Clarke/Beers teaching this spring at JFK School---syllabus, reading list

[Gloria]

The course started Feb. 4 and ends May 5. The weekly class outline is also here.

Might pick up some interesting reading from the course reading list...



http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/degreeprog/courses.nsf/webnumber/ISP213#Syllabus


KSG ISP-213 Post-Cold War Security: Terrorism, Security, and Failed States

Faculty: Richard Clarke; Rand Beers

Description

Between them Rand Beers and Richard Clarke spent over 20 years in the White House on the National Security Council and over 60 years in national security departments and agencies. They helped to shape the transition from Cold War security issues to the challenges of terrorism, international crime, and failed states. This course is more than a retrospective on that transition, it focuses also on continuing institutional and analytical problems facing governments addressing these security issues today. Case studies will include Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Iraq, Colombia, and Afghanistan. Challenges of counter-terrorism and homeland security will also be addressed.

Required Books available at the COOP or online
a. The New Jackals Simon Reeve (Northeastern Univ Press) 1999 paperback
b. The Myth of Homeland Security Marcus Ranum (Wiley) 2003
c. The Sacred Age of Terrorism Benjamin & Simon (Random H) 2002 paperback
d. The Crisis of Islam B. Lewis (Random H) 2003
e. Inside al Qaeda R. Gunaratna (Berkley) 2002 paperback
f. GERMS J. Miller et al (Simon & Shuster) 2001
g. America's Role in Nation Building J. Dobbins et al (RAND) 2003 paperback
h. Emergency Responders: Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared
W. Rudman et al CFR 2003
i. The Generals War, Gordon & Trainer Little Brown 1995
Recommended Books available at the COOP or online
a. Terrorist Financing Wechsler & Wolosky CFR 2003
b. Dirty Dealing: Money Laundering, International Crime, and Terrorism P. Lilley Kogan Page Press 2003
c. Masterminds of Terror Fouda & Fielding Arcade 2003
d. American Jihad S. Emerson Simon and Shuster 2002
e. America Unbound Daalder & Lindsay Brookings 2003
f. The Mission D. Priest Norton 2003

[buycitgo]

1. that's not news, you know

it's been out there for a long time

they both QUIT the admin in disgust

you know that, don't you?

they're both registered rethugs, you know

[Gloria]

3. Yes, I know they quit....but I thought the course materials were

interesting.

Sorry I offended you.

[buycitgo]

4. sorry.....not offended.....didn't mean to come off that way

very very angry about the adhom, character ASSASSINATION, etc., going out today.

Gloria Borger is doing it as I type, calling him CRAZY!

[eleny]

2. thanks gloria

this list is new to me. i appreciate it.

[Quetzal]

5. Ack

d. The Crisis of Islam B. Lewis (Random H) 2003

Maybe they could choose some other Muslim and Arab Scholars besides this one.

[alcuno]

6. Teachers are terrorists.

This explains everything, according to Rod Paige.

[mmonk]

7. I have one of those books

GERMS

[Lefty48197]

8. Randy Beers is the National Security Coordinator for the John Kerry

campaign.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

9. Thanks for that

a few notes on a couple I recognise:

"The Age of Sacred Terror" (well that's what it's called in the UK!) is really interesting. Benjamin & Simon were just under Clarke & worked on counterterrorism full-time for the NSC. It's 50% history of modern fundamentalist Islam & 50% response from Clinton White House (basically what Clarke has said the past week).

I haven't read Simon Reeve's book, but it got quite a bit of press over here ("Brit journalist warned the world about bin Laden" - kinda fluff). Not knocking him tho - his "One day in September" is excellent & he recently did a fantastic BBC series on Central Asia.

GERMS -- reminds me of David Kelly who is a source (tho I haven't read the book)

"Masterminds of Terror" -- again, haven't read it, but have seen a lot of interviews with Yosri Fouda (inc an amazing 4 hour roundtable on the Beeb with him, Gerald James (ex UK-Iraq arms dealer), Corinne Sooza (daughter of ex Iraq Mi6 officer) & ex UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia). He's the al-Jazeera journalist who managed to get an interview with Ramzi bin Alshibh and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed where they admitted planning the 9-11 attacks.

I've only read a few of Steven Emerson's articles & must admit that he always strikes me as far too hard line & anti Islam to want to read more. I'm sure he's done some good work, but as with Daniel Pipes, I can't get past the right-wing shrieking.

The money laundering book looks interesting (tho will have to wait till I've got through the mountain of anti-Bush books I'm collecting!) Anyway, thanks again for that -- it's interesting to know what some of the top counterterrorism peeps are using to teach.

[skeptic9]

10. A long first chapter from the Lewis book is online at the NY Times...

... website: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/chapters

[rumguy]

11. Damn I bet that's gonna be a dynamite class...nt