5 comments about Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda's Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia.

1. 
   This is the best book I've read that attempts to cover all the reasons behind Muslim Terrorism and at the same time details how it got started,how it continues,in which countries it is being waged,how it is all interconnected,and how complicated the networks are and how difficult and for how long it will take to defeat.The author introduces so many names and aliases that unless one has a fantastic memory it is impossible to keep them all sorted out;if one can remember them all.She traces these terrorists back for over 20 years;and in case you think this Muslim Terrorism started 5 or 6 years ago;she completely disproves that idea.In my title, I was not suggesting that this Terrorism started on 9/11;it started long before;has been developing and seething for a long time,but became a full-fledged World War with that Attack on America;just the same as the Japanese Sneak Attack on Pearl Harbor.As FDR said then "This day will live in infamy..." ;GWB similarly stated "Those people who did this will hear from all of us,soon.."
   From reading this book it is easy to get the idea that this network of terrorism is so extensive,organized,funded and dedicated that it seems to be impossible to win against.There is no reason to despair because the same seeme to be the case with Nazi Germany ,Fascism ,and Japanese Imperialism in WW11;then with Communism for 50 years after WW11.Like those great challenges,which had foundations of evil,hatred,greed,fanaticism and domination;the adage that "Good will always prevail over Evil" was the end result and will be again with this latest confilct.Nobody knows what the course or length or cost in both people and resources of this struggle will be-----but one thing is certain and that is the final outcome--Terrorism will be defeated.
   The author does an excellent job of pulling together all that has taken place around the world nd makes it possible,if not somewhat difficult,to get an overall picture of what is going on.The only caution I have for the reader, is not to let the details,names and locations cloud up the greater picture.



2. JI is an active terrorist organization, but there just aren't many of them and their influence on Indonesian society is quite small. However, Ressa makes a number of sloppy connections as she tries to argue otherwise. Though the Ba'asyir interview has some fascinating tidbits, this book by and large reads like an audition for Fox; few people with any expertise or experience in Indonesia lend it much credence.



3. This book was written by another TV correspondent who has gained some expertise in a particular area of the conflict with Al Quaeda. In this case, Maria Ressa is an expatriate Filipina who was educated at Princeton, raised in New Jersey, and became a CNN correspondent (eventually their "bureau chief" in Jakarta). Her background and experience apparently have given her some insight into the politics in the region, and into the various Muslim extremist groups that are trying to establish their Islamic paradise there.
   
   The book is chopped into chapters on the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, with 2-3 chapters on the former two countries and only one on each of the latter two. The discussion seems very well-informed, and her point of view seems objective. She seems to admire the leadership of Singapore, especially, and thinks that the extremists will have a tougher time gaining a large following there than in Indonesia, for instance.
   
   Where I disagreed with the book was in her analysis of the situation in the world. I was surprised to see one of the reviewers say that it looked like she was applying to Fox; in fact, she takes the obligatory U.S. journalist view that the war in Iraq was a large mistake, and that it's incited violence in the region towards Americans. Whether this is true or not, it's not like the extremists in Islam weren't upset with us before the Iraq war, and they weren't exactly unsuccessful. After all, the embassy bombings in Africa, the Cole bombing, and 9/11 all happened *before* the war with Iraq started.
   
   One side-note. I recently reviewed Jayna Davis's book The Third Terrorist. One reviewer dismisses Ressa's book in that the author refers to the Oklahoma City bombings and rumors that Terry Nichols learned bomb-making in the Philippines, and that he and McVeigh had assistance from Islamic extremists. Ms. Davis makes it clear that this is clearly a strong possibility, and has a lot of evidence to back her up. One weakness of Davis's book is the poor writing. Ressa's book is much better constructed and put together, and reads very well, by comparison.
   
   I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone interested in the region or the subject.



4. When people speak of terrorism, most think of the Middle East, N. Ireland, and maybe the former Soviet Republics. The new front in the war on terror, according to this book, is Southeast Asia. Authored by a CNN reporter from the Philippines, this book traces the individuals that have formed the beginnings of Islamic terrorism in the countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. The book names names, places, and events that together resemble the beginnings of an Al Qaeda style organization in SE Asia. The book also shows how governments are dealing or not dealing with these troublemakers. Underlying these movements is political disenfranchisement, economic poverty, and frustration with corruption, a topic that the book addresses to some level, though not one deep enough to satisfy this reviewer. All in all a good book.



5. Goods: This book provides a good primer to Muslim extremist groups involved Southeast Asian Terrorism and events that have happened in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The author has/had fairly decent access and converted this into an objective book. The book is a quick read and doesn't really get bogged down.
   
