Al Qaeda in Europe: The New Battleground of International Jihad [Hardcover]

Lorenzo Vidino (Author), Steven Emerson (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2005

The July 2005 London bombings are yet another example of how Europe has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds in the global War on Terror. The region has become a critical 'ground zero' for Islamist terrorists, not only as a target but as a base of operations. The implications for the United States are tremendous: under existing law, for example, terrorists carrying European passports could easily enter the country. It is not a coincidence, in fact, that every attack planned or executed against the United States, including 9/11, has had strong European ties. This is the first book in English that dissects Islamic terrorism in Europe. The book fills a critical gap in the understanding of the new threats posed by Islamist terrorism. Vidino analyses the causes of this dangerous situation while providing an extensive historical overview of Islamic terrorist activities in Europe. The book shows how terrorists - most of them native to the Continent - raise money, communicate, and hide in plain sight in the suburbs of London, Paris, and Amsterdam. It presents with painful clarity the difficulties that law enforcement agencies world-wide have had in shutting terror cells down. Finally, the book describes three of the most important networks operating in Europe. Vidino analyses events such as the Madrid train bombings, the thwarted plot to attack various European capitals with chemical weapons, and the movements of hundreds of European Muslims who are joining terrorist groups in Iraq to fight U.S. forces. Vidino includes fascinating information taken from a dozen countries' original documentation (intelligence reports, indictments, court transcripts), plus transcripts of conversations among al Qaeda operatives that have been intercepted by intelligence agencies. "Al Qaeda in Europe" is authoritative, informative and written in a lively narrative that will captivate general readers, and become a valuable new resource for scholars and government officials.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an impressive work that provides detailed analysis on what is now Europe’s most important security problem" -- Klaus Gruenewald, former head of Germany's security services

"...an invaluable exposé of Al Qaeda’s roots and tentacles in Europe and the threats that result from them." -- Scott Newark, Former Crown Prosecutor, Executive Director of the Canadian Police Association

"...meticulous research offers a compelling study of the evolution, ideology and operations of radical extremist elements residing in Europe." -- Dennis M. Lormel,Former Chief, Terrorist Financing Operations Section (TFOS), Counterterrorism Division, FBI. Current Vice President, Corporate Risk International (CRI).

From the Publisher

"Vidino peels back the layers of the al Qaeda networks in Europe and shows how lax immigration and asylum laws, coupled with the availability of false documents and financing, have allowed terrorists to operate in Europe with relative ease. Thoroughly researched."

Representative Ed Royce
Chairman, Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation House International Relations Committee

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 403 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; First edition. edition (November 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591024331
• ISBN-13: 978-1591024330
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #716,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating analysis, November 28, 2005

By 

Ellie Bartolozzi - See all my reviews

This review is from: Al Qaeda in Europe: The New Battleground of International Jihad (Hardcover)

An impressive and well-documented book that grabs and holds your interest
from the very start.  Vidino gives an overview of who's who behind the
terrorist networks--great for the layman!--then addresses the specifics of
how each group finds recruits, finds financing and finds havens.  I find
him masterful at weaving everything together, including how political,
social and legal issues in Europe bear upon the existence of radical groups
there.  A fascinating analysis...but disturbing."

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, November 20, 2005

By 

Ashley Cooper - See all my reviews

This review is from: Al Qaeda in Europe: The New Battleground of International Jihad (Hardcover)

Amazingly well written. I bought it Friday morning and spent the weekend home reading and re-reading it, could not put it down. Rich with facts and information, yet it flows marvellously. I was fascinated by the transcripts of conversations among European al Qaeda operatives as intercepted by intelligence agencies. They give a unique insight into the minds of terrorists, something I have rarely seen elsewhere. A must-read for anybody interested in terrorism and current affairs!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the first book in English to examine Islamic roots and terrorism in Europe, April 4, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Al Qaeda in Europe: The New Battleground of International Jihad (Hardcover)

Lorenzo Vidino's Al Qaeda In Europe: The New Battleground Of International Jihad provides an excellent companion piece, considering how Europe has become a key battleground on the War on Terror. This is the first book in English to examine Islamic roots and terrorism in Europe, comes from a Deputy Director of The Investigative Project, and examines exactly how terrorists raise money, communicate, and operate through hidden cells across the continent. Original documentation from a dozen nations accompanies transcripts of Al Qaeda conversations and chapters which examine particular plots.