Includes bibliographical references and index.

Ch. 1. Breeding grounds: failed states and the origins of terrorism and political violence --
Ch. 2. And they all fall down: the pandemic of political violence and state failure in sub-Saharan Africa --
Ch. 3. A legacy of tyranny, tragedy and terror: a closer look at weak state, authoritarian rule, and radical religious terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa --
Ch. 4. Crouching tiger, hidden dragon no more: the emerging crisis of collapsed states and extremist terrorism in South Asia --
Ch. 5. The delayed reign of the Latin king: why drug lords, rebels and terrorism will forever plague Latin America’s frail states --
Ch. 6. Beyond failed states: Reflecting on state failure and the origins of violence and the future threat of the transnational terrorism.

What makes a terrorist? Is and individual inherently predisposed to be attracted to political violence or does exposure to a certain environment desensitize them in such a way that violence represents a viable mode for addressing political grievances? Identifying state failure as the impetus for political violence, this books addresses these questions and focuses on why existing extremist groups fin failed states so attractive.