   Others: The book doesn't necessarily look at Islamic History in SE Asia before the Afghanistan War, and some of the problems, principally in the Sulu Archipelago, go back further. The other major detractor at this point is that the book is 5 years old and the landscape has changed somewhat.

5 comments about The Collapse.

1. This was almost painful to read because of the spelling and grammar errors. I made it all the way through (that would be "threw" in this book) the story but it was a struggle at times. There is a story in there somewhere; too bad the book was not edited before it was published.



2. This novel has a very good story line. Character development is good and the plot moves along quite rapidly. The author does a good job on spending a little time for you to get a feel for the character and what they'd be like and what they're reaction would be to certain things, but without going into too much detail.
   
   Is also doesn't try and avoid the sometimes touchy subject of racial conflict that would undoubtedly happen if things in the US got this bad and it's seems pretty true to life, but at the same time it avoids being like the Turner Diaries or Hunter where the whole book is about race. In a any major crisis people are going to look to their own and they'll usually see outsiders that aren't the same race as they are as a potential threat, that's just the way it works in the real world. I liked the book Patriots, but I didn't see it's entire cast of bad guys (which were all bikers or N.W.O. soldiers) as being very true to life. How many bikers did you see ripping things up during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and during the L.A. Riots? I didn't see any either. Anyway it's realistic and the situation that the characters get into seem true to life if something like this happened.
   
   The story starts out with tension building between the US on one side and China and North Korea on another. Tension breaks out into all out war when North Korean Terrorists are sent to create chaos with nerve gas and sabotage. The whole country goes nuts and busts at the seams and it's up to every man and woman for themselves to survive as best they can. There's a whole cast of characters including people that are prepared for disasters and civil disorder (Survivalists), people that aren't prepared at all (Sheeple), North Korean Terrorists, Black Steet Gang Members, Outlaw Bikers, the Military and National Guard, FEMA Administrators misusing their power and former Cops and SWAT Team Members all looking out for themselves and choosing sides as their circumstances and position in life dictate.
   
   In fact this book would be THE best SHTF novel out there except one thing: the spelling.
   
   The author is really good at using imagery to describe events and character development, but the spelling is absolutely horrible or perhaps the person who transcribed it really sucks at his or her job. The proofreader didn't earn their money on this one either, if there even was one. It really detracts from a top notch story line and I didn't realize that it would bother me that much, but it did just because it was an issue every other page and it happens over and over again.
   
   At some point maybe there will be a "Revised Edition" as it really is a good story, but it needs to be fixed. Hopefully the author will see these reviews and will realize that he has a real gem of a story, but that THE SPELLING IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. The story line is good enough that I'd actually buy another copy if he did something about the spelling.
   
   If you like Dystopia, Survival and SHTF novels like Patriots, Lucifers Hammer, Molon Labe, Turner Diaries, Hunter, Unintended Consequences, Black Arrow, Enemies Foriegn and Domestic and Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista then you'll like this one as well and it's worth suffering through the spelling for just for the story line.



3. What a terrible waste of time & money. Extremely primitive writing. How any publisher could let this go out is beyond me. In terms of movies it have to be below a "B" movie. Do they give grades of F? The dialog, the predictable seqeunce of events, the fact that none of the "good guys" get much more than a scratch, The UN factor, the length of the book which is so boring, well it just stinks. I can't properly describe how painful the dialog is to go through.
   
   On the only upside there are some good list of equipment that would constitute survival kits for home or auto.



4. I really enjoyed this story. I found it to be well thought out and the characters well developed. It is action packed and yet not over the top. I found the premise quite realistic and engaging. I only rate it a 4 star because of the terrible editing. The grammar and spelling was quite annoying, and at times it distracted from what otherwise was a great story. None the less, I can safely recommend this first novel by Jeff Stansfield with the caveat for the poor editing. I believe this is one of those self published internet books which accounts for the lack of professional editing. I believe that this work will get Stansfield noticed by a publisher, and with some professional assistance I look forward to a Stansfield sequel.



5. What made this book gripping was the ever-present "What would I do..." question for the reader; as the different scenarios unfold. In truth, almost nobody can be as fully prepared as the end of society would require. You may have ammo, but no food, or food but no gas. Medical care is a tough one!
   I also felt the timeline was about right- near total breakdown of society in only a few days. A very thought provoking book...
   
   I found very few misspelled words! Instead it looks like a spelling checker was used and every single time a correctly spelled synonym was inserted. It didn't detract much from this fascinating and sobering book.

2 comments about Riots, Pogroms, Jihad: Religious Violence in Indonesia.

