Chasdi: “Corporate Security Surveillance” (Review)

A book review by Frederic Eger: Richard J. Chasdi, Corporate Security Surveillance: An Assessment of Host Country Vulnerability to Terrorism (Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications), Mar 5, 2024 (https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Security-Surveillance-Vulnerability-Technologies-ebook/dp/B0CLHJ84HJ)

Context: Professor, author and expert on terrorism Richard Chasdi contacted me a few weeks ago and asked me if I would agree to read his book and produce a review on a pro-bono basis, which I gladly accepted to do, given the exceptional barbarism and cruelty of October 7th, and the persistent increase in the antisemitic, antizionistic and genocidal propaganda campaign pushing for the worldwide extermination of the Jewish People. Jihadists aim at establishing a theocratic dictatorial caliphate worldwide on the rubble of Western civilization, and, Richard Chasdi’s books help have a clear understanding of the ideology and modus operandei of Jihadists and so many other groups.

I am nowhere near a specialist on terrorism, and, as a generalist journalist who covers the news, this book, like most of Richard Chasdi’s books on terrorism, helps me a great deal to understand clearly the mechanisms behind terrorism, and the extremely thin line that separates it from plain criminality.

I very highly recommend this brick book that might seem intimidating at first, but, if the reader limits itself, like I did, to the narrative part of the book, without spending too much time into the data science behind it which is rock solid, it is an essential book to own, and to read “again, and again, and again” to understand this Humanity that has lost its Humanity in a space and time where the resurgence of atrocities should never have happened again… So here it is:

Richard J. Chasdi is a professorial lecturer in the Department of Political Science at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. He has a diverse academic background, having previously been a professor of management at Walsh College in Troy, Michigan. Richard Chasdi is also affiliated with various institutions such as the Global Peace Institute in London, England, and the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Richard Chasdi holds a Ph.D. in political science from Purdue University and has authored several books on terrorism and counterterrorism. Chasdi’s expertise in this field is recognized internationally, and he has contributed significantly to academic journals and publications related to terrorism. Additionally, he has worked as a news consultant for prominent media outlets like Al-Jazeera, Sky News, Asharq TV, and NPR.

Richard Chasdi’s book aims to provide guidance for C-class executives and international enterprise leaders in developing world “host” countries, particularly those in charge of firm security. The book provides detailed information about potential environmental risks that companies face before and after substantial investments like foreign direct investment (FDI). The data provided often drills down to cities, towns, and villages that have experienced business-related terrorist assaults, seeking to provide the necessary data for environmental scanning operations as part of the decision-making process. Effective environmental scanning for potential risk and vulnerabilities requires understanding political and economic events and historical processes with profound and lasting influence.

The book also provides in-depth descriptions of terrorist groups, including organized criminal syndicalists who use terrorism as “hybrid” organizations. In a world of “intensive globalization,” there is an increased need for anticipatory thinking about this crucial aspect of business security.

The book aims to shift the mindset towards an urgency mode of thinking, focusing on the constantly evolving international political system and business strategies.

Chapter 1 delves into the interconnected concepts of security, vulnerability, and risk, highlighting their importance for individuals and groups. It emphasizes the vulnerabilities in physical and virtual supply chains that can be exploited by terrorists or criminal syndicalist groups. Threats to multinational corporations and enterprises include threats to executives en-route, as physical modalities expose them to potential criminal and terrorist actions. Organizational structure emphasizes subsidiary autonomy to avoid cultural differences and ensure smooth plant operations.

Chapter 2 discusses the coding and methodological approaches used in a study on terrorism targeting commercial interests. It details the introduction of the Terrorist Assault Business Vulnerability Index (TABVI) measure, bivariate analysis, and challenges faced in data acquisition from GTD sources and secondary accounts. This chapter presents a jurisprudential definition of terrorism, focusing on legal characteristics and dimensions of attack attributes. The book uses ten hypotheses and empirical findings in five developing world case studies.

