Targeted killing, as Hunter defines it, is a "purely defensive act," and more specifically, "the premeditated, preemptive, and intentional killing of an individual or individuals known or believed to represent a present and/or future threat to the safety and security of a state through affiliation with terrorist groups or individuals." Hunter differentiates this from assassination, which he defines as more of a political act.

The author cites examples from Britain, Israel, and elsewhere in the Middle East of successful and unsuccessful accounts of targeted killing.

He concludes is that it's effective in a tactical and operational sense, but limited in terms of overall strategy, with risks political and practical. It may slow down a terrorist organization, for example, but also allows them to use the killing as a recruiting tool. It may also isolate a state politically.

Hunter lays out his case in a fairly simple, straightforward manner, although his academic language is not necessarily aimed at the casual reader. As such, by nature of its subject and execution, it lacks mass appeal. Clear and concise analysis presented in practical, dispassionate terms. --Kirkus Discoveries Review

Product Description

Targeted Killing: Self-Defense, Preemption, and the War on Terrorism by Thomas Hunter presents a reasoned, impeccably researched, and multi-faceted analysis of the tactic of targeted killing assessing its role, efficacy, and appropriateness in the current world political and military climate. Target killing is just one available option to national governments in their varied arsenals of state-sponsored strategies and tactics for fighting terrorism. Nevertheless, it is one of the most controversial and logistically dangerous options a government can exercise in preemptive strikes against real and current threats to national security.

Author Hunter skillfully maneuvers through the moral, military, political, and tactical issues that can both cloud and clarify a government’s implementation of state-sponsored targeted killing. Written with an expert and precise understanding of the issue, Targeted Killing offers an objective and indispensable perspective on a contentious and timely debate.

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Reviewed By: Kirkus Discoveries