5 comments about The Shankill Butchers.

1. This is a well written book that tells the story of loyalist murderers in the north of Ireland. Mr. Perry obviously has loyalist sympathies and can't seem to leave his biased opinions of Ireland's freedom fighters out of any of his book reviews. The IRA, INLA, etc. were protecting their communities from protestant invasion in the first place. The British army was sent in to protect Irish Catholic neighborhoods from being destroyed by protestants (of course that turned out to work against the Catholics too). How easily you forget to include the UVF, RHC, UDA, UFF, PAF, LVF and their intimidation and terror tactics (including beatings, burning houses, maiming, murders supported by selling cocaine and heroine). You criticise books because you say the authors demonise one side and support the other- well what do you think you are doing in your so called book reviews? You basically blame the IRA for the attrocities committed by the shankill butchers! Give me a break! You are just typical of any loyalist and have no way of comprehending the Irish Catholic experience in Ulster. In another one of your reviews you say that the Catholics aren't the only ones who have it hard in Ulster and you use the Shankill in West Belfast as your support. Well I agree that the prods in the Shankill aren't living in luxury, but you cannot say that the prods throughout Ulster have had suffered as much discrimination and abuse as the Catholics have. Try and prove that one. I have no problem with admitting my bias and I will not even try to hide it. Regardless, Ulster will be united with the other Irish provinces one day and things will be all good. 26 + 6 = 1 Do yourself a favour and check out the BBC Northern Ireland website on almost any day and you will see examples of how great your beloved loyalist gangsters and thugs are.
   People should read this book and see for themselves that the butchers were extreme examples of hate and not even the IRA is an excuse to slaughter innocent civilians. Well worth the read. Erin go bragh!



2. I enjoyed this book immensely. That out of the way, this book is very well written on a very interesting topic (gruesome, but still interesting.) The author clearly distinguishes between recorded facts and conclusions drawn. The evidences backing his conclusions are thorough and well researched.
   
   The author also gives only a cursory background into the "political" strife and tribulations of the area and the time. This helps one gain insight on the claimed reasons for the actions recorded in this book. Just enough info, not an overload of who did snubbed who in 1253 A.D. (I know, I know, this is just an exageration).
   
   Not politically or religiously driven, but focusing of the topic named on the cover, this book is an excellent read. The only problem is that you come away knowing what one human will do to another...



3. This is a great book that details the activitys of one of the sickest, and most sadistic terror gangs in the history of the war in Northern Ireland.
   
   The Shankill Butchers were an offshoot of the Loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), during the mid 1970's these evil killers, abducted and tortured to death, 19 innocent Catholics.
   The UVF and UDA (Ulster Defense Association) rarely targeted actual IRA members, since the IRA had a policy of killing two UDA or UVF men for every one IRA member killed. At this rate the Loyalist groups knew they wouldn't last long against the professional soldiers of the IRA. The Buthers knew this too, which as Sean Dillon points out "Is why they only targeted unarmed Catholic civillians".
   Eventually the Butchers were brought to justice, and imprisoned for their horrific crimes.
   In subsequesnt years, as the individual members of the Butchers were released, they were targeted for death by IRA hit teams.
   The leader of the Butchers Lenny Murphey, was shot dead in front of his home in the early 1980's by the IRA.
   
   The history of the Ulster Volunteer Force (of which the Shankill Buthers were members) is that of brutal but highly amateurish terror organization. from 1971 to 1996 thay managed to kill five hundred unarmed Catholic civillians with the explicit help of the British Army and Northern Ireland police (the RUC). By 1996 however, their leadership had been decimated by a ruthless IRA and INLA assassination campaign, which forced them into a ceasefire.
   
   By that time, most of the remaining Shankill Buthcers had been assassinated by the IRA, or killed by fellow UVF members who by that time, saw them as an embarrassment.
   
   This is a highly reccommended book by a good author, who exposes the Shankill Butchers for the cowardly terrorists they really were.



