Since the publication of the first edition of this book, political terrorism has continued to feature in the headlines and cause fear among the general populations of an increasing number of countries. At the same time, there have been important shifts in the focus and style of much terrorism. As governments have demonstrated an increased resolve not to yield to terrorist demands and have become more adept at handling situations involving sieges and hijackings, terrorists have moved away from the use of such tactics and toward increased use of bombings and shootings.

Such events in some ways place more pressure on governments. Bombings are less discriminating than sieges in terms of damage and loss of life. The annual death toll has thus risen substantially over that of the 1970s. Bombings are also something more of a problem for governments because the death and destruction is immediate, often large-scale and full of impact, and has occurred before the authorities can mobilise their resources. Culprits are hard to identify and prosecutions few. Whereas in a siege the actions of the government at least offer the possibility of retrieving something from the situation (for example, by negotiating the release of hostages or, better, by negotiating the surrender of the terrorists or mounting a successful military hostage rescue operation), in a major bombing the actions of the government are seen as totally reactive and too late.