1 comments about Blinded by the Shining Path: Romulo Saune (Trailblazer Books #37).

1. We have a fondness for South America, especially Peru and Bolivia so I was excited to read this book aloud with my 10 year old. While I have been to Lima and Ayacucho (mentioned in the book), I am not well educated on the Shining Path so cannot speak to the accuracy of the story.
   
   I had read the description but missed a subtitle area on the back stating that this book introduces readers to Christian heroes. So if you do not want a book that mentions religion, then perhaps this book is not for you.
   
   That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed this book (from the library) and I was disappointed to see you can only purchase it used on Amazon.
   
   The story touches on many things from geography to family ties to the simple life of Peruvian Indians. The issue carried throughout the book is the boy's struggle of who to believe: the Christians, the government, or the shining path. Who is right? Which cause should he join? Are the groups really any different from one another? I see this as an excellent book introducing a discussion on values and politics and how one decides which side they will be associated with. It really should be back in print.

No comments about Conspiracy Investigations: Terrorism, Drugs and Gangs.

5 comments about Relentless Pursuit: The DSS and the Manhunt for the Al-Qaeda Terrorists.

1. The Diplomatic Security Service is most probably one of the newest federal law enforcement agencies in the United States.
   So almost nobody know nothing about it.
   But Mr. Katz do know these guys. Almost an insider look.
   In a way the book is a companion to the documentary Badges without borders. Explain in great detail their work fighting terrorism and have a brief explanation about their role protecting U.S: diplomats all around the world and foreign ambassadors and representatives in U.S. soil. These are the guys behind Secretary of State Colin Powell.
   The book is well written and in no way is boring. Pay the money without doubt.



2. This is the first book to truly talk of the efforts of DSS, the State Department's little known yet all-important law enforcement entity. While other books about America's war against terrorism have focused on the shortcomings of the CIA and FBI in stopping al-Qaeda in its tracks, this book focuses on America's first true victory in this bloody struggle--the capture of World Trade Center bombing mastermind Ramzi Yousef--and how the handwriting for attacks such as 9/11 had been on the wall for years.

   Other accounts might pick and steal from this book's true stories of the federal agents who serve this nation in some of the most distant global outposts in the world, but Katz's amazing book remains an original and an American classic.




3. Extraordinary page-turner...I would like to register my demand that a sequel be written immediately about the Diplomatic Security Service! The people of DSS are clearly heroes who do not get the credit that they so richly deserve for their incredible valor and sacrifice.



4. Samuel M. Katz gets it wrong! Pakistani intelligence arrested Ramzi Yousef in Pakistan due to a Pakistani informer ( a new terrorist recruit) decided to cash in on the reward. THE FBI, THE CIA, AND THE DSS HAD LITTLE TO DO with his capture! Ramzi was wanted worldwide for everything from trying to assasinate pakistani leaders to the WTC bombing and after his arrest Pakistani intel turned Ramzi over to the DDS and they flew him back to the U.S. for prosecution.
   
   This book contains lots of unattributable interviews and sources, no index, no bibliography and the back cover reveals nothing about the author's credentials. It is unlikely that U.S. or Pakistani intelligence granted any interviews with this author and retired officials would not reveal any info. due to the current nature of the subject matter today. So the contents of the book can't be trusted.



5. Samuel Katz investigates the law enforcement agency of the U.S. Department of State, the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). He describes in this book the efforts that DSS take to find Islamic radicals responsible for assaults on Americans and American interests, including the bombings of the embassies in Africa and the two World Trade Center Attacks.

No comments about Anti-terrorism And Criminal Enforcement (American Casebook Series).

5 comments about Fallout: The Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Collapse.

1. I live 5 blocks north of Ground Zero and have attended hearings and forums and read hundreds of articles, studies memos and reports about the post 9/11 environmental issues in Lower Manhattan. But my jaw dropped when I read Juan Gonzalez' book - here are the missing pieces, the things I'd heard but was never able to find in print - and lots of insider information that only someone as dedicated to this story as he was could have. It is a clear, readable summary of the case against the EPA, OSHA, NYC DEP - and, de facto, an indictment of all those newspapers whose reportage consistently minimized the issue. Not since the Vietnam War has there been so much media "disinformation."

   If you live or work in lower Manhattan and/or have any interest in the true story of how our government knowingly and intentionally jepordized the lives and health of the rescue workers, residents and workers downtown after 9/11 while ensuring that their own health was well protected, this book is a "must read."

   Juan Gonzalez is to be commended for his courage in bucking his editors to continue to cover this story.