4. This is a deeply distressing book that succeeds in taking the reader into the heart of this particular horror. This was but one of many terrible outrages in Northern Ireland and is at times difficult to read, such is the author's ability to draw you in to the fear and atmosphere of the time.
   Reading the book left me with a feeling of utter sadness and despair which took a few days to lift. Very powerful writing with little light at the end of the tunnel.
   Dillon is the preeminent writer on 'The Troubles' and his 'Dirty War' is one I would also highly recommend. It's no exaggeration to say that he has helped me to clarify many of my thoughts on the subject. Growing up in Ireland during the storm of the Northern Ireland problem, it was difficult to find objective writings; consequently and regrettably it was common to be indoctrinated in tribal rhetoric. Writers like Dillon have given much to create a clearer understanding of what happened and who was responsible.
   Highly recommended but not for the faint-hearted.



5. Well written and well researched book on a Ulster Paramilitary Unit that basically goes nuts on bloodlust and murder. Taken from actual transcripts, news and army reports and testimony from both the killers, cops and victims that managed to get away from their attackers.
   
   I've personally never read much about the Protestant side of the Irish Troubles until this book, so this was an eye opener about their side of things and it shows what can happen when the violence becomes an important part of the culture all on its own.
   
   If you're looking for a true crime book that's a little out of the oridnary, you've found it.

4 comments about Culturism: A Word, A Value, Our Future.

1. Culturism (cl-chìr-zì-m) n. 1. A philosophy which holds that majority cultures have the right to define and defend themselves. 2. The philosophy, science and art of managing and protecting majority cultures. 3. The study of culturism.
   
   Culturism is a political philosophy, art and science based upon the understanding that cultural diversity is real and important. Western culture believes in free speech, feminism, and the separation of church and state. Islam does not. Western culture is based on individuals applying their intelligence towards progressive and productive ends. Other cultures value tradition, festivals and large families. Culturism does not hold that any culture is better or worse than any other. It does hold that all cultures, be they Islamic, Asian, Western, African, Latin American or other, have a right to define and defend themselves. All cultures have a right to implement culturist policies. Western culturists hold that Western countries also have a right and responsibility to implement culturist measures designed to perpetuate our unique and valuable cultural vision.
   
   The book culturism starts by showing that the U.S. has a long tradition of culturism. Culturist dynamics in world history are then explored. The chapter on anthropology shows just how wide diversity is and what we can expect to naturally emerge if we do not practice culturism. When we realize how disgusting and broad diversity has been and is we are finally ready to move on to the chapter in which we define Western culture. The excursion into natural sciences shows that culture has unique functions in primates like man. Furthermore, group survival and boundaries preceding us demonstrate that culturism is not just a figment of man's imagination. The chapter on culturist psychology applies the dynamics we discovered in nature to man and helps us know who we are and what we need to do. The last chapters try to pull Western philosophy back into its traditional culturist mode, compare culturism to multiculturalism, and suggest culturist policies.
   
   Overall, the book shows that culturism is a real and important dynamic in our world. It argues that Western nations need to be as culturist as other nations. Finally, it argues that we can start in that direction immediately by identifying ourselves as culturists!



2. I found Mr. Press' book to be a major disappointment. Many of his arguments are unsupported by any form of legitimate data. He presents many of his ideas with weak evidence and statistics that are flawed and skewed. Many of his arguments are clearly discriminatory and downright offensive. His views advocate discriminatory practices and racism, justified by the idea that the majority can do as it pleases to serve itself. I am shocked that people like this are still spreading such xenophobic messages, and that people are paying Mr. Press' message any credence. (Please note that I am not a liberal, thus this is not a reactionary review based upon left-wing ideals. Rather, this is a response to a person who is close-minded and ignorant.)