1. Sidel chronicles religious violence from 1995-2005 in Indonesia. Sadly, the list of such events is formidable. Some of this was perhaps the cost of transitioning from the Suharto dictatorship to a pluralist democracy, no matter how imperfect the latter. As the press was freed, and political movements were tolerated, Muslim-inspired groups often became very overt, and some were driven by jihadist sentiment, imported via external Islamist affiliates.
   
   The result was violence. Some directed against Christians in the outer islands. And notoriously, against wealthy foreigners blissfully holidaying. Especially in Bali. The terrorist events in the latter island may have been exacerbated by the fact that most of the Indonesian citizens of Bali are Hindu. So to Islamist radicals, the inevitable loss of some citizens in the bombings might have proved little deterrence.
   
   It is rather uncertain whether conditions will improve. The central government has held its own quite easily. As the book makes clear, the Islamists have never been able to credibly threaten a nationwide revolt; the unrest in Aceh notwithstanding. And the several national elections held have revealed little in the way of mass support for radical Islam. So perhaps things will simmer down.



2. John T Sidel offers the reader a glimpse into Indonesian society and political culture prevalent in Indonesian history, in his book Riots, Pogroms, Jihad, Religious violence in Indonesia. His understanding of Indonesian culture brings clarity to the hazy view of the world's most populated Muslim nation. It is imperative to understand Indonesia's rich history in order to comprehend the development of religious and political violence now habitual in Indonesian society.
   Riots, Pogroms, Jihad brings forth a greater understanding for those looking to discover the origins of violence in Indonesia. While I believe that this book allows one to discover a great deal about the situation Indonesian officials and international dignitaries find themselves in, other sources are required to understand the full scope and connection to today's Jihad. Unfortunately there are few books written on this subject but study of the work put forth by the International Crisis Group, more specifically Sidney Jones, would increase ones understanding of this situation two-fold.
   Sidel's incredible exploitation of the foundation of Islamic violence in Indonesia is original and unparalleled in the short list of books on analyzing the history of Indonesian violence. His text has brought greater understanding to an issue which is bound to receive increasing analysis in the years to come. With Indonesia's paradoxical role as a `secular' state with the largest population of Muslims and the `most democratic Muslim nation in the world', the future terrorist activity is bound to attract attention from western forces as well as near-by nations.

1 comments about Beslan: The Tragedy of School No. 1.

1. This book is an interesting read about what happened at the siege of Beslan's school No. 1 but in the end I found it lacking. The book is broken into chapters, but they are not exactly in chronological order. The first chapter will address a part of the Siege while the next will go into the background of Chechnya or Russia and maybe tell the author's own adventures while over there and what kind of impact they had on him, the next chapter will again relate to Beslan and the one after again to the historical context, and so on and so forth.
   
   I have to say that the author committed a few errors in his historical prose and I can't say he was 'unbiased' in presenting the plight of the Chechens. The author does talk about the various deportations of the Chechen and Ingush people as well as a variety of other ethnicities throughout the Soviet Union, what I noticed was missing was the fact that none of the other ethnicities turned to terrorism against innocent civilians, worse women and children, aside from the Chechens, why leave that out? The accounts from the parents and others who were trapped in the school were all quite interesting.
   
   Some stories that are stuck in my mind are when the first police units arrived they had blanks for bullets, the police "armourer" had gone to the city and had taken the key to their arsenal with him. At one point when a negotiator asked the terrorists if they would allow food and water to be brought in for the children the response was that the children "had announced their own hunger strike in sympathy with the terrorists' aims." More than once the author points out the media's incorrect guesstimates when it came to how many hostages were bieng held in the School. The exact number of 354 was pronounced when the reality was that it only covered perhaps a quarter of those trapped in the school. This under counting, according to the author and some of those trapped inside the school, seemed to enrage the terrorists. When the siege began on the first day children and adults were still allowed to get water from a tap and go to the bathroom, by the second day this was rescinded as the terrorists awaited expected "VIPs" whom they demanded to see so that they could discuss their demands. Chaos and panic were evident throughout, a village less than a mile from Beslan was receiving calls where the callers claimed they had seen the local school attacked by terrorists. When the local police went to investigate it turned out that the attackers were special forces practicing for the storming of School No. 1.
   