2. Americans are being deceived. In this stunning piece of investigative reporting which should be awarded a Pulitzer Prize, Juan Gonzalez reveals the horrible truths about the environmental impacts of the 9-11 disaster. Asbestos abounded. The many heroes who helped to clean and console may face excruciating deaths thanks to suppressed and inaccurate information.

   Our sacred institutions are rotten. Every American citizen should read this brief but incendiary work which speaks truth to power unflinchingly. If we do not quickly institute major changes which make our leaders and representatives truly responsible for telling the truth to the American public, however unpleasant, we may be facing the end of American democracy as we have known it and believed in it.

   Where are the Thomas Paines and Thomas Jeffersons of the twenty-first century? We desperately need your voices and leadership!




3. This is an extremely disturbing book. Perhaps because along with the well-documented facts concerning the unprecedented toxic environmental fallout from 9/11, it is the shocking realization that it's not just the NYC and federal goverment cover-up of this story -- it is the citizens themselves collectively turning away from the horrible reality of this disaster.

   The national media has not pursued the obvious leads -- the common sense questions -- but Mr. Gonzales has. And the logical conclusion of this story, in the not-too-distant future, is a public health nightmare that will have the media self-righteously condeming Giuliani and Whitman in hindsight as bearing responsibility for perhaps thousands more deaths.

   The story from 9/11 that the media immediately created was of the heroes and victims. We remember them, and try to forget the horror of the collapsing towers. But if we are a truely a courageous nation, we will look clearly and not turn away from the terrible reality that ground zero represents. That is what I think this book is really about -- there are facts and consequences of 9/11 that have not yet been dealt with. And closing our eyes and wishing them away simply won't work.




4. Finally someone has the guts to print the truth about the toxic air at Ground Zero. For those of us who were there and who are experiencing the medical consequences of having been exposed to these toxic chemicals, Gonzalez's book explains in understandable language why we are sick and what we are likely to experience in the future. Americans need to know the truth, especially the thousands of men and women from around the country who volunteered their time at Ground Zero and are likely to suffer the medical consequences of having done so, either now or in the future. Fallout is a must read for all Americans.



5. Juan Gonzalez was the first journalist to grasp the impact of the environmental disaster of 9/11. His article on October 26, 2001 said what some of us already sensed: Contrary to the 'good news' being sold like sugarcoated poison by government officials who wanted Wall Street back up and running, the air was dense with astronomical levels of asbestos, lead, dioxin, mercury and hundreds of unpronouncable contaminants including some that had never previously existed.
   
   Fallout is in this tradition of groundbreaking journalism.
   
   Unfortunately Gonzalez is so ahead of the pack that when I showed his article to my son and exhusband, whom I was trying to convince that our son should not remain at Stuyvesant High School, four blocks north of the World Trade Center, they dismissed it as a red herring.
   
   Fallout is a compelling account of this environmental disaster which may ultimately claim more lives than the attacks themselves.
   
   Jenna Orkin
   World Trade Center Environmental Organization

5 comments about Task Force Blue (Rogue Warrior ): Task Force Blue.

1. This is another thriller in the Rogue Warrior series. Through his experiences as a U.S. Navy Seal Marcinko has been enabled to write some very entertaining books. His vast knowledge of types of weapons and special operations manuevers make his books quite believable. In this book Marcinke and his troops are matched up against an evil ruthless billionaire. Despite the man's over- whelming wealth Marcinko is still able to prevail. As usual there is nonstop action. The ending of this book is also very unique. Be sure to read this book. You will be greatly entertained.Dick Marcinko has written another good book.



2. In the way that karate movies are entertaining. Lots of cool action parts and a storyline that doesn't quite make it to good.

   The writing style is very similar to all of his sequels to the original Rogue Warrior book. Not quite redundant in my opinion, but almost.

   A decent enough story, really good slam-bang double-tap action, I'd only recommend this book only to fans of action-adventure books and fans of Richard Marcinko.




3. Let me say first off I am a 21 YO computer sci major, and this was one of the best books I have ever read. Richard Marcinko is such an admirable leader and he shares all his tactics with the reader. If only he ran for president. I immediately was sucked into the book, they way the book was written I really felt like I was along for the ride, and oh what a ride it was. Marcinko's books are so enthralling that it even makes me think about joining the milliatry, just so I could follow in his footsteps, and if I wasn't almost done with school, I just might've done it. Forget what you see in movies, or what you think you know about the millitary/SEALs, Marcinko is the real thing, and he'll set you straight.



4. A Literary Guild Selection and a Doubleday Book Club Selection. Author Richard Marcinko is retired from the Navy after more than 30 years of service. Author John Weisman specializes in espionage and military themes. A must read if you seek action, a fast moving plot and military operations.