3. When I first read of the idea of Culturism, it struck me like a bolt of lightning. Of course, everything made sense, here was a word and a concept "Culturism" I had been struggling to define whenever my thoughts turned to multiculturalism.
   "Multiculturalism robs us of the authority to protect our culture"
   As I read brief passages from each chapter of the book, I couldn't help but keep repeating to myself, "of course, of course of course" it just all made perfect sense.
   JKP's book concerns itself to culturism in America but it's concepts can be applied universally.
   Within the context of America, JKP identifies the origins of American Culturism as emerging from the Puritan ethic.
   The first section on the Puritan ethic was a new concept to me.
   Reading this section wasn't so much an "of course" experience as much as a steep learning curve It is an aspect of American history that I have not much familiarity.
   The Puritan theme is used to tie together the notion of Culturism and American culture.
   JKP explains the ideas that gave birth to multiculturalism in anthropology. Margaret Mead has a lot to answer for.
   So what is JKP getting at? Nothing less than the need to understand that our culture, are values are not self - evident as they may appear to us and especially not to other cultures.
   It is JKP's message that our culture needs to be defended if it is to survive.
   Most significant is the western notion of Justice.
   JKP uses many examples of practices of other cultures to drive home the point that there is no room in our culture for multiculturalism when multiculturalism threatens the values that we take for granted.
   The false notion that we have accepted in that all cultures are equal.
   JKP points out the myth of the noble savage, invented by Rousseau. This myth has developed to include the belief that indigenous cultures were caretakers of their environment whilst immigrant cultures destroyed and pillaged the environment.
   Very much the same ideas are in the book The Future Eaters by Tim Flannery.
   So the subtle message which JKP presents very gently, in a restrained voice is that western culture is under threat from Islamic culture.
   The call to Culturism is to awaken us to the very qualities that make our culture unique and worthy of protecting. If we do not protect our culture then we will inevitably lose what we cherish.
   There is a lot more food for thought in this book of which I have highlighted what to me is the core message. I wholeheartedly recommend it to everybody.



4. It is not John Press but the negative reviewer above who proves to be "close-minded" and pig-ignorant. While I too have some disagreements with the author, Culturism is on the whole a truly bold and iconoclastic contribution to intellectual discourse in a political and cultural climate that incessently worships but never defines the value of "diversity". Too often, lazy thinkers like this reviewer above argue that a true respect for diversity demands uncritical accomodation to the co-existence of many different moral values and belief systems to prove that one is not "racist". This is supposed to be an unquestioned good in itself even if many of these values and beliefs are by definition incompatible within the boundaries of one society or culture. Press's most crucial point is that societies DO have the right to define themselves and to defend and maintain their underlying coherence and unified moral purpose. The failure to do so leads not only to extreme cultural relativism (and ultimately ANARCHY!) but can perpetuate and create needless social and military strife. In our case as Americans, we should not apologize for - but vehemently ADVOCATE - our standing as a nation of the West and one whose defined freedoms and liberties should never be compromised by the need to "tolerate" incompatible groups and missions. Simply for making that point (along with many other interesting excursions in intellectual and cultural history) we as readers should profoundly than John Press for getting this discourse underway.

5 comments about Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency.

1. Make no mistake, Senator Robert Byrd does not present an unbiased view of the Bush Administration in "Losing America," but he doesn't claim to...and doesn't need to. By presenting a detailed, point-by-point assessment of how Bush and his Republican minions have systematically (and self-centeredly) worked to undermine the principles upon which America was founded, Byrd does make a very honest, verifiable presentation.
   
   Two key differences between this book and most political books these days are that (1) Robert Byrd still knows how to be a statesman, even in print, and (2) he is one of the few who is still focused on trying to do what's best for the United States and ALL Americans, not just special interest groups and lobbyists who give him money. Read the book -- it shows.
   
   "Losing America" is both a bit frightening, in how clearly it spells out the actions and results of what the Bushies have been doing, and inspirational, in how it calls upon Americans as a group to work together to prevent the loss of many freedoms and practices that made this country great in the first place.
   
   For example, Byrd points out the many limitations on executive branch power...AND the many ways Bush has worked to evade those limits. The top way Bush & Co. has done this, of course, has been through the declaration of a constant state of war, abusing Americans' own patriotism to create a police state in which he can declare that anything he wants to do is for our protection and, ipso facto, legal. Even when it doesn't really protect us at all.
   
   This has been augmented, of course, by having the right wing media call anyone who questions the wisdom, competence, or legality of Bush policies unAmerican, traitors, and "cut-and-runners." And, yes, that includes other media outlets, which are now owned by large corporations that bury stories because they don't want to be called those names.
   
   The good news is that people are finally waking up to the fact that these abuses and manipulations of our government and our constitution aren't just hurting "someone else," they are hurting all Americans. If you can stomach the details, this is a great book to learn them...and a great education in what can be done to set things right again.