   What I wasn't too interested in seeing, yet saw a lot of, were wild claims with little to back them up aside from rumors and hearsay, this could be seen in regards to the Russian president, Putin, and a variety of other 'characters' in this situation who apparently owe their jobs to him, the terrorists and why they would grow aggravated, and a variety of other incidents which one can only guess at when wondering what the cause or causes might have been. I, personally, would have preferred to simply hear the outcome and not the author's ideas about how or why the outcome was come to. Without all the facts being available for scrutiny it is very hard to understand what the truth is and to separate it from the chaos of the events in question which inevitably lead to such rumors. While it might be OK for the author to present what he's heard in terms of rumors and innuendos it would be a benefit if he were to specifically state which can be proven to be true and which are simply allegations. There is also a recounting of the Nord Ost siege, which took place in Moscow a few years before Beslan, which in my opinion leaves a lot out of what happened and easily puts all the blame on Russian officials and special forces. For a more balanced view of that incident and others, including Beslan, I would recommend "Terror at Beslan" by John Giduck. Giduck's book has an abundant number of interviews with Special Forces and others who helped to rescue as many children as they could, some moving into the field of fire to distract the terrorists from the children when they were running out of the school after the two initial explosions. In this book hardly any of that is covered, if it is the author questions the accounts from the special forces side. It would have been preferable if the author actually interviewed not only survivors and locals but also some of the special forces that participated in this operation. When it comes to their side of the events all one has in this book is speculation. When I saw the following words "...the mighty Russian bear had fallen" in regards to uncensored footage being shown of this event I couldn't help myself but to think, is this what the world thought of the US on 9/11? Doubtful. A lot of blame is leveled against government forces and administration but nowhere did I find a recounting of the massive number of civilians who came out to the school armed with their own weapons and shooting indiscriminately at the terrorists throughout the siege. Yes, mistakes were made on all sides, this was a chaotic situation but that doesn't make it alright to pile all the blame on any one body. While it did take time for Alpha and other special forces to finally be able to rescue those trapped throughout the school this was because they were searching the school one classroom at a time and not running through it screaming 'Marco!' All in all I'd have to caution those reading this, if you do read it get Giduck's book as well to see the other side.

No comments about Peace, War, and Terrorism (A Longman Topics Reader) (Longman Topics Series).

4 comments about Predatory States: Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America.

1. This is a must read, especially if you're still puzzled by seemingly unanimous worldwide contempt for Washington. With lucid prose, thorough documentation and gory detail, historian McSherry leads her reader to the inescapable conclusion that, in Latin America at least, the U.S. government rarely lets respect for human rights get in the way of self-interest. As the Reagan team reassured the generalissimos even before its electoral victory, the early days of the Jimmy Carter presidency (1976-1980) would be an unusual exception. Even before Carter came to Washington, the Nixon and Ford administrations helped create the Chilean monster that was the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, which would quickly exterminate 3,000 of its perceived enemies. And with a helping hand from the CIA and encouragement from Henry Kissinger, Pinochet would partner with neighboring caudillos in Operation Condor, a kidnapping and assassination collaborative that would target the dictators' civilian opponents abroad. All of which is common knowledge among the supposedly ignorant masses, the myriad victims of IMF and WTO austerity regimens south of the Border. It's high time norteamericanos achieved comparable historical literacy. "Predatory States" is a good place to jump start the process.



2. Among the reason why I liked "Predatory States: Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America" by J. Patrice McSherry is the fact that she kept relevant the events that took place in Lating America more than 20 year ago by comparing them to current ones like the just "revealed brutal methods and secret operations" (xxi) used by the United States to fight terrorism worldwide.
   
   On the first chapter the author successfully explains what led Latin American countries into the bloody repression by military dictatorships: "the distribution of power and wealth in human society, who gets what, how, and why." (6)
   
   It is also interesting the fact that this books shows how repression spread from South America to Central America. Repression in Central America was not just the result of government fights against guerrillas, military governments wanted to consolidate their power.
   
   One more thing that made this book worth reading was the testimonies the author gathered. Having witness, victims, and survivors speak about their experience adds value to the research done in this book.



3. This well-written book meticulously documents the development and operation of an appalling transnational organization of state terror to persecute leftists and other real or imagained opponents of the South American military regimes during the 1970's. Patrice McSherry's research is rigorously documented and lays bare the central role the United States played in supporting Operation Condor and nurturing the Latin American "national security state." This book will be very useful for any reader interested in Latin American politics and society and in United States relations with the rest of the Americas. I highly recommend "Predatory States."



4. My sister and I read this book and were not only impressed with McSherry's clean and highly readable writing style but her detective work and synthesis of so many newly released files allows the reader to absorb and remember so much of this truly astonishing Condor story. We were both surprised at how much we were able to remember when talking to each other on the phone about the 6 Condor countries and their strange brutal training from the C.I.A. and ex-Nazis. The book arcs back to World War II and then brings the reader to the 1970s and Condor. Chapter 2 and 3 are really stunning.

No comments about Essentials of Terrorism: Concepts and Controversies.

5 comments about The Dirty War: Covert Strategies and Tactics Used in Political Conflicts.

