Satanic Purses: Money, Myth, And Misinformation in the War on Terror (Hardcover)

by R. T. Naylor (Author)
Key Phrases: hawala operators, émigré workers, terror list, Saudi Arabia, United States, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This book is terrific!" The Globe and Mail "Satanic Purses provides a fascinating perspective on the war on terror." Maclean's "Transcending conventional misunderstandings, Naylor shows how some of our policies are built on a thin patch of ice. Irreverent and satirical in tone, his book is a counter-balance to too much that is taken for granted - even by many who should know better." Nikos Passas, College of Criminal Justice, Northeastern University "A counterblast to the conventional wisdom and mythologized history of Al-Qaeda that dismantles taken-for-granted assumptions." Michael Levi, criminology, Cardiff University

Product Description
Although there has been criticism of some aspects of the American government's understanding of and response to 9/11, "Satanic Purses" takes the story much further. In a savage critique, R.T. Naylor exposes the official story, and the resulting global War on Islamic Terror, as based on myth, misinformation, and even deliberate disinformation - all of it premised on misguided notions about the nature of terrorist financing and the structure and organization of terrorist groups. Naylor argues that bin Laden's role in various terrorist outrages has been grossly exaggerated and that the idea of al-Qa'idah as a well-financed, centrally directed movement is a fable akin to misconceptions about the Mafia.He also demystifies the notion of a great anti-Western Islamic resurgence and analyses how and why a story so contrary to easily verifiable reality was concocted and accepted. As "Satanic Purses" makes clear, the myths surrounding the war on terror, particularly the alleged existence of hordes of Islamic terror dollars, have led Western countries, particularly the US, to policies that create death and disorder abroad and the loss of due process and privacy at home. Naylor shows that the secret agendas behind, and the private interests that profit from, an illusory War on Terror may be far more dangerous than the events that led to it.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 430 pages
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press (August 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773531505
• ISBN-13: 978-0773531505
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #696,208 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Satanic Purses" is a thoroughly 'reader friendly' presentation , March 3, 2007

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

R.T. Nayor is an expert on money laundering, the underground economy, and terrorism. In "Satanic Purses: Money, Myth, And Misinformation In The War On Terror" he applies his extensive experience and expertise to debunk commonly held myths about how Islamic terrorist groups like Al Qaidah, Hamas, Hezbollah, and others finance their operations. Misinformation, propaganda, misconceptions, and flawed intelligence are to be found in every war, but the War On Terrorism has been particularly plagued with untruths, lies, mistakes, misunderstandings, governmental manipulation, and more. Critically important reading for policy makers, academia, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in understanding the financial issues of terrorism, "Satanic Purses" is a thoroughly 'reader friendly' presentation that will go far in correcting the confusion and misrepresentations that have evolved over the past six years with respect to the on-going global terrorist war with respect to the finances of both stateless and state-sponsored terrorist groups.

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mythologizing bin Laden and Other American Lies, January 6, 2007

By	H. Campbell (houston, texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Naylor's work is essential reading for anyone with a brain that refuses to accept the Bush/Fox/neocon poppycock that passes for "truth" in the now disgraced American media. He convincingly makes the case that bin Laden (who for some reason is rarely mentioned anymore, despite the fact he supposedly was the 9-11 "mastermind") is now used by everyone and their brother in order to solicit US funds and/or justification for an agenda. Worse, the so-caled security-justice apparatus in this country has been corrupted and prostituted to the point that half-baked sting operations are lauded as major victories agaianst a fatuous terrorism that exists primarily in the fevered imaginations of xenophobic right-wingers. Naylor paints a depressing but alas accurate portrayal of the United States and its overlord Israel as hypocritical and cynical manipulators of public opinion and myth. Naylor's book is required reading for all patriotic Americans who want to wrest this nation's soul back from the purvyors of intolerance and hate.

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Al Qaeda Money Machine that Never Was, January 4, 2007

By	Michael A. Hoffman "Michael A. Hoffman II" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Far from a rant, Taylor's vital book deals in substantive issues of finance and liberty and establishes the criminal folly of current US policy toward Islamic nations based on the myth of an Al Qaeda monolith. If blind obedience to central government is your definition of patriotism, this work is not for you. But if you want to extend Noam Chomsky's perspective on how "consent is manufactured" here is a valuable analytical sequel to that study, well-written and organized and in some respects, indispensable to understanding the disastrous impact of the US government's conspiracy theories and fables.