2. After reading a book like this you realize what an arrogant jerk the author is. Sen. Byrd must have forgotten the Clinton Presidency and clearly has lost touch with the "Real America". His open hatred for the President is plainly exposed and the book seems to simply be a means for him to have a podium where he can offer his blatant hatred and make it seem "true" simply because it was printed.
   A total waste of time to read....
   A total waste of paper...
   A total lie...
   Go read Bathroom walls in a high school to get better reading material.
   Doesn't the senator have something better to do?
   I sure do and I regret having wasted the money on this book and even more, reading it, to try to understand how people who are so wrong about our President feel.
   Why does Hatred get published so easily in our country? What this man says about our President would have been unheard of even 50 years ago about a President.



3. An enlightening book on the machinations of political power and its eventual abuse. Robert Byrd has given credence that politics is all about power and when it is seized all forms of deviousness will be carried out in order to preserve that power. The book also highlights that most politicians in a democratic nation do not have the wellbeing of their citizens as their primary concern - it was never the concern during the Roman Empire and it isn't during the current American Empire. Robert Byrd also calls attention to the apathy of the US citizen as a main cause in the election of the inept and inarticulate warmongering George W Bush. But this apathy is a pitiful worldwide problem, which politicians exploit to the utmost.



4. This is a good book. I believe this should be required reading in school. Senator Byrd is not shy about exposing the attacks on the U.S. Constitution by the powerful executive. Senator Byrd is a brave man. I highly recommend this book.



5. this book is an excellent summary of the senator's views of the current administration. it is not, as was the history of the united states senate, a scholarly treatise. it is, rather, the observations of a u.s. senator who has been around washington for decades. arguably the elder statesman of the democratic party, the author and the title combined ought to eliminate all conservative interest in this product beyond those who wish to gather intelligence on the views of the liberal side of things. one of the things that i really enjoyed in this book was senator byrd's weaving of interpersonal dialogues and events that pulls the reader in and makes the bottom line more salable to the reader. byrd is truly, as evidenced in this book, one of the preeminent politicians in this time. this an a very good work that, especially at the used price, deserves to be read by all.

1 comments about A Secret History of the IRA.

1. Great to be the first to review this important, but very biased "History". I forgive the author for not being an objective historian---but---Why,I asked myself are the Brits publishing this? Read it,as you must if you have an interest in the subject matter,but don't miss the aim of the author in regard to Gerry Adams. Then read as much more as you can find to get a balanced perspective. Many people died,and not too long ago,so many have bones to pick as this author clearly does. Do not expect objective history about Ireland ever!! Saoirse!

5 comments about Terrorism and War (Open Media Pamphlet Series).

1. Zinn defends the terrorists against certain accusations. For instance, he says that terrorists have demands that we should consider meeting and that terrorists are not like insane people who simply go berserk on a killing spree.

   Zinn thus creates a false dichotomy between the rational terrorist who would stop if only you would go far enough in meeting his demands, and the crazy person.

   But a moments reflection would reveal that terrorists can have political motives and be crazy too. The Nazis for instance.

   The DC Sniper who was attacking people this year discussed with a friend in Washington state how unjust US foreign policy was. The DC Sniper claimed that what Al Qaeda did should have been done a long time ago. The DC Sniper travelled to the only synagogue in Tacoma, Washington and shot at it.

   Yet the DC sniper was also shooting some people for no reason at all. To say that if one has some political beliefs about injustice then one cannot be killing people at random in an insane manner is contrary to common sense. What about the Manson Family who believed that they were precipitating a race war.

   As mentioned, the Nazis were political, and crazy too.

   That is why I say that Zinn is namby-pamby. He assumes the best in other people instead of the worst. But in the case of 9-11 is his namby-pamby view of the pure motives of Al Qaeda likely to result in a proper response to the tragedy?

   I doubt it. Zinn's response is more likely to result in Neville Chamberlain-like "peace in our time" declarations accompanied by a sacrifice of modern-day Czechoslovakias.




