In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, ‘homeland security’ emerged as a new paradigm of modern democracy. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2002 was its most enduring outcome, although Israel took credit for first developing this expansive idea of control. Following the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai in 2008, India’s ties with Israel deepened. Numerous foreign-inspired state institutions were established, including the National Investigative Agency and the National Intelligence Grid. Today, India has become a significant buyer of surveillance technology as the latest entrant in the multi-billion-dollar homeland security industry.

Living in and traveling across Palestine/Israel, India, and the UK for over a decade, Rhys Machold meets a range of actors: trade officials, contractors, arms dealers, fencing manufacturers, police trainers, politicians, bureaucrats, diplomats, scholars, and journalists. He tells the story of how claims to global authority are fabricated and put to work.