The ETIM: China's Islamic Militants and the Global Terrorist Threat

(Hardback)

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This comprehensive account examines the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM)the most significant Muslim militant group in Chinaincluding its origins, objectives, ideology, leadership, and tactics. To effectively engage China on counterterrorism issues, we must understand the capabilities and intentions of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the most significant Muslim militant group in China. The ETIM: China's Islamic Militants and the Global Terrorist Threat is the first book to focus specifically on the ETIM, a terrorist group that demands an independent Muslim state for the Uyghur ethnic minority in northwest China. This fascinating study offers a comprehensive account of the group's origins, objectives, ideology, leadership, and tactics. It details the historical and contemporary contexts of the Uyghur separatist movement, the ETIM's alleged ties to international terrorist networks, and the Chinese government's interest in promoting the ETIM as a significant international problem. In addition, the book addresses conflicting claims about the membership and viability of the organization, noting where the Chinese government has apparently manipulated information about the ETIM to suit its own goals. A final chapter explores how various countries define ETIM activities and what that means for relations with China.

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Aiming their work primarily at members of the US defense and intelligence communities interested in engaging China on counterterrorism issues, Reed (BAE Systems) and Raschke (Global Defense Technology and Systems) profile the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, a small separatist group arising out of the Uyghur population of Xinjiang. They first provide a sketch of the contemporary and historical contexts of Uyghur separatism. They then reconstruct the ETIM's origins, evolution, ideology, rhetoric, and activities based on information gathered from ETIM's website and public statements, media reports, Chinese news releases, human rights reports, US Defense Department documentation on the Uyghur prisoners at Guantanamo, and other sources and conduct an assessment of the group's transnational presence. They also discuss China's approach to ETIM within the context of China's wider political agenda and describe current US policy towards the group. Appendices include a Uyghur separatism timeline, Chinese government news releases about ETIM, and some ETIM member biographies. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

J. Todd Reed is a program manager for Advanced Analytics at BAE Systems in the Washington, D.C. area. Diana Raschke is a deputy project manager at The Analysis Corporation (TAC) in the Washington, D.C. area.