1. A good book by Dillon. He covers all parts of the Northern Irish Troubles, including British Army and security forces undercover actions and the way in which the IRA use devious "honeytraps" to tempt British Army men to their deaths. It also gives a section on the little known Loyalist paramilitary forces. I Liked this book as it was easy to read and gives a good insight into the past 30 years of the troubles. Anyone who is just getting into Irish history and is unsure about what to read, The Dirty War is an excellent starting point as, from the start, it gives you no illusions, even the title tells the truth.



2. There are many reasons to buy and admire Martin Dillon's 'The Dirty War,' which is nothing less than a monumental achievement in investigative journalism. Dillon peels the lid off a very large can of worms--two decades of undercover conflict between the IRA (Official and Provisional), British Army, RUC, Loyalists and assorted other players in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 1990. The author's painstaking research (including many first-hand interviews with participants) and scrupulous objectivity should make this book required reading in newsrooms and journalism schools everywhere. But it's not some dry exercise. A lot of 'The Dirty War' rivals the best non-fiction crime and detective writing. Dillon knows how to tell a story. He also has a knack of involving the reader in his exhaustive analysis of individual incidents and themes. When answers aren't evident, his not afraid to admit it; rather, he asks questions and draws us in. This book is an absolute must for anyone interested in the modern British Army and its counterterrorist tactics. But it's not an anti-British book and it's not an anti-IRA book. It IS continually fascinating and, refreshingly, has a strong moral compass in the author's value set to help the reader through the unpleasantness.



3. In this `whose to blame' world the paradox portrayed by this work are the responsibilities involved in peacekeeping. The conflict in Northern Ireland has been a huge burden for the British, who have little real sympathy for either side.
   
   However, the main thesis of Martin Dillon's The Dirty War surrounds the notion that covert intelligence procedures and operations, which require a greater intimacy between the hunter and the hunted, are sinister by nature. Somehow, to the uninitiated there seems to be a cleansing process associated by not knowing the enemy.
   
   The `dirty' part of The Dirty War centers on the concept of assassination. Because, in an unconventional war much of the fighting and dying is done in the shadows, ambushes and small-unit actions dominate the battlefield. The problem then, seems to be that if the attacker did not know the identify of those killed it was war; if they did, it was assassination. The difference is arbitrary, in as much, as every soldier who responds to the will of those who make policy, and war understands the ugliness and reality of combat.
   
   Herein lies the nexus between the historical struggle between the British and Northern Ireland, and the American forces in modern low intensity conflict. Operating in a democracy, controlled by the rule of law, the overriding principal that governs counterinsurgency warfare tactics is that of minimum force. This self-imposed code of ethics often appears to offer the insurgents an unfair advantage. However, as is the case in Northern Ireland so it is in Afghanistan, Iraq, and future conflicts to come...responsibility comes with power, and the United States and Great Britain, if they want to be treated with global respect, must exercise one with the other.



4. Very good book detailing the three way secret war and the tactics used by the British military and law enforcement, the Ulster Paramilitaries and the IRA. It details the beginning of the modern Irish conflict in the late 1960's, it goes through the social conditions that started it off and it keeps going into the chaos that kept it going for years.
   
   This Veteran Irish Investigative Reporter doesn't pull and punches and spells out the abuses of power and atrocites on all three sides in great detail, so it isn't like he picks favorites in this. All three sides are equally guilty of murdering innocent people at some point during the conflict and then trying to cover it up.
   
   Interesting read if you want to know what's going on behind the headlines regarding the conflict in Northern Ireland and what drives the Ulster Paramilitaries, the IRA, the British Army and the Northern Irish Police.



5. "The Dirty War" is the best overall account of The Troubles I have read. Martin Dillon has gained access to confidential sources on all sides - the IRA, the Irish Republic, the Loyalist Paramilitaries, and the British security forces - which make his account of the guerrilla war in Northern Ireland unique and informative. Dillon has successfully uncovered many of the covert, unconventional tactics used by all parties in the conflict, which some of the warring factions probably only found out about when they read this book.
   
   "The Dirty War" is a really a case study of modern unconventional warfare and how both state and non-government actors fit into this ugly equation. From Britain's secret, botched attempts to assassinate suspected IRA members and the manipulation and execution of informants, to the IRA's own murder campaign, Dillon unlocks the mysteries of terror and those who commit it. A gripping, gritty account, with all the unpleasant details, of a fascinating conflict which still simmers to this day.

5 comments about In The Red Zone: A Journey Into The Soul Of Iraq.

