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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
92 of 95 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The ugly world of realpolitik is exposed,
By
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This review is from: Forbidden Truth: U.S.-Taliban Secret Oil Diplomacy, Saudi Arabia and the Failed Search for bin Laden (Paperback)
Brisard and Dasquie's "Forbidden Truth" is a very solid piece of research that contains more than a few surprises about the realpolitiks of the Middle East, especially as it pertains to the United States and Saudi Arabia. The book turns a number of received wisdoms on their head and should give everyone concerned about the war on terror a few things to think about.Of course, the authors show that fossil fuels drives American policy in the region. The Clinton and Bush administrations both negotiated with the Taliban for the construction of a natural gas pipeline to be built in Afghan territory despite clear-cut evidence of the regime's human rights abuses. However, the book also makes the eye-popping suggestion that U.S. representatives may have recklessly threatened the Taliban prior to the September 11 attack, thereby provoking Al Qaeda into action. Basically, Brisard and Dasquie explain that Saudi Arabia supports radical Islamic movements (including the Taliban, Al Qaeda and Usama Bin Laden) in order to extend its hegemony over the area. Saudi support of the Taliban, for example, helped keep Afghanistan from falling under Iranian influence. Interestingly, the authors point out that the first arrest warrant ever issued against Usama Bin Laden came not from the U.S. -- which wanted to overlook Usama's behavior in order to keep Saudi oil flowing -- but from Libya. I must admit that all of this came as quite a surprise to me, since Saudi Arabia has always been portrayed as a staunch ally of the U.S. In fact, Brisard and Dasquie recall how U.S. oil companies helped the country develop, but they also show that the Kingdom remains dependent on religion to maintain control over its people. So the country is practically schizophrenic in its need to simultaneously maintain business ties with the U.S. and defend against the spread of Arab nationalism by covertly preaching the gospel of anti-Americanism. The authors go into considerable detail illuminating the people, organizations and financial relationships that make the Saudi-supported terror network possible. The indictments reach the highest levels of Saudi society. In this light, it appears that Usama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda simply spun out of their master's control and took the anti-American cause too far. All this should give us pause to consider why the U.S. allowed the Saudis to play such a dangerous game for so long. Also, one would think that prudence should compel the U.S. to develop an energy policy that does not depend on Middle Eastern oil. But already, Brisard and Dasquie report that talks for the pipeline have resumed since the installation of the Karzai regime in Afghanistan in May 2002. On a technical note, the book could benefit from additional editorial work to correct a few grammatical errors (presumably due to the translation from French to English?) and several footnote mistakes. Stylistically, the author's research sometimes makes for dry reading, but that is only because the facts have been meticulously documented and presented. So although "Forbidden Truth" is at times far from entertaining, the reader is nevertheless impressed with the professionalism of the research and its air-tight conclusions. (Indeed, sensing the threat that the book poses to its business empire, the Bin Laden family succeeded in getting the book banned in Switzerland.) "Forbidden Truth" is recommended for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of the dynamics underlying the war on terror.
139 of 149 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The Forbidden Truth" tells you what really happened,
By John J Emerson (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Forbidden Truth: U.S.-Taliban Secret Oil Diplomacy, Saudi Arabia and the Failed Search for bin Laden (Paperback)
First of all, this is the GOOD French book on 9/11. (The OTHER French book on 9/11 you hear people talking about is the same old conspiracy theory stuff. Dasquie and Brisard are well-respected professionals and completely mainstream. When 9/11 took place the American response was dominated by rage and disbelief: how could anyone ever do something like that to us? Suggestions that we figure out why it happened were automatically slapped down, as if even asking the question would give legitimacy to the attackers. It's quite normal to have inquiries whenever a disaster takes place, so someone must have had something to hide. This book tells you who they were and what it was. The United States was negotiating with the Taliban right into September of 2001. What was at issue was an oil pipeline across Afghanistan, and the options we offered them were two: cooperate with us on the pipeline, or war. When negotiations broke down, Osama Bin Laden (a U.S. ally only a decade earlier in the anti-Soviet war, and a major force in Afghanistan)struck first. Once we were at war with the Taliban, they became unspeakably evil; but as long as it seemed that they might be willing to play ball, we had no problem with them. The role of Saudi Arabia in this story is a second major theme. Most of the hijackers were Saudis and the funding came from Saudi Arabia and the neighboring Gulf States. Furthermore, some of Bin Laden's support, contrary to what we have been told, came from very high levels in Saudi society. Saudi Arabia has long been a major source of funds for Muslim extremists globally, and the see-no-evil complicity in this of the U.S. government and the oil industry cannot be denied. While this book in no way claims that the CIA (much less the Mossad) had a hand in the 9/11 attacks, it makes it clear that excessively indulgent attitudes to the Saudis at very high levels of the US government led to extreme negligence and made the terrorists' job much easier. Saudi Arabia is not on the list of ten or more terrorist nations which we plan to attack. After reading this book, you will ask why not. John Emerson
58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
interesting, but no smoking gun,
By A Customer
This review is from: Forbidden Truth: U.S.-Taliban Secret Oil Diplomacy, Saudi Arabia and the Failed Search for bin Laden (Paperback)
I bought this book anticipating a smoking gun connection between the 9/11 attacks and the Bush administration, and was somewhat disappointed when i didnt get one, but the book is fascinating nonetheless. it details a series of negotiations between the Bush administration (and the Clinton administration) with the Taliban in the hopes of stabilizing the government of Afghanistan enough to allow the construction of oil and gas pipelines from the Caspian Sea across Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. fascinating that the American media has utterly neglected to make this connection in all of the post-9/11 reporting, and even today refers to this book only in a patronizing, "conspiracy theory" manner.the book also addresses another matter that the U.S. media has touched on, but not explored in the detail it deserves: the role of the Saudi Arabian government in its widespread funding of international Islamic organizations with dubious intent. "forbidden truth" raises legitimate questions about what is really going on in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. government's dealings with that nation. i would recommend this book for anyone interested in the recent history of the Middle East and the "war" on terrorism. it presents a very-well reported historical account of the role of oil in U.S. foreign policy, which is especially enlightening considering the pending U.S. invasion of Iraq. two complaints about the book: numerous typos and careless editing suggest this book was rushed to press; and it includes about 80 pages of appendices, including many supporting documents that are difficult to discern. nonetheless, read "forbidden truth" for another perspective on the "war" on terrorism.
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