A War on Terror?: The European Stance on a New Threat, Changing Laws and Human Rights Implications

The events of September 11, 2001, have galvanized anti-terrorist efforts far beyond Ground Zero—particularly in Europe, where state responses to terror threats vary widely.

In A War on Terror? The European Stance on a New Threat, Changing Laws and Human Rights Implications, an international panel of experts analyzes current trends and new developments in law enforcement and legal systems throughout the continent, including material from non-English-speaking countries that is seldom available to the broader academic community. Offering a succinct overview with special focus on criminal law, police procedure, immigration law, and human rights, the book provides unique insight into what the war on terror means to EU member and non-member countries; state supporters and critics of American anti-terrorist policy; nations with recent histories of outside terrorist attacks and those facing threats from homegrown entities. This comparative approach gives readers three levels of understanding: by country, as affecting the European Union as a whole, and in the context of the UN.

Key areas covered in the book:

• Anti-terrorist policies across Europe, from England, Germany, France, and Spain to Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Frontline issues: threat assessment, terror funding, the use of secret service agencies, effects on Muslim communities, and more.
• Technological developments, including cyber-terrorism and biometric surveillance.
• The conflict between human rights and heightened security measures (e.g., extraordinary renditions).
• The emerging intersection of criminal law with the law of war.

While A War on Terror? is geared to specialists and students in the field, it will be of great interest to the wider legal community. Its synthesis of salient findings and expert perspectives enhances the ongoing debate on issues that have the potential to shape the future of global politics and policy.