The Battle Against Global Terrorism: The Role of Private Security in the USA and in the EU

Rapoport posited that the world is confronting the fourth wave of global terrorism. The so-called religious terrorism poses a threat to the Western since it leads to an increasing lack of confidence in the institutions. The battle against terrorism is a fight for the survival of “Western Civilization” and the core values underpinning the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To achieve success in this struggle, the state must ensure the protection of its borders but, also, the safety and security of its citizens. It is an arduous task that cannot be accomplished only by means of public security organs. Rather, it requires the contribution of private security. This chapter compares the role that private security plays in the USA and in the EU. It seeks to prove that the ancient “watch and ward” model is more prominent in the American model than in the European form of promoting security. European countries, even when using private security, reveal a sort of prejudice against it and avoid conceding that private security is a genuine partner. The chapter attempts to demonstrate that Weber’s conception of the state requires revision if a more efficient and responsive security is to be assured.