5. I will order again from you. Great condition and i got it right away.

2 comments about The Road to Balcombe Street: The IRA Reign of Terror in London (Monographic Separates from the Journal of Police Crisis Negotiations).

1. I've read many books on the IRA and the conflicts in Northern Island. I've read much on the history of how things got so bad and the way the violence spilled over onto the UK mainland. I'm also very interested in the psychology of hostage negotiation. This book brought these two topics together very nicely for me.
   It seems as if this book is very well researched, but nicely escapes the trap of being dry. It's a great read and pulls you along. The personal stories of the people involved really brings this book to life. Very topical in these times of increased terrorist activity, its a sobering story.
   I'm a little too young to remember this time in London, but my father was stationed in Northern Ireland for a while, and I remember that. This book does a good job of painting the picture of this very important terrorist period and the very emotional event of the siege itself.
   Its a good read, highly recommended for people interested in any of its main elements of hostages, terrorism, IRA, Police tactics, etc.



2. This book is a rare combination of excellent writing, thoroughly researched historical information, informative case study analysis and exciting story-telling. Dr. Moysey does an excellent job meticulously documenting the history of the IRA and their motivations leading up to the Balcombe Street Seige. He also articulates an excellent case study in police hostage negotiation strategy. Even better, he has written an exciting and entertaining adventure story! Dr. Moysey carefully documents the history of the IRA and the individual terrorists' backgrounds while providing an insight into the passions and motivations of the brave professionals who risked their lives to protect others. As he tells the story of this dangerous cat-and-mouse pursuit, he brings to light the individual stories of heroism, the tragic sacrifices of human lives, and the passion of those who put their lives on the line to bring this horrific reign of terror to an end.
   
   I would highly recommend this book. It not only describes an important and terror-filled era in Britain's history, but it also provides the reader with a rare detailed case study on developing and leading successful hostage negotiations. What's better is that it is an exhaustively researched, page-turning adventure story!

5 comments about Endgame: The Blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror.

1. This is a must read for anyone concerned about the war on terror. If you want an honest understanding of what is going on in Iraq. Both of these guys are retired generals. They were at the forefront before they retired and have kept abreast of the worldwide situation since. They have a clear understanding of what has happened in the middle east and what needs to happen.



2. The book was fairly thin and I got through it pretty quick (that may have also been do to the Iced Cafe Americano I was drinking).
   
   The book makes no mention of, nor does it acknowledge anything like 4GW. All of the commentary on US Forces is 3GW related. I didn't really find that part of the book interesting or useful. The suggestion that the Army Reserves and National Guard should be heavy forces (and not what I think: Military police, engineers, civil affairs, intel/counterintel, and logistics) is just one example.
   
   It did find several of the non-armed forces ideas interesting:
   
   * A new Five Freedoms as a global statement of values
   * reform of US Diplomatic efforts
   * Allow rapid appointment of vacant house seat in case of national emergency
   * Method for emergency succession of federal judges to Supreme Court vacancies in case of national emergency
   * Disperse Federal Agencies geographically across the US
   * Lay out specifically the rules and powers for Executive Branch to avoid confusion (and Lawfare opportunities, I think)
   * Special Terrorism Courts
   
   I like the idea of Global Values/Aspiration statement like FDR's 4 Freedoms (of speech, from fear, from wants, of religion). The authors suggest the following Five Freedoms:
   
   1. Freedom of Education
   2. Freedom of Economy
   3. Freedom of Information
   4. Freedom of Person
   5. Freedom of Governance
   
   This was the strongest idea in the book. I have been mulling over the need of the west and it allies and potential allies to have shared core values that they can rally around. FDR's Four Freedom just didn't seem to be quite right and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights is too lengthy to memorize. The author's Five Freedoms are short, get to the point, don't exclude allies and potential allies and work well as a meme.
   
   The other part of the book I liked was a the short section on Special Terrorist Courts (an idea I have blogged on before). Here are the highlights:
   
   * create special federal terrorist courts
   * Three judge panel that presides over the trial and acts as the jury
   * Special rules of procedure to protect witnesses and intelligence
   * provides security for judges and prosecutors
   * Another panel of judges picks the defense attorney(s) from a vetted pool (I am thinking a sort of Special Terrorism Courts Bar)
   
   Lastly, the book had a section on dealing with Iran. Here is the stated plan:
   
   1. Get a US Nuclear deterrence and shield in place - Regional Nuclear Umbrella
   2. Train a Free Iran Guerrilla Force
   3. Unleash US Air-power
   4. Coastal Navel/Marine Raids
   5. Raids from Iraq along the boarder
   6. Call on Iranian Citizens to rise up in rebellion
   
   It sounded like a Persian Bay of Pigs plan to me.
   
