International Law, New Diplomacy and Counterterrorism - 9780415708357

This interdisciplinary book explores how those who employ terrorist tactics across international borders intend to achieve their strategic goals by targeting a government’s legitimacy.

The dramatic increase in global cooperation throughout the twentieth century—between international organisations and their state missions of diplomats, foreign officers, international civil servants, intelligence officers, military personnel, police investigators, judges, legislators, and financial regulators—has had a bearing on the shape and content of the domestic political order. The rules that govern all of these interactions, and the diplomats engaged to monitor and advocate for compliance, have undergone a mushrooming development following the conclusion of each world war. This dramatic growth is arguably the most significant change the international system has experienced since the inception of the state-based system ushered in with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.

International Law, New Diplomacy and Counterterrorism explores the impact of this growth on domestic legitimacy through the integration of two disciplines: international law and political philosophy. Focussing particularly on the cross-border counter-terrorism actions launched by the United States, the author demonstrates that civil societies have often turned to the standards of international law to understand and judge the legitimacy of their government’s counter-terrorism policies reaching across international borders. The book concludes that counter-terrorism’s long-term effectiveness hinges on adopting policies which take into account international obligations based not only in codified legality, but in morality and efficacy as well.

This book will be of much interest to students of international law, diplomacy, counter-terrorism, political philosophy, security studies and IR.