Center, the National Security Agency and the Department of Defense
  
  
  • Use of Private Contractors and Public Diplomacy
  
  
  • Federal Intelligence and Counterterrorism Budgets
  
  
  • Treatment of Terrorists and the Field of Terrorism Analysis and Studies
  
  
  • Controversial Counterterrorism Actions, Part I
  
  
  • Controversial Counterterrorism Actions, Part II
  
  
  • Threat Assessment and Apportion of Blame for the 9/11 Attacks
  
  
  • Summary: Threats and Responses
  
  
  • Findings and Key Observations
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Appendices

  
  

Readership: This book is suitable for academics and professionals involved in government, think tanks, the military, policymaking, and law enforcement, as well as a general readership interested in history and terrorism.

'Dennis Pluchinsky has made a thorough, deep analysis of jihadist terrorism that makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of al Qaeda. His five-volume study of anti-American terrorism in the U.S. and overseas from the Eisenhower through Trump administrations will be a strong foundation for future historians to build on.' - Peter Bergen Journalist, National Security Analyst for CNN, and Author of The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden; Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad; The Osama bin Laden I Know; and Holy War, Inc.

'As the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security from 1998–2002 it was my good fortune to have Mr. Pluchinsky as one of my key advisers on international terrorism. His advice and counsel during that period were invaluable. Painstakingly researched and evaluated, Volume III, like his previous works, precisely demonstrates the challenges of evaluating and piecing together volumes of intelligence and, for the sake of intelligence users, separating out the rumors, improbable schemes, and outright disinformation.' - David G CarpenterFormer Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Department of State

'Dennis Pluchinsky has produced perhaps the best historical account to date of the early al Qaeda and the Clinton Administration's response to it. Pluchinsky goes the extra mile to verify and investigate events and information, and exercises sound judgment in separating the wheat from the chaff. Readers can rely on this account.' - Cindy StorerJohns Hopkins University and Former Senior Terrorism Analyst, CIA

'Extensive, insightful, and well-researched. I am gratified that Pluchinsky chronicled an important but relatively unknown terrorist attempt on President Clinton in Manila in November 1996. Detecting and extensively investigating this incident is testament to Pluchinsky's research skills. Volume III continues the excellent work Pluchinsky demonstrated in Volumes I and II. It is a valuable contribution to the field of terrorism and a constructive gift to future historians.' - Lewis C MerlettiFormer Director of the United States Secret Service

'Counterterrorism is not as straightforward as the word suggests. The United States cannot simply pursue the opposite of what terrorists do and be successful. In this latest installment of his ambitious five-volume examination of anti-American terrorism, Dennis Pluchinsky takes on the crucial period when 'terrorist' became a household word in the United States after 9/11. A true expert in the field long before this event, Dennis was one of my first mentors. His study of US counterterrorism during the rise of al-Qa'ida and the aftermath of 9/11, arguably one of the most contentious and emotional periods of American history, provides us with a critical opportunity to learn and improve. And if that does not persuade you, only someone committed to the mission rather than proving his point would dedicate all four meticulously studied volumes to the victims of anti-American terrorism. That is public service.' - Gina BennettFormer Analyst, CIA Counterterrorism Center and author of National Security Mom

'Over the course of his career with the Department of State, Dennis Pluchinsky developed a well-deserved reputation within the intelligence and policy worlds for his incisive analysis and dedication to combatting the evolving international terrorism threat. But he was also a steadfast supporter of a multitude of governmental agencies which established counterterrorism training and educational programs for new hires, mid-level, and senior managers working the terrorism issue. His ability to provide practical advice and critically analyze conventional thinking on terrorism, particularly to the flood of new analysts after 9/11, was unparalleled within the Intelligence Community. Not a mere chronicler of current events, his presentations challenged analysts' mindsets and preconceptions, placing terrorist activities in a broader historical perspective. This talent is evident in this highly anticipated work so many years in the making. Anyone teaching a course on terrorism and US national security should have a complete set on his or her bookshelf.' - Dr Mark KauppiFormer Chief of Counterterrorism Training, Defense Intelligence Analysis Center

'Dennis Pluchinsky is one of America's top experts on terrorism and counterterrorism, able to blend the best of the scholarly and practitioner worlds. His expertise not only includes jihadist groups, but also the range of left-wing, ethnonationalist, and other terrorist groups and state sponsors that have long plagued the United States and its allies. Pluchinsky is ideally situated to assess how U.S. counterterrorism has evolved and the challenges which endure.' - Daniel BymanGeorgetown University and former member of the 9/11 Commission and the Joint 9/11 Inquiry staff, House and Senate Intelligence Committees

'Mr Pluchinsky has undertaken an impressive, difficult, and valuable task in writing a five-volume history of anti-American terrorism in the United States and overseas from the Eisenhower through Trump administrations ... He has the experience and expertise to address this task. Volumes I and II were well written and insightful. Volume III examines the Clinton administration when domestic and overseas terrorism was escalating and Al Qaeda started on its path to the September 11 terrorist attacks ... Like Volumes I and II, Volume III is a compulsory read for current terrorism analysts, law enforcement officers and national security policymakers.' - Kevin GiblinFormer Chief of the Terrorist Research and Analytical Center, FBI Terrorism Warning and Analysis, FBI and Terrorist Threat Intelligence, Office of Security, NATO

'What common element binds the dozens of terrorist groups and networks that have targeted Americans in attacks around the world over the past seven decades? Not much, except for the stalwart efforts by Dennis Pluchinsky to document the threat they posed and chronicle how the United States Government and its allies worked to contain, degrade, or defeat them. Pluchinsky's multi-volume history is an indispensable resource for researchers who seek to understand the context and the content of the counterterrorism actions that US officials have taken over time, both offensive and defensive. Pluchinsky's review of counterterrorism policies is comprehensive and includes useful summaries and evaluations of every major policy document on counterterrorism. Pluchinsky draws insight not only from the documents and testimonies but from his own experience working in the US government, where he analyzed the terrorist groups, threats, and specific responses discussed in this book.' - Clark ShannonFormer Senior Analyst and Manager of the Directorate of Analysis, CIA