Jillian Becker – författare

The Soviet Union and Terrorism (1984) examines the extent of Soviet involvement in international terrorism, and the aims and objectives of Soviet foreign policy. It looks at the evidence of changing Soviet attitudes to terrorism from 1917 to the 1980s evidenced in official and semi-official pronouncements, and it brings together evidence from the field of terrorist operations which points to a high degree of Soviet involvement. The Soviet Union is shown to be playing a dangerous game, sponsoring activities which it cannot hope to control, and leading to effects which it cannot predict. Nevertheless, it continues to play because it gains from the political and military disruption to the countries affected by terrorist activities.

The Soviet Union and Terrorism (1984) examines the extent of Soviet involvement in international terrorism, and the aims and objectives of Soviet foreign policy. It looks at the evidence of changing Soviet attitudes to terrorism from 1917 to the 1980s evidenced in official and semi-official pronouncements, and it brings together evidence from the field of terrorist operations which points to a high degree of Soviet involvement. The Soviet Union is shown to be playing a dangerous game, sponsoring activities which it cannot hope to control, and leading to effects which it cannot predict. Nevertheless, it continues to play because it gains from the political and military disruption to the countries affected by terrorist activities.

The Palestine Liberation Organization was created by the Arab states as a weapon against Israel, but most of its victims have been Arabs. In Jordan it established itself as a rival power to the state and was forcibly expelled. Its building up of an army in Lebanon led to civil war and Israeli military intervention until it was again expelled in June 1982.

In 1982 and 1983, the author took herself into the midst of war to write this book, journeying for many days on roads known to be mined and ambushed, spent nights in rooms with glassless windows while shells exploded on all sides, and explored the ruins of PLO strongholds in the wake of bombardments, in order to find documents, testimony, and clues of all kinds to the history of the organization. She interviewed members of the many different sides involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The result is a powerful book which explains the structure, aims, tactics and role in middle eastern and world politics of the PLO.