2. Howard Zinn puts forth two most important points in this book. Firstly, governments lie. Secondly, war is another form of terrorism. In these days of mass hysteria about terrorism and cries for war, these points should be drilled in the minds of people who blindly believe in what the government is telling them to achieve their war objectives for financial gains. He puts to rest the argument that "We are a peaceful nation" as stated by George W. Bush, by bringing forth various example showing that our government has been the aggressor in several conflicts in this century. History should not be forgotten as we are once again repeating the terrible mistakes we have made in the past.
   He questions the need for the US to become a military superpower with over $300 billion annual military budget when for a small fraction of this money, millions of people dying of diseases throughout the world could be saved.
   Indeed, in these days of misplaced patriotism, people like Zinn are called traitors when in fact, it should be people like Zinn who have defined democracy by questioning the government and questioning the true motives of those in power. Governments lie, and lie a lot for personal gains.



3. The wide blue yonder
   Zinn dissents in black and white
   Is it read, or red?



4. Politics,history, foreign policy and current events are topics I used to avoid, but Zinn presents these subjects in language that is accessible. He makes abstract ideas and historical facts relevent to our lives. This book provides historical context to the tragedies this world has endured over the past few years. The information may not be new since Zinn has imparted these perspectives in many forms over the years, but his views concerning the U.S. role in a global society does need to be revisited and re-evaluated in this post-9/11 world. Terrorism and War is thought provoking, and its juxtaposition of war and terrorism and their causes and consequences is enlightening. The book has led me to ask, "Is there a difference between an act of war and an act of terrorism?" and "Is one action more noble than another?" Further, if one does believe that either action is justified, is the justification strong enough to rationalize the consequences of such violent acts? I do not feel that the book answers these questions, but I applaud its attempt to implore readers to consider such ideas. The book is concise and a quick-read. Yet, the ideas and opinions I formed when I initially read this book two years ago have remained with me. Even if one does not agree with Zinn's views and I'm sure that many do not, the discussion concerning U.S. actions needs to continue and this book sustains the dialogue.



5. "Terrorism and War" presents a clear, concise explanation of Howard Zinn's views on war, terrorism, democracy, progressive movements, and capitalism. This tiny book is based on a series of interviews (Dec. 2001-Jan. 2002) with Zinn, who was a bombardier in World War II and now a well-known historian. (He wrote "A People's History of the United States"...)
   Zinn makes a strong case for opposing the war on terrorism. His ideas are basically those of the antiwar, socialist Left. Not much new here, but he does a good job in the interviews of explaining his views. My basic complaint is that Zinn, like many Leftists, makes facile, broad generalizations about "capitalism." He also fails to properly distinguish between violence perpetrated by states and that done by non-state actors. They are all "terrorism" for him, which is not a very rigorous argument, and certainly not compelling to the American public. The issue of intentionality and moral relativism must be tackled head on if the Left is to win the war over the American mind. We can do better.

1 comments about An Eye For An Eye Makes The Whole World Blind: Poets on 9/11.

1. It's wonderful to know that there are more opportunities and forums to encourage new poets of all ages to be published and heard. In our super-sonic paced society so few of us take time out to read poetry anymore or even listen to each others words....New words, new thoughts, new ideas...new ways to understand each other. Our ever changing world has changed again, just when we were getting comfortable. We face many uncertainties, war, unemployment,....art, music,poetry can be a tonic for some of this confusion. New books celebrating new poets, afford us the chance to listen to those who may share our thoughts and through the dialoge of poetry help us find our own inner balance in this unbalanced world we all share.

No comments about Wiley Pathways Introduction to Homeland Security: Understanding Terrorism With an Emergency Management Perspective (Wiley Pathways).

5 comments about Hostage Rescue Manual: Tactics of the Counter-Terrorist Professionals-Revised Edition (Hostage Rescue Manual: Tactics of the Counter-Terrorist Professional).

1. This book provides only a shallow overview of some of the many aspects of hostage rescue and dynamic entry. It may be suited to give an outsider a brief glimpse of what's involved in hostage rescue, but it has little to offer to anyone in the business. Billing it as a `manual' is somewhere between an overstatement and outright false advertising.



2. This book actually covers most topics concerning hostage rescue. It is well written and easy to read.
   But it doesn't offer any details, just some short overview.
   E.g. it deals with hostage negotiation for about 3 pages, whereas I got a professional book that has almost 300 pages just about this topic.
   If you are a professional already, or if you will rely on many other sources of information, than you should consider buying this book in order to have a nice summary of all main topics.
   But don't get the idea, this book alone will help you doing your job - it'll be lethal!
   I personally am really disappointed and will send it back to amazon!!



