In this new edition of "Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding the New Security Environment, Readings and Interpretations", Brigadier General (Retired) Russell Howard and Major Reid Sawyer have collected original and previously published seminal articles and essays by political scientists, government officials, and members of the nation's armed forces. The editors and several of the authors write from practical field experience in the nation's war on terrorism. Others have had significant responsibility for planning government policy and responses. The contributors include a majority of the significant names in the field including General (Retired) Wayne Downing (former Deputy National Security Advisor), General (Retired) Barry McCaffrey, Martha Crenshaw, Bruce Hoffman, Barry Posen, Jessica Stern. Part One of the book analyzes the philosophical, political, and religious roots of terrorist activities around the world and discusses the national, regional, and global effects of historical and recent acts of terrorism. In addition to material on the threats from suicide bombers, as well as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons, there are also important contributions analyzing new and growing threats: narco-terrorism, cyber-terrorism, genomic terrorism, and agro-terrorism. Part Two deals with past, present, and future national and international responses to - and defenses against terrorism. Essays and articles in this section analyze and debate the practical, political, ethical, and moral questions raised by military and non-military responses (and pre-emptive actions) outside of the context of declared war. The two detailed Appendices are: Background Information on Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations; Chronology of Significant Terrorist Incidents, 2002-2004.