Kill Khalid: The Failed Mossad Assassination of Khalid Mishal and the Rise of Hamas [Hardcover]

Paul McGeough (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2009

A leading international correspondent reconstructs the pivotal moment in the rise of Hamas—a page-turning narrative reminiscent of The Day of the Jackal. "[It was] all very James Bond. One country needs the antidote held by another, to treat an illness it doesn't understand. The clock's ticking...so the king calls the White House."—Robert Malley, former senior Clinton administration adviser

Little public notice was taken of a 1997 attempt on the life of the Hamas leader Khalid Mishal by Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency—even though the audacious hit took place in broad daylight in the streets of Amman, and even though the bungled poisoning immediately set into motion a flurry of international diplomacy, culminating in the direct intervention of then-U.S. President Bill Clinton.

A series of tense, high-level negotiations saved Mishal's life, as the Israelis reluctantly handed over the antidote. But Hamas was saved as well. With his new lease on life, Khalid Mishal became—and remains—the architect of the Hamas organization's phenomenal ascendancy in the intervening decade. Mishal orchestrated the deadly bombings on targets in Israel and, from his bunker in exile in the Syrian capital of Damascus, continues to pull in donations and support from the Islamic world while directing Hamas's vital social welfare programs.

In a headlong narrative—with high-speed car chases, negotiated prisoner exchanges, and an international scandal that threatened to destabilize the entire region—acclaimed reporter Paul McGeough uses unprecedented, extensive interviews with Khalid Mishal himself and the key players in Amman, Jerusalem, and Washington to tell the definitive, inside story of the rise of Hamas.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

McGeough (Manhattan to Baghdad) offers a meticulously researched, if in places excessively detailed treatment of Palestinian political history. Based on interviews conducted with key players and Hamas leader Khalid Mishal, the narrative focuses on the attempted assassination in 1997 of Mishal by Mossad, the Israeli secret service, and examines how the bungled poisoning catalyzed Hamas—previously marginalized and labeled a terrorist group—to rise to power. The brazen attempt on Mishal's life in broad daylight while he was taking his sons for a haircut in Amman, Jordan, galvanized the movement; Mishal became a household name in the Middle East and Hamas members called him "the martyr who did not die." By 2004, Hamas's refusal to abandon the use of suicide bombers turned international opinion against the organization, but by this time even Jimmy Carter had visited Mishal, and Arafat's PLO had been pushed aside as the sole representative of the Palestinian cause. This is the definitive chronicle of the Middle East crisis during the Clinton years and in the post-9/11 era. (Mar.)
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Review

'But it is a style that for the most part matches the bizarre story Paul McGeough is telling...he has a sharp eye for the way in which both sides in the conflict have played the media.' Duncan Campbell Smith -Times Literary Supplement. 'McGeough tells the story of the Amman plot in the gritty, unsentimental style of a hard-boiler thriller.' Adam Shat- London Review of Books. Kill Khalid is a reporter's book drawing plentifully on interviews with the important players, including Mishal. Geoff Dyer- The Guardian --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 477 pages
• Publisher: New Press, The; First Edition edition (March 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595583254
• ISBN-13: 978-1595583253
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.6 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #880,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul McGeough is the chief correspondent and a former editor of Australia's Sydney Morning Herald and the author of three books on the Middle East. He has twice been named Australian Journalist of the Year and in 2002 was awarded the Johns Hopkins University-based SAIS Novartis prize for excellence in international journalism. He lives in Sydney, Australia.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Well-Researched Must-Read March 9, 2009

By Mahmoud Al-Qudsi

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Paul McGeough's "Kill Khalid" is an excellent example of journalistic writing done right. It tells the story of Khalid Mishal and what makes him tick, going back into some of the most complicated events in recent history and unravelling them with precision and enthusiasm.

"Kill Khalid" is an intense book, with every meaning of the word. McGeough brings to light some of the best-kept secrets of Middle Eastern politics in a very talented manner. He does an excellent job of explaining the reasons for some of the most twisted of diplomatic plots & actions; showing just how sensitive these matters were and how each and every step taken in Middle East politics has an amplified effect on the world at large.

"Kill Khalid" is more than just the story of Hamas and its mysterious and charismatic leader - it's an insight into the minds of leaders and influential philosophers that have shaped the current Palestinian situation ever since the start of the British Mandate in the early 90s.

Paul McGeough does an excellent job of telling a sensitive story, researching and putting forth the facts as they happened. It's very objectively told, and McGeough doesn't hold back any punches when it comes to putting the blame for the current mess where it belongs: on the shoulders of politicians from ages past.

McGeough does a splendid job of explaining such a difficult subject in an incredibly easy and down-to-earth manner, and "Kill Khalid" is a thriller that shares much wisdom and imparts much knowledge while remaining very comprehensible and a - dare I say it - fun read.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-documented research... a masterpiece ! July 20, 2009

By Argonautykos 2020

Format:Hardcover

This is a wonderfully well-researched book. Its journalistic style avoids it being seen as a Ph.d. dissertation. Full of end-of-chapter notes, it reveals McGeough carefulness in detailing what happened and why it happened. The ascent ofHamas is a lesson from Machiavellian plotting.The author bases his argument in FOIA-released affidavits and a lot of personal, confidential interviewing with the personalities involved.

Kudos !

Kill Khalid: The Failed Mossad Assassination of Khalid Mishal and the Rise of Hamas

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, mentioned the fact as it is April 13, 2012

By Windpilot

Format:Hardcover

This book is very useful for anyone who want to know a little about what is going on Palestine.
I do not think I have anything to write more than I DID recommend this book for family and friends.