3. This was bought for me as a gift so I can't complain about the price, but the content is sadly lacking. Black and white photos and no substance. If you have ever been in the military or in law enforcement, you already know whats in this book if not more. This is more for archair commandos and wannabees then professionals. And it is certanily not, a how to manual.



4. In a "manual" available to anyone, one cannot expect magic on the pages. This book covers the basics, which any operator knows, all advanced training IS mastery of the basics. No book, manual, video, or seminar makes one a super SWAT/SEAL/Ninja/Ranger/Sniper/HRT man. For a new team starting off, this is a decent manual to outline the realities and requirements for hostage rescue. Leroy Thompson has spent more time in the field than most operators have spent in service. I enjoy his articles and books and you should too.



5. Because I wasn't at the army, I found it very helpfull.
   It covers a wide range of things that an new one can learn so easily.
   I suggest it.

5 comments about Al-Qaida's Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network.

1. First, allow me to state the obvious fact: Mr. Kohlmann seems completely oblivious to the long history of secularism in Bosnia, particularly among the Muslim population. For corroboration and a meticulous analysis of Islam in Bosnia, please see Noel Malcolm's masterpiece Bosnia. Furthermore, of all the Muslims in the world, Bosnian Muslims are irrefutably the most secularized ones. In point of fact, religion has always had a rather insignificant role in the social life of the Muslims in Bosnia. Given this incontrovertible fact, how can anyone even attempt to link the Muslims of Bosnia to the Muslims in Afghanistan?
   
   Mr. Kohlmann claims in his book that Bosnian Muslims were collaborating with the Muslims from Afghanistan in a joint effort to unleash unprecedented terror throughout the Christian world. This assertion is so absurd that it warrants no serious comment. Kohlmann bases his argument on the fact that a small number of Mujahedeens arrived in Bosnia in 1992 in order to aid Bosnian Muslims in the war. While this is true, Kohlmann simultaneously fails to mention another equally important fact, namely that many Greeks and Russians also came to Bosnia in 1992 to help Bosnian Serbs. Pertinent to the context is also the fact that the Bosnian Serbs were heavily armed whereas the Bosnian Muslims were practically powerless and defenseless. Bosnian Serbs not only received reinforcements from the neighboring Serbia, recruits from all over the world, mainly from Russia and Greece, joined their Orthodox Christian brothers in a crusade against Islam. Mr. Kohlmann simply ignores this fact because after all in his mind the Muslims do not have the right to defend themselves even though he knows that the war in Bosnia was a clear and unequivocal case of Serbian aggression.
   
   Paradoxically although unsurprisingly, one cannot find a single word in his book of the Orthodox Christian fundamentalism. Kohlmann also does not mention in his book that Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic have been hiding in Serbia for almost 10 years now despite that they are wanted for war crimes by the War Tribunal in The Hague. These notorious war criminals guilty of egregious atrocities are considered heroes in Serbia; this does not bother Kohlmann at all, nor does the fact that the Serbs committed one of the worst massacres in Europe since World War II in Srebrenica killing approximately 8000 people. Why do not these abhorrent war crimes against the Muslims infuriate Mr. Kohlmann? Why is it Kohlmann that of the six hundred mosques in Bosnia, every single one was destroyed by the Serbs between the years 1992-1995? Conversely, if the Muslims of Bosnia are such fundamentalists as you so adamantly assert, why did almost every church remain intact following the war? Why is it that when you ask the Serb population of Srebrenica what they think about the massacre of 8000 Bosnian Muslims, they simply reply: "I do not care, that was a long time ago".
   
   Thus, this book contains nothing but cunning and pernicious propaganda, the sole purpose of which is to promote hatred and vicious lies. If you want to make some money very fast, all you have to do is to write an anti-Islamic book. What is more, you do not even have to base it on facts, lies and distortions will do just fine. If you really want to learn the truth about Islam, then read books by intellectual writers such as Edward Said, John Esposito, Karen Armstrong and Bruce Lawrence.
   
   I really hope that people will one day be able to judge others not by their race and religion but solely by the content of their character. Will that day ever come?



