Chapter 9 Summary and Analysis

Since 9/11, Americans have learned to live with the daily threat of terrorism. As we all realized in September 2002, terrorism can happen anywhere. There are, however, certain places in the world where terrorists thrive, and where targets of terrorism are at greater risk. Terrorism thrives in failed or malfunctioning states, where disorder enables terrorist cells to organize and operate with little notice. Unfortunately, the number of failing states is increasing. While places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, and Turkmenistan lie in or near the Islamic realm, other areas such as Venezuela, Paraguay, and Cuba cause concern because of their proximity to the US. Terrorists also like large, chaotic cities because they offer necessary amenities such as phones and banks for organizational needs, and relative anonymity. Cities like Manila, Jakarta, Karachi, Cairo, and Sao Paulo are popular harbors for terrorists. Terrorists...