What has been little appreciated or analyzed is the impact of international terrorism on American foreign policy. Aside from the need for a historic narrative, several questions should be answered. In what ways did international terrorism influence American diplomacy? What were the tangential global and domestic issues linked to international terrorism? How did Americans perceive terrorist campaigns and how did these attitudes influence government policies?

What were the motives of terrorists and in what ways did their grievances involve the United States?

In order to address these questions, Robert Kumamoto in International Terrorism and American Foreign Relations, 1945-1976, focuses his analysis on three episodes in the Middle East and North Africa the campaign of Jewish extremists against the British Mandatory Government in Palestine, 1945-1948, the revolt of the Algerian nationalists against French rule, 1954-1962; and the Holy War of the Palestine fedayeen against Israeli and American interests, 1968-1976.

The author finds that the global context - the Cold War - and American public opinion regarding the causes advocated by terrorists influenced policy makers. As a result, while they condemned violence, the larger picture - both international and domestic - frequently precluded hard-line policies and led to approaches based on moderation and flexibility.