The Terrorist Perspectives Project: Strategic and Operational Views of Al Qaida and Associated Movements [Paperback]

Mark E. Stout (Author), Jessica M. Huckabey (Author), John R. Schindler (Author), Jim Lacey (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 2008

This timely book synthesizes the perspectives of Osama bin Laden and his fellow Salafi jihadists on how to wage war on their many enemies. A team of experts from the Institute for Defense Analyses working on the Terrorist Perspectives Project undertook the study in order to help U.S. military and civilian policymakers, planners, and educators better understand terrorists. In assembling strategic and operational perspectives of Al Qaida and Associated Movements (AQAM), they focused on the Salafi jihadists intellectual leadership and a sampling of their followers, who together comprise the vanguard of the global jihad and share a common enemy--the West. This project is sponsored by the United States Joint Forces Command.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark E. Stout is a defense analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses in Arlington, VA, and collaborated with Jim Lacey on The Iraqi Perspectives Report (987-1-59114-457-1) Paperback, Naval Institute Press, 2006. John R. Schindler, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College, is the author of Unholy Terror and Agents Provocateurs. Jessica M. Huckabey is an adjunct research staff member at the Institute for Defense Analyses.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press (March 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591144639
• ISBN-13: 978-1591144632
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #896,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowing your Enemy, May 6, 2008

By 

T. Quiggin (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Terrorist Perspectives Project: Strategic and Operational Views of Al Qaida and Associated Movements (Paperback)

This is an outstanding effort and one of the first USA produced books that takes a serious and insightful look at Al Qaeda's strategy and operational fiews. A must read for finding out whether it is possible to prevail in the face of the Al Qaeda threat.

The authors of this book have predicated its publication on the simple premise that you should "know your enemy." In order to prevail in the face of the threats posed by Al Qaeda and its Associated Movements (AQAM), the authors believe that you must have a thorough understanding of the beliefs and strategies of your opponent. The book is a particularly refreshing perspective on terrorism responses at a time when we are often given vacuous and empty ideas such as "The terrorists hate us because they hate our freedom."

This book explores both the religious and the often overlooked secular views of Al Qaeda and its adherents. By examining salafi jihadist theory, AQAM's perception of its enemies and the strategic level communications being used, the authors are capable of providing real policy implications and not just recycled policies or empty rhetoric.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how it examines AQAM's own view of itself. This exposes many of the myths about Al Qaeda. As was often the case in the Cold War, we were led to believe that the Soviet Army was a fearful enemy and it had soldiers who were "ten feet tall." As it turns out, this was not the case and the USSR collapsed in on itself. This book shows that not only are Al Qaeda's followers not ten feet tall, but they have significant short comings, many of which they are aware of themselves. While many in the West are dismayed at Al Qaeda's media capabilities such as As-Sahab, the authors demonstrate that the Al Qaeda's leaders believe that they are losing the media wars. As in many other sections of the book, this revelation opens up new areas of effective responses.

The authors also show that AQAM has significant recruiting and retention problems. As many of the terrorist leaders note, they initially recruited tens of thousands, but were only able to retain a limited few.

As well, AQAM leaders lament that many young Muslims were zealous to start with, but lost their fervor in a relatively short period of time.
The book also makes the honest (and brave) observation that the USA is probably losing in its overall efforts. However, the book does not offer a pessimistic view of the future. To the contrary, it posits the view that the Salafi led global jihad has significant weaknesses. One of these may turn out to be its Achilles heal: recruiting and retention. The authors believe that the USA and others, if they can gain an institutional understanding of the problem, should be able to exploit the vulnerabilities of AQAM and prevail in the face of its strategies and operations.

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