War and State Terrorism

The United States, Japan, and the Asia-Pacific in the Long Twentieth Century

Contributions by Utsumi Aiko, Bruce Cumings University of Chicago; au, Richard A. Falk Albert G. Milbank Professor of International Law Emeritus, Princeton Univer, Ben Kiernan, Diana Lary, Peter Dale Scott University of California, Brian Daizen Victoria, Lawrence S. Wittner author of Confronting the Bomb: A Short History of the World Nuclear Disarm, Marilyn B. Young author of The Vietnam Wars, 19451990 Edited by Mark Selden Asia Pacific Studies, Cor, Alvin Y. So

Publication date:

09 December 2003

Length of book:

304 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Dimensions:

236x159mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780742523906

If the past hundred years will be remembered as a century of war, Asia is surely central to that story. Tracing the course of conflicts throughout the region, this groundbreaking volume is the first to explore systematically the nexus of war and state terrorism. Challenging states' definitions of terrorism, which routinely exclude their own behavior, the book focuses especially on the nature of Japanese and American wars and crimes of war. The authors also assess significant acts of terror instigated by other Asian nations including China, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Offering a rare comparative perspective, the authors consider how state terror leads to massive civilian casualties, crimes of war, and crimes against humanity. In counterbalance, they discuss anti-war and anti-nuclear movements and international efforts to protect human rights, and the interwoven issues of responsibility, impunity, and memory. Interdisciplinary and deeply informed by global perspectives, this volume will resonate with readers searching for a deeper understanding of an epoch that has been dominated by war and terror.

Chapter 1 Introduction: War and State Terrorism
Chapter 2 The United States and Japan in Twentieth-Century Asian Wars
Chapter 3 State Terror versus Humanitarian Law
Chapter 4 American Air Power and Nuclear Strategy in Northeast Asia since 1945
Chapter 5 When God(s) and Buddhas Go to War
Chapter 6 Japanese Racism, War, and the POW Experience
Chapter 7 The Waters Covered the Earth: China's War-Induced Natural Disasters
Chapter 8 Drugs and Oil: The Deep Politics of U.S. Asian Wars
Chapter 9 War, Genocide, and Resistance in East Timor, 1975-99: Comparative Reflections on Cambodia
Chapter 10 Resisting State Terror: The Anti-Vietnam War Movement
Chapter 11 Resisting Nuclear Terror: Japanese and American Antinuclear Movements since 1945

These perceptive and deeply informed essays should be studied carefully by those who hope to comprehend the past and play a constructive part in shaping a better future.