“New terrorism” (Mythen & Walklate 2005, p.382; Mythen & Walklate 2008, p.224), in a post-September 11, 2001 climate (9/11), attacks every aspect of human existence and is “characterised by the actions of extreme Islamic fundamentalist groups such as al Qaeda – said to be distinct from forms of terrorism practiced by mainstream terrorist organizations such as ETA and the IRA” (Mythen & Walklate 2005, p. 382). This essay intends to address the social issue of new terrorism through the application of Ulrich Beck's thesis on the World Risk Society which presupposes the idea that we have entered a "world of uncontrollable risk and we don't even have a language to describe what we are" . face. “Uncontrollable risk” is a contradiction in terms. Yet it is the only adequate description for the second-order, unnatural, man-made uncertainties and risks beyond boundaries that we confront” (Beck 2002, p.41). The risk approach to the issue of new terrorism attempts to examine the construction of terrorism as a global risk through current political dialogue, and further through Michel Foucault's governmentality thesis to provide an analysis of current counter-terrorism strategies employed by governments of around the world, which inevitably fixates on protection against social evils. The subsequent discussion of Ulrich Beck's global risk society thesis and Michel Foucault's governmentality thesis will demonstrate the ability of these approaches to provide an in-depth understanding of the social question of new terrorism. The new terrorism involves the actions of groups defined by their “amorphous goals, organization, and disparate capabilities to strike across different continents” (Mythen & Walklate 2005, p.382), and…… half of the article…. .. Punishment & Society, vol.10, NO. 4, pp.355-374.Beck, U 2002, 'The terrorist threat: global risk society revisited', Theory, Culture and Society, vol.19, no. 4, pp.39-55.Aradau, C 2007, 'Governing terrorism through risk: taking precautions, (not) knowing the future', European Journal of International Relations, vol.13, n.1, pp.89- 115. Mythen, G & Walklate, S 2005, 'Criminology and terrorism: which thesis? Risk society? Governmentality?', British Journal of Criminology, vol. 46, no. 3, pp.379-398.Mythen, G & Walklate, S 2008, 'Terrorism, risk and international security: the dangers of asking “what if?”, Security Dialogue, vol. 39, no. 2-3, pp.221-242.Mythen, G, Walklate, S & Khan, F 2009, '“I'm Muslim, but I'm not a terrorist”: victimisation, risky identities and security performance', British Journal of Criminology, vol. 49, no. 6, pages.736-754.