LibGuides: Terrorism and Homeland Security: Background

Topic Overviews

The Encyclopedia of Terrorism provides detailed discussions of the who, what, where, when and why of terrorism, including key terms, famous cases, biographies, laws and law enforcement techniques. Click on these entries to access the full topics or the book cover to access the entire reference book.

Counterterrorism
"Counterterrorism is the use of personnel and resources to preempt, disrupt, or destroy capabilities of terrorists and their support networks."
Homeland Security
"The mission of the office was to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks."
September 11 Attacks
"On September 11, 2001, 19 men, part of the Al Qaeda organization, a militant Muslim terrorist network, hijacked four passenger airplanes in the United States. Two of the planes were deliberately crashed into New York City's World Trade Center, one was flown into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and one crashed into a field in western Pennsylvania."
Terrorism, Definition and History of
"Most definitions of terrorism hinge on three factors: the method (violence), the target (civilian or government), and the purpose (to instill fear and force political or social change)."
Weapons of Mass Destruction
"Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) refer to all those weapons whose destructive capacity far exceeds those of conventional weaponry."

About Reference Resources

Reference collections consist of dictionaries, encyclopedias, images, and other print and electronic sources that tend to be consulted for background information and specific facts.

Credo Search

E-Reference Books

These resources from the Gale Virtual Reference Library and Credo Reference provide background information and overviews for various topics related to terrorism. Download, email or print articles; all entries come with APA citations.

Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence and Security: Comprehensive guide to the history, uses, related scientific principles, and technology of espionage and intelligence, written by experts in the field

Encyclopedia of Intelligence & Counterintelligence: Traces the fascinating stories of spies, intelligence, and counterintelligence throughout history, both internationally and in the United States

National Security: Covers formation of the Department of Homeland Security, increased security measures at airports, the enactment of the Patriot Act in 2001, and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq

Gale Ebooks

Gale eBooks (Gale) This link opens in a new window Topics: All subject areas. Description: Reference collection. Formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library. Contents: Background information from reference books including biographies, company histories, encyclopedias, and more.