Corporate Security Surveillance

Richard J. Chasdi is a Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at The George Washington University. He is a Senior Fellow at the Global Peace Institute, London, England, and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Chasdi was Professor of Management at Walsh College in Troy, Michigan; he received his Ph.D. in political science from Purdue University in 1995, his M.A. in political science from Boston College in 1985, and his B.A. in politics from Brandeis University in 1981. He has published four books on terrorism and counterterrorism, and some two dozen book chapters and refereed articles. His first book, Serenade of Suffering: A Portrait of Middle East Terrorism, 1968-1993 (Lexington Books, 1999), received Choice Magazine's "Outstanding Academic Title" in 2000 in the field of international relations. He serves on the editorial board of Armed Forces & Society, and on the editorial board of Academicus: International Scientific Journal. He has also served on the editorial board of Perspectives on Terrorism: A Journal of The Terrorism Research Initiative and as Member of the international advisory board of Terrorism: An Electronic Journal (TEJ). In 2017, he was a Fulbright Specialist at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he was a Visiting Fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR). Chasdi has also served as a news consultant for several news outlets that include, National Public Radio (NPR), al-Jazeera, Sky News, and Asharq TV.

In a world of globalization and technological change, terrorism continues to pose grave threats not only to more traditional targets such as civilians and government targets, but according to many experts, increasingly to multinational corporations and other international economic enterprises. This book broadens the understanding of the threats posed to the private sector thereby helping business executives in charge of security affairs prepare for new threats and unconventional threats in a continuously evolving world. Chasdi's Terrorist Assault Business Vulnerability Index (TABVI) now provides C-class executives with a way to measure (potential) host country and host country industry vulnerability and thus contributes a critical new standard to help appraise where and when MNCs and other international enterprises should marshal Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and other resources. In addition, his statistical findings about different country operational environments work to frame TABVI findings and provide in-depth understandings of risk in several different (potential) host countries. While the focus is on traditional terrorist groups and criminal syndicalist organizations that use terrorism in particular developing world host countries, Chasdi's research also informs the business community about the context of political issues of contention defined by terrorist groups and their constituent supporters. Business leaders, government officials at national and local government levels, the academic community, and the media benefit from ideas proposed in this book.

Brian M. Jenkins writes a carefully reasoned, comprehensive, and insightful Foreword that describes the importance of this topic; about Chasdi, he writes, "...I am an admirer of his uniquely imaginative approaches and always rigorous analysis. His work is invariably intellectually challenging and thought provoking. Read on."