Delve into the history of terrorism, its root causes, its many forms and organizations, as well as the frameworks that analysts use to determine the scope of a terrorist threat.

Part I : definitions and historical frameworks. An introduction to terrorism : terms, definitions and the quest for power -- Surfing the historical "waves" of terrorism -- Terrorist groups as learning organizations -- Part II : Underlying contexts that motivate and facilitate terrorism. Grievances and opportunities : an introduction -- Engagement, recruitment, and radicalization -- Media and the internet -- Economic dimensions -- Financial and criminal dimensions -- Political dimensions -- Part III : Terrorist group ideologies and strategies. Ethnonationalist/separatist terrorism -- Left-wing terrorism -- Right-wing terrorism -- Religious terrorism --Part IV: Contemporary challenges. Al-Qaeda, part 1 : history and evolution -- Al-Qaeda, Part 2 : ideology and targeting strategies -- "Do it yourself" terrorism: teams and lone actors -- Suicide bombings -- Weapons of mass destruction: an introduction -- Assessing the WMD terrorist threat -- Part V : Concluding thoughts. The future of terrorism.