Chapter 3 examines the terrorism system in India, revealing its complexity with 64 identified terrorist groups across 26 states and 176 districts. The system exhibits cyclical activity, with four types of terrorist organizations identified: Maoist, nationalist-irredentist, Islamic extremist, and “right-wing” Hindutva. Construction sites and infrastructure were the largest targets, followed by private establishments. The Communist Party of India was the most predominant terrorist group.

Chapter 4 examines terrorism use in Mexico from 2007-2018, focusing on criminal syndicalist organizations. It reveals that these organizations use terrorism for anonymous acts, unlike terrorist groups that pursue ideologically based political objectives. The term “hybrid-group” is suitable for criminal organizations using terrorism for monetary gain. Mexico’s political situation has implications for U.S. foreign policy and business executives.

Chapter 5 examines historical continuity and change in Brazil’s political landscape, focusing on social fissures, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic divisions. It highlights the influence of government counterterrorism policy, effective law enforcement, and spin-off groups on terrorism evolution and use. The contemporary threat is sourced in the “tri-border area” of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil.

Chapter 6 explores political protest in South Africa and the use of terrorism by select organizations, including ANC’s Umkhonto we Sizwe and Pan-Africanist Congress’s Poqo. It highlights the impact of apartheid on political opposition and conflict, and the transnational nature of black emancipation movements after 1960.

Chapter 7 discusses Thailand’s centralized government and control over the “deep south” provinces, focusing on Bangkok’s Buddhist assimilationist policies and the ethnicity of the Malay-Muslim population. The lack of reliable information on terrorist groups in Thailand is attributed to the absence of effective communication and disagreement between experts. The TABVI analysis found Thailand second behind India in business-related terrorism threat and vulnerability, at the midpoint of the spectrum for developing host countries. The study used bivariate analysis to reveal significant relationships between Thai terrorist group and terrorist assault characteristics, despite issues with stakeholder identification and differentiation due to the large number of anonymous attacks.

Chapter 8 discusses business vulnerabilities to terrorism using the TABVI analysis, highlighting that terrorist leader preferences for specific targets are both a cause and effect of these vulnerabilities. The security perspective emphasizes the importance of social and economic conditions, balance between work and leisure time, and psychological conditions associated with vulnerability and lack of security. The research examines the role of government policies in influencing terrorist group life-cycles and distinguishes between traditional terrorist groups and organized criminal syndicalists. Future research should explore government policies, peace talks, police, and corruption.

While C-class executives, investors or government officials or private security firms are the declared targeted readers and the retail price confirms that strategy, this book is best suited to students, academics, advanced researchers, journalists working on articles or talk-shows on corporate terrorism, terrorism as a whole, and asset protection. It is suitable for those who have the time to analyze the narrative and data, while government officials and working professionals may not have the time to read the full book. The book offers a useful bibliography at the end of each chapter, making it suitable for those who take time to cover it. Shorter versions, such as one-hundred-page versions, focusing on conclusions rather than scientific demonstrations and supporting data, would be more potent tools for C-level executives, government officials, security professionals, and citizens seeking to stay up-to-date on the latest research on terrorism.

Other books from Richard Chasdi:

*Richard J. Chasdi, Counterterror Offensives for the Ghost War World: The Rudiments of Counterterrorism Policy, Jul 6, 2010. (https://www.amazon.com/Counterterror-Offensives-Ghost-World-Counterterrorism-ebook/dp/B009L87IOI)

*Richard J. Chasdi and Ilan Peleg, Tapestry of Terror: A Portrait of Middle East Terrorism, 1994-1999, Lafatyette College, Oct 16, 2002. (https://www.amazon.com/Tapestry-Global-Christology-Three-Stranded-Theological/dp/1839732369).

*Richard J. Chasdi, Serenade of Suffering: A Portrait of Middle East Terrorism, 1968-1993, Mar 15, 1999. (https://www.amazon.com/Serenade-Suffering-Portrait-Terrorism-1968-1993/dp/0739100572)

*Richard J. Chasdi and Yair Sharan, Corporate Security Crossroads: Responding to Terrorism, Cyberthreats, and Other Hazards in the Global Business Environment, Nov 10, 2017 (https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Security-Crossroads-Cyberthreats-Environment-ebook/dp/B0C71GXQNM)