Ali H. Soufan

I think the main points he's trying to make would have been better served by a focus on just a few people. Dry and resembling a textbook at times, I had a hard time keeping track of all the different personalities involved - especially given my ignorance of Middle Eastern names. Nevertheless, the book is a scholarly treatment of a very complicated situation that grips the world regionally, but also internationally. The best parts of the book detail the personal lives of the jihadists and Soufan does a good job of defining the differences between the various sects, how they are splintered and often at odds with each other. Timely, though perhaps a bit outdated today, the book is a vital addition to books like Wright's _The Looming Tower_ and Ackerman's _Reign of Terror_. The fact that Soufan presents us with some good advice on how to deal with terrorists, makes the book worthwhile.… (mais)

Would I call the book exciting? Not exactly. Exasperating? Often, due to a combination of many CIA imposed redactions in the later chapters of the book, and partly due to being reminded of how poorly the "war on terror" was handled in its early phases. But if you asked if the book was informative, interesting, and well worth the read, the answer is absolutely!

The author, Ali Soufan, is a native Arabic speaker who spent eight years as an FBI special agent, from the time just before 9/11 and through the period of the most significant battles against Al Qaeda. Soufan seemed to be something of a legend within the FBI because of his interrogation skills and insights into Arab culture, and now that he's left the FBI, can tell his stories from this most important timeframe.

Soufan's account has been called the most detailed to date by an insider concerning the American investigations of Al Qaeda and the major attacks that the group carried out, including bombings of American Embassies in East Africa, the U.S. Navy destroyer U.S.S. Cole, as well as the Sept. 11 attacks. It's unfortunate that the Central Intelligence Agency required significant redactions to several chapters in the book, especially since many of the redacted passaged are currently in the pubic record. Yet the redactions are not exactly surprising since the Agency leadership and lack of cooperation with the CIA is a frequent target of Mr. Soufan in this book.

Initially, I had my doubts that I'd be able to keep the seemingly endless list of incomprehensible names, places, and descriptions straight in my mind, but that was a needless concern. Soufan ably presents clear and impressive descriptions of the FBI's investigative efforts in identifying those responsible for the terrorist attacks against our country. One can't help but feel proud of the skill and dedication of the Agents performing these important tasks.

On the other hand, once can't help being angry to hear about how rules put in place by bureaucrats in the intelligence agencies prevented cooperation between the FBI and CIA, and hearing how had those barriers not been in place, several of those successful attacks against our country may have been prevented. Also infuriating was hearing of how senior members of the Administration pressured the FBI to draw conclusions to support ideological positions despite facts to the contrary. Equally disturbing was hearing Soufan's very believable descriptions of how senior administration officials and certain CIA officials distorted and inflated the effectiveness of "enhanced interrogation techniques". Soufan's first-person account of his successful interrogations of Al Qaeda and terrorist suspects using professional and skillful techniques vs. "enhanced techniques" is very believable. Many have claimed that waterboarding and enhanced techniques just don't work, and Mr. Soufan makes the case that the FBI tried and true techniques produce results without undermining our principles or breaking our laws.

I had considered myself fairly well informed about the fight against Al Qaeda and terrorism over the past ten years, but found there was much I didn't know once I started reading this book. Despite the interruptions to the flow of the narrative caused by the redactions, I found this a book well worth reading.… (mais)

One of the best books about Al-Qaeda and the FBI's investigation of them post-9/11 and onward that I've ever read. Ali H. Soufan's story is an essential one for anyone who wants to understand how we could have prevented such a tragedy in 2001; it is also a startling portrait of multi-level incompetence in the U.S. intelligence agency. You'll also read about John O'Neill, Soufan's mentor and best friend, who saw Al-Qaeda's attack on U.S. coming but whose warnings were dutifully ignored by his superiors and who was unfortunately one of the many American victims of 9/11 in the Twin Towers. I can only hope that the redactions in the text will be overturned by the courts as Soufan fights the censorship of his book by the U.S. government; this information is so essential to the public.… (mais)