Customer Reviews

In the Name of Osama Bin Laden: Global Terrorism and the Bin Laden Brotherhood

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In the Name of Osama bin Laden is a close as we're likely to get to an insider's view of al-Qaeda and the interworkings of those closest to bin Laden. The author has incredible access to internal documents--including terrorist training manuals, translations of communiques from bin Laden to his brotherhood, and intelligence papers--that reveal much about the relationship between political/religious groups and the passions of the bin Laden brotherhood. Some will consider them important to coming to an intellectual understanding of the bin Laden network and the mindset of the terrorist while others might see them as evidence--in either case they definitely reward reading.
Roland Jacquard's access to players in the drama distinguishes this book. His April 2001 interview with bin Laden is included. This and the other supporting documents (some in English for the first time) that appear toward the end of the book provide important documentation for Jacquard's analysis and descriptions. They are a crucial part of understanding that the bin Laden Brotherhood is active around the globe and there are large issues that must be dealt with. Chilling, but important.

This is not you typical USA-centric CNN analysis of UBL and al-Qaeda. Jacquard's book carries the insight of a foreign intelligence organization which is arguably the most adept in the world at counterterrorism. Unlike Bodansky's UBL bio, which though informative was dry and repetitive, this is written in a journalistic style which makes it exceptionally readable. I learned more about al-Qaeda from this book then any other single text. Very highly recommended.

Jacquard provides a competent if somewhat truncated book that covers much of the same ground covered by other Bin Laden authors. At something like 167 pages, the book is also a little on the short side. Nonetheless the book does provide some interesting tidbits not found in other books. For example, there are a few pages on Bin Laden's links to Iraq, interesting stuff. Overall this book provides a decent overview of Bin Laden and his objectives, there are better out there though. For the price of a paperback, however, this book gets the job done.

This book is a poor effort. It reminds me of one of those quickie books about the Mafia from the 1960s that were indigestible piles of newspaper cuttings and police tips. Such books spilled over with supposed mobster names and sinister-sounding activities, all with no perceivable organizing principle or meaningful analysis.

Just so Jacquard's book. After you've read it, you will understand almost nothing more about bin Laden than you knew before you read it. Jacquard has the name of every insignificant Arab-sounding individual ever given a parking ticket somewhere in the Western world, often going off on a pointless tangents from his attempt at a narrative on bin Laden. Unfortunately, the dozens of undefined organizations Jacquard mentions sound a lot like the Devil's Circle in that silly 1930s cliffhanger serial, The Three Musketeers.

The one interesting thing about this book is that it confirms a theory of mine concerning so-called experts on terror. In the United States especially, there are scores of such fellows regularly appearing on television news or writing other quickie books. No one ever seems to question how they are qualified to be considered experts in terror. After all, terrorist organizations are very secretive. How much did we ever learn about the IRA, a truly professional terrorist organization if there ever was one?

Much of what is claimed to be known today about al Qaeda, for example, is the result of American torture in a chain of post-invasion gulags. Like a child's cry of "uncle!" hoping to be released from a bully's grip, the words of the tortured are of little worth.

I am still trying to find a worthwhile book about bin Laden, but in the meantime, Jacquard's book is recommended only to be avoided.

More than 3 years after Osama Bin Laden and his gang attacked us we still are having to deal with his threats. We need a president who will not lose sight of our true enemies. After losing so many of our young men and women and spending so much money we are no safer than we were on 9/11!

What was the point?

Please vote for John Kerry.