2. This book is a pathbreaking piece of research into two underexplored aspects of contemporary terrorism. Author Evan F. Kohlmann outlines the trajectories of Arab-Afghan veterans of the anti-Soviet jihad and subsequent civil war in Afghanistan during the 1980s and early 1990s. He also looks to the origins and patterns of mujahedin activity during the 1992-1995 wars in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The result is a deeply disturbing illumination of late twentieth century Islamic militancy. Both troubled states attracted fighters from across the Greater Middle East and North Africa, and although many of the leading jihadists in wartime Bosnia made their reputations in the earlier Afghan conflict, Kohlmann portrays both states as roughly parallel forges of extremist sentiment. Al-Quaida's Jihad in Europe traces terrorist trajectories from the Peshawar-based Mujahedin Services Office, across the mountains of central and southwestern Bosnia, to London's infamous Finsbury Mosque and the metropoles of Western Europe and North America.
   
   The weight of the book is on the Arab-Afghan migration to Bosnia-Herzegovina. As organized combatants, the contribution of mujahedin units to the Bosnian Muslim war effort was clear: their fearlessness under fire, and their consequent impact on military goals, was undisputed. Their lack of discipline and total disregard for the laws of war, on the other hand, were a liability to the government of Alija Izetbegovic. As religious colonizers, their promotion of conservative Islam also conflicted with the laissez-faire attitudes of Bosnian Muslims. Kohlmann addresses this ambiguity quite adroitly, exploring official reluctance to deal with the post-war settlement of foreign fighters who shed blood in defence of their admittedly obscure Bosnian Muslim brethren. Between 1995 and 2001, these contentious remnants of war became regional outposts for transnational terrorist networks. Numerous post-war terrorist incidents have been traced back to the Afghan-Bosnians, but intervention forces in the Western Balkans ensured that the security spotlight never wavered far. The Al Quaida attacks of 11 September 2001 precipitated a sudden shift in foreign policy attention to Bosnia, and in its own government's approach to domestic counter-terrorism. The country quickly became a second front in the war on terror, at a time when patience with the Balkan quagmire had worn thin.
   
   Equal parts travelogue, journalistic exposé, think tank inquiry, and independent research, Kohlmann's work is part of a newly emerging strand of scholarship that explores some of the hidden micro-histories of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Such authors as Cees Wiebes, Marko Attila Hoare, and Charles R. Schraeder have touched on this uncomfortable aspect of the conflict. Kohlmann addresses the issue in unprecedented detail, exploiting a wide variety of available sources to piece together a largely neglected segment of contemporary Bosnian history. Extensive North American and European media coverage, declassified intelligence documents, and legal case files form the backbone of the study, but interviews with radical clerics, and excerpts from jihadist internet and video propaganda, provide critical insights into terrorist preferences, motives, and interests. Kohlmann offers no overarching theoretical arguments. The book, instead, is descriptive and empirically rich: the author's main accomplishment is to document the many terrorist incidents the Afghan-Bosnians perpetrated in wartime Bosnia, and post-war cases of terrorist activity rooted in their far-reaching network.
   
   This book is also useful for the light it sheds on two related issues that have taken on striking policy relevance since the global war on terror began: the nature of terrorist sanctuaries, and counter-terrorist approaches to stamping them out. NATO's intervention in Bosnia after 1996, interestingly, is given the feel of an early denial-of-sanctuary operation, of the sort more commonly associated with post-9/11 Bush Administration counter-terrorist doctrine. For the professional mujahedin of Afghanistan and Bosnia, constantly in search of violent outlets for their religious convictions, sanctuary has clearly not been the same thing as safety. Many of them were committed jihadists before they ever fought the Soviets in Afghanistan and the Serbs and Croats in the Balkans. They remain a mobile diaspora whose members have been unable to return to their countries of origin, and the sanctuaries they sought out have been a mix of combat zones, staging areas, logistical bases, planning centers, transit points, and ideological enclaves. This reader, for one, anxiously awaits further scholarship on sanctuary in terrorist thought and practice. The one major failing of Kohlmann's study is the poor quality of its editing: the text is full of the sort of typographical errors that should have been picked up in a thorough copyedit. A work of this importance deserves better treatment by its publishers, and one hopes that a second printing will see a more polished product.
   