   It thought is was strange that the military specific parts of a book written by military guys were the weakest.



3. Speaking as an American: Our daily world is full of a tremendous variety of stimulation factors. We have the unparalleled luxury of selecting what we want to experience and what we prefer to believe, no matter how much influence of authority and/or domination we endure in our personal lives. Want to find out how that may end in a veritable flash?
   
   When you read this book, your sense of awareness of our "status" as American citizens/targets becomes quite acute, especially if you already acknowledge that our security -- our precious cocoon -- is quite different from what we thought prior to the wake up provided by 9/11 events and aftershocks. A very special thank you to the authors for providing this type of insight. Are the decision makers listening?



4. These dual authors had a real story to tell but seemed to have some difficulty saying it clearly enough



5. I really enjoyed this book. It is a well written, quick read, that makes you proud of our military efforts overseas.

1 comments about The Media and the War on Terrorism.

1. This is a superb collection of essays, first-person observations, and recollections of so-called embedded reporters and photographic journalists, edited jointly by Marvin Kalb, a former CBS reporter turned Harvard resident scholar, and Stephen Hess, a senior fellow at the prestigious Brookings Institution. Written in the first person, each of the collected essays takes the reader up-close and personal and shows how difficult it is to know the degree to which such observations are typical or representative of what is going on the overall conflict in which they are embedded. And therein lies the rub, for to some extent it is apparent that even embedded reporter can be manipulated and co-opted by the military, and in several cases that is apparently the case for the individual reporters recounting their war tales.

   The pieces are both candid and raw; in the sense they somehow manage to catch the very essence of the intricate dance between accurate reporting and the tension with the host army to whom they owe their sustenance and their safety. This tension between the ostensibly objective reporters, on the one hand, and the very partisan military representatives overseeing them, on the other, is what drives the considerable insight the correspondents manage to extricate from the madness of the ongoing battle they cover. This is especially true for electronic media journalists, whose products are almost immediately available to the general public, and who still find themselves both physically and existentially with the troops.

   The latest tendency to meaningfully embed reporters with elements of the shock troops racing across Iraq, seen in context, is just another of many such attempts by the military to deftly manage the reporting from the front, and indeed, to prejudice the reporters by forcing them to live alongside the often valiant and sometimes suffering soldiers, whose personalities and sacrifices do indeed win the reporters over to see the war through their eyes. The experience in Iraq, upon reflection, will likely show that reporters and journalists were kept "on the reservation" by sequestering them into small groups seeing only limited actions, and seldom allowing them to see aspects of the conflict not consistent with military goals and objectives. Once again, the omnipresent tension between the needs for security on the one hand, and the rights of the citizens of a free society to know what is being done in their names, on the other, is all too apparent here. Enjoy!

5 comments about The Oklahoma City Bombing and the Politics of Terror.

1. Like most of the people who read this book I was shocked and saddened by what I learned. At one time I would have dismissed books like this as conspiracy. But I happened to see it at a used book store one day right after McVeigh was executed and remembered seeing a few family members of the victims on TV (very briefly, since the camera's moved on quickly from them) saying they wanted more investigations, and the other suspects that were reported by witnesses to be found. They were sayng that justice has not been done. Also about this time the FBI was in the news for withholding documents in that Alabama church bombing in the 60's, and for the 3000 pages of documents that mysteriously re-appeared just before the execution. (In the book McVeigh's attorney had stated all along that they were not forthcoming with all the information they had). In addition, an expose about this was on '60 Minutes' with agents being interviewed. So I bought it, and I have since continued to read other books like it. It is disappointing and disheartening to learn the truth, but sticking my head in the sand is not the solution. As the title indicates, the book is not just about the Oklahoma bombing, but the politics of terror in general. It is full of information we never knew about our government, and many dirty dealings. And after the 9/11 attack, many things mentioned in the book were validated even more, if there was any doubt. As mentioned by another person, it was poorly edited, but it should be no surprise that it would be hard to get any of the better and well known publishers to take this book. It's just unforunate that most of America prefers to be willfully ignorant and oblivious, and will not bother to read this or any other book like it. If they weren't so content sitting on the sofa and ordering pizza, and instead read this kind of material, we might have a real people's movement in this country and demand better conduct from our leaders--especially abroad. Then we might not be so hated around the world and we might not be under attack now. It's sad to see how ignorant our people are compared to the rest of the world.