1. Although he died while free-lancing in Iraq, I am thankful that this great journalist was able to write this book before he left us. It is an extremely interesting look at life in Iraq, the Iraqi people, and the challenges we face there. I'm sorry about his untimely death, and wish he could have stayed around to write many more compelling and inspiring books such as this one. God bless his family and bless the memory of this brave man.



2. First, let me say that Steven Vincent died for this book. He was murdered because he wrote brutally honestly about the dark underbelly of Iraq, about how here (and much of the Middle East) life is cheap and what passes for culture twists minds and perpetuates continued ignorance in the majority of the populace. Steven is gone now, but his opus is still available and if you only read one book about Iraq in your entire life, then In the Red Zone should be that one book.
   
   I read this book in one sitting, from cover to cover, all 240 pages in the span of about six hours. Everything you need to know about the war, Shia, Sunnis, Kurds, the occupation, what the future could hold - it's in here. The good, the bad and the ugly are all laid out for you. This book will be of equal fascination to both pro and anti-war readers because Steven didn't sugarcoat a thing when he wrote In the Red Zone. He didn't sugarcoat Iraq one iota and he died for it.
   
   Life is cheap in cultures that glorify death. Steven found that out the hardest way. His death has a silver lining - Nour - his brave Iraqi intrepreter. She was shot by the same vicious parasites that killed Mr. Vincent but survived and is still somewhere in Iraq (as far as I know), guarded, silenced or both. Steven and Nour are microcosms of the relationship between America and Iraq. Read In the Red Zone. It will force you to make adjustments to everything you thought you knew. In the Red Zone is Chapter 1 in the story of 21st century. Other Americans and Iraqis will be stepping forward to write Chapter 2. Are you one of them? Which side will you step forward on?



3. Freelance journalist Vincent first visited Iraq in September 2003. While other reporters sheltered in insulated compounds or heavily-fortified hotels of the "Green Zone," he lived and traveled in the "Red Zone," that is without security and among ordinary Iraqis. In all, Vincent has penned one of the best-written accounts of post-Saddam Iraq, one of the few that captures the debates, issues, and contradictory emotions that Iraqis are juggling.
   
   In the Red Zone fills a void left by the many think-tank pundits, academics, and journalists who wrote books in the wake of Saddam's fall, where the Iraqi voice is often lost. Vincent's account has the advantage of bringing to light his encounters with ordinary Iraqis. Among other experiences, he was in Karbala when a series of bombs killed 140 in the city in March 2004; and while traveling in Basra, he was briefly interrogated by U.S. intelligence. He makes no attempt to cover the minutiae of daily Iraqi politics but instead takes a big-picture approach.
   
   That said, In the Red Zone has its limitations. There is little discussion of the Kurdish issue and minor errors of fact pop up--for example, the date when Iran's Safavid dynasty began.
   
   In contrast to the usual journalistic practice of adding color to an article by including an occasional man-on-the-street interview, usually conducted by an Iraqi assistant, Vincent provides a deeper insight into Iraqis. He introduces the reader to Qasim, a Baghdad art gallery owner who, because of a club foot, managed to avoid the carnage of the Iran-Iraq war; Assad al-Abady, deputy director of the Iraqi National Organization for Human Rights; a secular Sunni woman torn between her love of freedom and the "humiliation" of having it delivered by foreigners; a Fallujah policeman who swears blood lust against Americans after U.S. soldiers kill his son; a Shi'ite taxi driver still euphoric over liberation; and a Christian woman in Basra whom Vincent later learns had been raped in her youth by Saddam's police.
   
   Vincent also spent time with foreigners. He details a long conversation with a Canadian antiwar activist who lectured him about U.S. "human rights violations" but would not condemn insurgent terrorist attacks on Iraqi civilians or visit Saddam's mass graves. Vincent also describes a surrealistic encounter with CodePink, an American peace group, during which one member doubted that Saddam really was that bad. He also notes the Iraqi reaction to Western peace groups. "How can people accept for so long the crimes of a dictator, then rise up to try and stop a war begun to remove that dictator from power?" one Iraqi lawyer asked. "Antiwar activists should examine their consciences."
   
   Michael Rubin
   Middle East Quarterly
   Summer 2005



4. I make it a point to read pretty much every book that comes out about Iraq and environs. Though there has been no recent shortage of first-rate books about the region, this one packs a punch like you wouldn't believe.
   
   To tell you the truth, I haven't seen the book since I first lent it out. The guy I lent it out to lent it out to someone else and so on and on. That I have yet to get it back should tell you something.
   
   The basic story is that Steven Vincent was your typical dingbat liberal living in the Big Apple as an art critic, believing that God was in his heaven and that all was right with the world . . . and that in particular Islam was a basically peaceful but tragically misunderstood religion.
   
