Decisions about defence and security are becoming increasingly open to public influence. This book therefore aims to give both the voter and the decision maker a new vision of how to manage crises and avert hostilities with non-traditional means.

For more than ten years the intelligence community has warned of the risk of terrorist attacks. The West's concern with its own affluence and dominion has created disparities and resentments. But military establishments have continued to be transfixed by weapons systems with ever greater firepower, and politicians by the size of defence budgets.