Terror Bombing: The Global Urban Threat

Authors: Hayim Granot & Jay Levinson
ISBN: 978-0-9782526-1-8

Synopsis

In this innovative and highly relevant updated edition, Prof. Granot & Dr. Levinson emphasize the means by which emergency personnel can respond to and mitigate the effects of the worst acts of terror faced by urban societies. This book incorporates theory and practice. It cites incidents from around the world including the devastating 9/11 attacks on the WTC in NYC and the Pentagon, while highlighting Israel’s extensive expertise in dealing with terror attacks. In light of the increasing threat of terrorist acts and the rising interest in the importance of emergency management, Terror Bombing provides a solid background reference for all officials and emergency response personnel to understand one of the most dangerous threats to modern life.

About the Authors

Prof. Hayim Granot was a researcher at the City University of NY. He taught sociology at Long Island University and at the Graduate School of Social Work at Rutgers University in NJ. In 1970 he was appointed to the School of Social Work at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, where he served till 2002. Prof. Granot established the Mass Emergencies Project at Bar-Ilan University with its emphasis on applied solutions for human problems in emergencies and disasters. He served as a senior consultant to civil defense headquarters and other emergency agencies on community response and behavior in emergencies.

Dr. Jay Levinson was awarded his Ph.D. by the Department of Near Eastern Studies at New York University. He worked at the CIA in Washington, D.C., and then was employed by the Israel Police for 20 years. During his career he worked on numerous counter-terrorist and disaster response issues. Dr. Levinson is an internationally recognized authority on forensic science and disaster victim identification. Currently, he is a Visiting Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

Customer Reviews:

H.C. Wilson
Disaster Prevention and Management
Vol. 18 no. 5. 2009
© Emerald Group Publishing Limited

This book
is the combined effort of two eminent workers within the field of mass emergency situations and in particular in the response to terrorist activity.
Normally this journal would shy away from such a text as it tries to maintain its apolitical stance, but in this instance the information contained in
this book is of such importance that the editor feels that its inclusion is justified.
From their own personal experience and sound
theoretical evaluation and research the authors have managed to cram a wealth of knowledge into one volume. The book is not all about the effects of
bombing but goes into the injuries sustained in other disastrous events. With chapters dealing with coping with the dead and injured, crowd formation
and crowd management, communications, search and rescue, and mental-health responses, this book must be essential reading for emergency planners
world-wide.


Crisis Response Journal
Vol 6 Issue 1


Terror Bombing: The Global Urban Threat
Practical Approaches For Response agencies and Security officials

Written by Hayim Granot and Jay Levinson, this book gives a thorough
background for emergency response personnel to respond to terror attacks on societies. Some of the approaches deal with search and rescue, coping with
and mental health response, crowd management, which assume great importance in post-terror acts.
Granot has served as a senior consultant to
the defence headquarters and emergency agencies on community response behaviour in emergencies. Levinson is an internationally recognized authority
on forensic science and disaster victim identification.
With ample experience and knowledge in this field Authors showcased by delving into
the terrorists’ mindsets and examining the reasons behind their acts of terror. Israel’s case is stated time and again to help support the
author’s arguments.
It is necessary to understand terrorism to help prevent or at least mitigate the attacks. Thus, the various definitions
of terrorism and weapons used by terrorists are also explained. The book analyses how security personnel of different cities deal with incidents of
terror and provides lessons to learn.
The scenes after an attack are charged with emotional and political intensity. A practical approach to
the response team is given to diffuse this intensity in a psychological, emotional and cultural context and handle crowd behaviour. Victim
identification and survivor support are also important aspects.
The authors are critical of the media in post-terror scenes and list
procedures for emergency management teams to deal with the media resourcefully and use it as a means to spread awareness. They also state that the
emergency personnel have to take up the responsibility to make a gradual shift to normality, initiating the reconstruction, recovery and
rehabilitation process. Finally, they look at a different type of terror, i.e. weapons of mass destruction, and list defences which can be utilised
against this new threat.