   Then September 11th happened, and in a fit of shock, grief, duty, and curiosity, Vincent hied himself off to desert lands as more or less a roaming reporter for hire.
   
   The book relates his transformation from smug liberal to one who was truly concerned about constructing a fairer portrait of the chances for peace and progress over there.
   
   So far, so good. And whatever you think of his politics, and whatever your position on the war is, and blah blah blah blah.
   
   Listen: the thing that really pushes this book over the edge into the realm of greatest books I've ever read is what happened to Vincent after he wrote it. I won't spell it out here, but you can easily find out on the net.
   
   God, knowing the real ending makes the final third of this book unbearable. Truly unbearable. Some of the most emotionally exhausting and harrowing reading I've ever done.
   
   See, he meets this woman named Nour. And God! God! I can't take it.
   
   Sparrow, O sparrow!



5. This book manages to deliver a concise, beautifully written account of Iraq, as seen through the eyes of Iraqis and foreigners living there in the early post-Saddam years. We hear from Iraqi men and women of all backgrounds, American "activists", soldiers, policemen, and clerics...to name but a few!
   Mr. Vincent begins his journey on the highway that leads from Jordan to Baghdad. This highway gives the reader a pretty good idea of what Iraq as a whole will be like. On it, shiny SUVs and junkmobiles alike zoom at breakneck speed through the desert, avoiding roadside thieves and potholes. Should travelers need a break, they can lounge on one of countless picnic tables installed in years past on this road by Saddam's "planners", and refresh themselves with blasts of wind and sand under the 116 degree sun.
   The author travels to Baghdad, the Sunni triangle, Kirkuk, Basra, and to the Holy Shia cities in the south. He reports the views of the cynics, and the disillusioned, as well as those of the (not at all scarce) intrepid optimists who persist in believing in the possibility of a democratic Iraq.
   Mr. Vincent doesn't mince words as he describes the many unpleasant and even horrible scenes he finds throughout the country, but also of the growing pockets of Iraq reclaimed from destruction. Throughout he gives a very even-handed account, such that we can identify with both foreigners and locals, and with passionate Iraqis on opposite sides of many ideological wars.
   I found his chapter on the Shiite pilgrimages and holidays, excellent. (In order to gain entry to these, he poses as an American Shiite, and must recite boilerplate Muslim creed in his broken Arabic). Here, we join him in his immersion and admiration of the Shiites' as he recounts their history of perseverence in the face of centuries of Sunni domination, but we also join him as he confides his more cynical verdicts on the Shia glorification of bloodshed and death he witnesses during several religious celebrations.
   I also found his chapters on life in Basra outstanding. Here Mr. Vincent recounts his experience under the wing of a brave and iconoclastic Muslim woman, Nour, a Basra native. As his guide, she risks her reputation and indeed her life (she receives serial threats from those who view her as out of line), as she guides him to interviews with mullahs, fanatics, moderates, opportunists, party figures, and soldiers, and translates for him their warnings, criticisms, and their....occasional admiration, accompanied by pleas to carry on, and report the truth about Iraq and their dreams for its renewal as a nation finally free from dictatorship to us, the future readers of their story.

5 comments about The Man Who Warned America: The Life and Death of John O'Neill, the FBI's Embattled Counterterror Warrior.

1. This is an interesting book on an unusual subject. People like John O'Neill are not usually the subjects of biographies. He wasn't anywhere near prominent enough, and that usually means that someone like O'Neill winds up being a footnote in a book about someone else. Instead, O'Neill was the FBI agent in charge of International security in New York City, and spent much of the 90s as the guy in the FBI who was the most interested in and focused on capturing Osama bin Laden. Ironically, he retired in mid-2001, and took a job as head of security at the World Trade Center. He went back into the South Tower on 9/11 and was killed when it collapsed.
   
   O'Neill, according to the author, was a complex, driven man, a visionary who was one of the first US officials to decide that Osama bin Ladin was worth watching and perhaps capturing. While his FBI career was, in terms of his job performance, impeccable, he had two major weaknesses. First, he was occasionally forgetful, and violated various FBI rules and protocols. In the mid-90s, when Louis Freeh was running the FBI, any violations were punishable, and almost certainly would have a detrimental affect on a person's career. O'Neill was once caught letting a girlfriend onto an FBI secure facility, and giving her a ride in his car. On another occasion, he lost a briefcase full of classified material that shouldn't have been out of the office. Both of these incidents impacted his career and chances for promotion. Second, he had a penchant for chasing multiple women at the same time, concealing each liason from all of his other girlfriends. When he died, each of the women was surprised to find out that there were other women in his life.
   