   Michael A. Innes
   book review in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, March 2005



3. Professor Kohlmann may have good facts on specific terrorists but he does not see the whole picture of the situation in the Balkans.
   
   The region is known for having many languages, ethnic groups, and religions. To be sure there have been problems but the groups have co-existed for a very long time and that it is unlikely to change.
   
   It is likely not to be doubted that there are alliances between the Afghani groups such as Al Qaida and others in Bosnia and elsewhere. But to assert this lacking the overall context, it is not useful.
   
   Professor Kohlmann should perhaps confine himself to the details of the terrorist groups and avoid writing about areas such as the Balkans where he lacks the expertise to make incisive comments.
   
   As just one example, he fails to grasp the role of the various Orthodox Christian groups in the region. Even though this would be a book of its own he should certainly make some mention as he establishes a theological backdrop by invoking the Islamic element.



4. This book is the most comprehensive analysis of the foreign Mujahideens role in Bosnia. Concerning Larissa 1 star review of this book: I find it hard to believe she even read the book enough to realize the authors intentions in his writings. She complains that Kohlmann does not see the whole picture of the Balkins and is under the impression that the author was trying to give an overview of the entirety of the Balkins and its culture. She says, "Kohlmann should perhaps confine himself to the details of the terrorist groups and avoid writing about areas such as the Balkins." That is exactly what Kohlmann did in this book and which was the purpose of this book: to write about the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign Muslims in general who came to Bosnia to fight, and Kohlmanns analysis of the after effects these elements had. Larissa's critique is irrelevent. If you want a book that explains the Balkins, its culture, with emphasis on Yugoslavia (Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia) then yes, one should look elsewhere. If you want a book that covers the element of Islamic radicalism, then this book does exactly that, and Kohlmann was not attempting to do more than that! Infact, Kohlmann does not even bother to give a brief summary of what the war was about and its probably wise that a reader should do some basic research on the war before starting this book, as this book was written with the intention that the reader already understands the basic macro topics.
   
   As for Srebrenica review of the book, I doubt this person even read much of the book. Srebrenica claims Kohlmaan could not see the secular trend of Bosnian muslims as opposed to extremist ones, when the book covered this topic in-depth throughout the chapters, even stating that Al Qaida's failure to setup a perminent base in Bosnia, similar to Afghanistan, was the result of incompatibilities with secular Bosnian Muslims who love to drink alcohal! This was a major aspect of Kohlmann's thesis covering the post-war stance of the Mujahideens in Bosnia.
   
   Ignore these 1-star reviews, as they really are irrelevant to the data in this book as well as Kohlmann's objective in writing this book. The book is not about the Balkins and its many ethnicities. It is about the role of Mujahideen in Bosnia and the compatibilities of Islamic radicalism and Bosnia's secular Islam. If the book tried to be anything else, it would go off topic. This book deserves attention for covering a such topics that are overlooked in the world of Islamic resistance. My only complaint is that it would have been nice if this book had a map in it.



5. I wouldn't recommend this book to any serious researcher. This is completely inaccurate picture of the agression on Bosnia.

4 comments about Chosen (Full Circle Series #5).

1. Choosen incorporates the best of all areas of reading into one wonderful story. Religion, romance, and politics all come together producing a story like none other. Choosen discribes the Holy lands like a tour guide would, and correctly assesses the political turmoil the people there are experienceing. Choosen places fiction in the center of fact and weaves a tale so believable that one would expect it to appear on the news. From cover to cover an exelent story



2. This is a great story all about chosing between the work you love, and the man you can't live without. It really gave me a good idea about what the people in Jerusalem are feeling. This book has got it all- romance, politics, and religion. And it's SO real! A must read!



3. Chosen is a compelling book. I agree with the other ratings above. One comment I would like to see brought out is that Alexsana, the main female chararcter, often acts on her own instinct. Like most humans, she sometimes puts her decisions before the Lord...and at other times, just acts on her own judgement. She often ignores the counsel of Godly friends. She pays a price for this. Let's admire Alexsana, but look at her realistically. I highly recommend this book. It will stay on my shelf for years to come.



4. I highly recommend this book! It is a wonderful Christian
   romance novel. I'd give it ten stars if I could!