2. This book is extremely well researched and stunning in its conclusions. That this event could happen as described should shake to the core every American's faith in governments and their law enforcement institutions.

   A note on reading the book: it is extremely dense. It is easy to lose site of the forest in each chapter as you hack your way through the trees. A clearer focus on story line instead of overwhelming us with an incredible density of detail would have made what is already a powerful read even more powerful. Also, I think the credibility of the author's message would have been enhanced if he just let the chilling facts speak for themselves, rather than resorting, at times, to shrill and childish editorializing.

   However, neither of these criticisms should dissuade anyone from reading this book. As a matter of fact, it should be required reading for all people of democratic societies to rid them of the naive belief that governments work in the best interest of the people they supposedly serve.

   Without intending to sound too cliche, it is people like David Hoffman who are the true defenders of the Bill of Rights in the American Constitution.

   If this book interests you, you might also like any non-fiction by Gore Vidal (a big proponent of this book), Christopher Hitchens (The Trial Of Henry Kissenger, No One Left To Lie To) and the "fiction" of James Ellroy (American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand).




3. This manuscript of this book is available online, and is well worth a look before purchasing the book. I have read through Chapter 2, "The Face of Terror", which analyzes the mainstream accounts of McVeigh's life up to his time at Calspan. As a woman born in 1962 in Western New York, I am convinced that Hoffman's analysis is the ONLY one I've read so far that has the ring of truth to it. Why is it so hard to believe that a smart, motivated, conscientious young man had no future in a state that had poured its treasure and manpower into becoming the most progressive Socialist Utopia of all these United States? I believed - and got the hell out of there - like 30% of the entire male cohort born in that location.
   What follows afterwards - the allegation that McVeigh may have been a Manchurian candidate starts sounding to me like tinfoil hat brigade fodder. Will I continue to believe this, as I work my way through the rest of this book with as much thoroughness as I have already? I don't know. But so far, I haven't been disappointed, and have been impressed enough to keep reading.



4. I haven't finished the whole book, but I've carefully read the first few chapters, skimmed the rest and studied the appendices. What I'm trouble with is the lack of intellectual rigor. Hoffman writes with a goal in mind-he starts out with a thesis and then marshalls facts to prove it. A proper approach to such an explosive (pun intended) hypothesis is to carefully show how you ruled out contrary evidence.
   
   I got a bit of a sick feeling in my stomach as Hoffman actually makes Timothy ("Tim" or "Timmy") out to be some kind of sympathetic or respectable person who was simply exploited by CIA type bad guys into doing something he didn't want to do. I don't care if there are others to blame or there was a government cover-up or other malfeasance, this guy was involved in wanton murder and it is sickening to whitewash it at all.
   
   The only possible redeeming quality of the book is information suggesting involvement of other groups and the government's apparent reluctance (to put it mildly) to pursue these other possibilities. This includes the many witness accounts of McVeigh being spotted in the company of accomplices up to and including the morning of the bombing, serious technical questions about the ability of the ANFO bomb to do the kind of damage done to the Murrah building and possible links to middle eastern terrorists or terror-sponsoring governments.
   
   A far better treatment of the subject is Jayna Davis' book, "The Third Terrorist" which is very careful in its analysis and doesn't try to weave these black theories of secret government plots to make right wing nutjobs take the blame. I would not recommend purchasing Hoffman's book: get it from the library. Or better yet, read Davis' book and skim Hoffmans'.



5. Like the Warren Commission Report on the murder of John F. Kennedy, we have another super bullet or in this case bomb that can do stuff that can't be done(in science or logic). The FBI, ATF... don't have a good reputation of being top crime investigators; in fact under Hoover's watch they seemed more interested in getting "dirt" on top politicians, civil rights leaders...than solving crimes.
   
   I never bought the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK on his own with an old rifle that had magic bullets. No matter that real sharpshooters couldn't reproduce his marksmanship; the fatal headshot very likely came from the front, not the rear. The evidence points to multiple shooters, but the government concluded that Oswald acted alone...baloney.
   
   The Oklahoma City bombing is the same old sale's story from the FBI, which the author proves was faulty investigating by quoting real life bomb experts who say that a fertilizer bomb didn't do-do what the government said it done. Like the super bullet of Oswald, we have the super crap bomb of Timmy's! It seems the government is more interested in getting a warm human body convicted for the crime, and closing the case. Hey, it's a win for the government; who cares if someone else was involved or was the real killer(s)... what happened to justice in the US of A or did we ever have it(remember the verdict in OJ's trial, money and fame can buy you freedom for your sin's).