   Much of the book is devoted to O'Neill's pursuit of bin Ladin, especially the investigation of the bombings at the African Embassies in 1998 and the Cole bombing in 2000. While O'Neill wasn't involved directly in the Embassy bombing investigations, he was in charge of the Cole bombing investigation. However, for whatever reason he ran afoul of the local US ambassador, a woman named Barbara Bodine, who started out asserting her control of the investigation and insisting that the Yemenis were offended by O'Neill, and that only she could smoothe things over. This was before O'Neill had met any of the Yemenis yet, but she insisted it was the case. By the time the investigation concluded, Bodine was so sure that withdrawing the FBI investigators was provocative that she ordered Marine guards to keep the FBI agents in the embassy, and had to be told by her superiors at the State Department to let the agents go. After she'd been transferred back to the States and 9/11 happened, the Yemenis became more helpful, and eventually began cooperating extensively with the US. Ambassador Bodine stuck to her guns, however, and even badmouthed O'Neill in an interview after his death.
   
   You have to wonder about this part of the book. Author Weiss was a friend of O'Neill's, and he clearly sides with him against Bodine. It's difficult to see how she could justify what she did (even if O'Neill was despicable, letting her opinion of him subvert this sort of FBI investigation is inexcusable). I expect that somehow she saw through his private life in some fashion. Weiss says that she had been introduced to O'Neill in New York before she became ambassador to Yemen. Perhaps she saw him at a restaurant with a woman other than the one who was escorting him the night they were introduced to each other.
   
   Regardless, this is an interesting book, even if the author, a journalist, occasionally makes a mistake around the periphery of his story. The one I noticed was the author saying that USS The Sullivans was named for some brothers killed on a "carrier" during World War II. The Sullivan brothers were killed on USS Juneau, an Atlanta-class Light Cruiser. Other reviewers have noted mistakes on the edges of the story, but they don't (in my mind, anyway) detract from the main message of his story.



2. John O'Neill was the most dedicated member of the FBI who committed his life to fighting crime and, ultimately, terrorism. His efforts were discouraged by bureaucracy, ignorance, and the Clinton administration. Read firsthand in this book how he was so close to saving much anguish, sorrow and death in the United States but was stopped in his tracks by others too inept to acknowledge the vision he had for stopping the unfortunate acts of terrorism in New York and Yemen. The cruelest irony is that he died in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers in charge of security after he retired from the FBI due to frustration.



3. John O'Neill grew up in Atlantic City, NJ watching the FBI on TV on Sunday nights. All he ever wanted to do was be an FBI agent and serve his country. The son of working class folks who ran a taxi cab business he dedicated himself to be the finest and fulfilled his childhood dreams. Jonh went to my high-school and lived 5 minutes from where I grew up, I never knew him but after reading this fine Murray Weiss biography I feel I know him as a brother. This book will infuriate you as John O'Neill tries to warn everyone in the government of an impending doom with Bin Laden, who he studied and profiled, much to his chagrin no one listened. How ironic that after so much frustration with the FBI bureacracy and a Clinton Administration consumed by the presidents personal travails that John O'Neill resigns to take over security operations at the World Trade Center one week before 9/11. He perished in the collapse of the towers after he was safely out. He ran back in to try to save people. This book will move you, John O'Neill's story will stay with you. Did he have his own style and personal troubles, sure, but his life is what you will remember, his dedication to his job and the fact that maybe if a few more higher ups had listened to him this tragedy could have been averted. With men like this, you'll believe our country is in good hands as far as the war with terrorism is concerned. It's upper management we should be worried about.



4. John O'Neill was a problem. A bull in the china shop. He was a womanizer and he was an exceptionally poor fit at the FBI, but if we had listened to him 3000 people, including him, would not have died at the World Trade Center, the pentagon and on three airline carriers. There seems to be less and less room in America for the mavericks. This book is no white wash. It paints the man in full warts and all. But at the end of it we realize that it was this wildman who was right and all the politicians, hypocrites, sanctamonious twits and stuffed shirt beaureaucrats who drove him from the FBI,or didn't pay attention to him were wrong. The execrable Barbara Bodine who single handedly ruined his mission to Yemen comes in for special criticism. She probably still doesn't think she did anything wrong. We are becoming a silly nation. We've become obsessed with beauratic rules, political correctness on the left, phony piety on the right, and we can't get anything done anymore. Don't read this book merely as a tragedy but look it as a wake up call



5. The book is not news to anyone who reads any New York newspapers. It is a cut and paste job from ON's drinking buddy. Better reporting done by author Peter Lance. Of course, nothing written by me detracts from the dedication and true grit of John O'Neil.