ABSTRACT
A new wave of terrorism hit the world in 2016 and 2017 with an outbreak of attacks by operatives from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or those who have identified with the violent group. Any thoughts that terrorism as a global phenomenon was on the decline were put to rest with these attacks and continuing terrorist actions by a great variety of groups around the world. Terrorism is an ever-changing phenomenon. The attacks on 9/11 demonstrated how terrorism can have significant indirect effects. They directly led the United States to launch the Global War on Terrorism, which more realistically was a war against terrorists who threatened the United States and its interests. Terrorism has been, in fact, a tool used with great regularity by many organizations. A long terrorist campaign and civil war in Sri Lanka has ended. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
