The al-Qaeda Threat: An Analytical Guide to al-Qaeda's Tactics & Targets [Paperback]

Ben Venzke (Author), Aimee Ibrahim (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Incredibly useful book, does an excellent job of putting al-Qaeda actions into a meaningful context. I recommend it highly... -- Journal of Counterterrorism and Security International - Summer 2003

From the Author

We set out to review the last 10+ years of al-Qaeda statements, audio tapes, videos and training manuals and then extract all references we could find to its tactics and targeting philosophy. We then took all of the references, deconflicted translations and produced corresponding assessments on 18 classes of tactics and 22 classes of targets. All of this was done with the goal of producing a non-sensitive book that could sit on the shelf of an intelligence analyst at Langley or fit in a local SWAT operator's gear bag.

We frequently find ourselves grasping for the latest bit of new intel, but yet how often do we forget about what came out two years ago and is publicly available. For example, how many remember that Osama bin Laden talked about using SAM missiles in Saudi Arabia in his 28 May 1998 interview with ABC News, four years before the apparent attempted attack in 2002 at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. In 2001, Ahmed Ressam testified in open court in the US about al-Qaeda's testing of cyanide on dogs, about a year before CNN aired its al-Qaeda tape of similar tests.

Other cases are more disturbing. Eight months prior to the attack on the Limburg off the coast of Yemen, an al-Qaeda member released an article specifically addressing the importance of targeting oil tankers. The same article explores the ease with which a small nuclear device and nuclear material could be obtained in Russia due to failing security measures.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Tempest Pub (January 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966543734
• ISBN-13: 978-0966543735
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,682,381 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Counterterrorism Benchmark Work on al-Qaeda, September 8, 2003

By 

David Jimenez (El Paso, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The al-Qaeda Threat: An Analytical Guide to al-Qaeda's Tactics & Targets (Paperback)

Both Ben and Aimee have provided what I call a "landmark", baseline study that is destined, if not already, to become the counterterrorism benchmark on al-Qaeda for all levels of law enforcement (federal, state, and local) and DoD. The book is easy to follow, well structured, sequential, logical, and useful. This work provides anyone with the ability to grasp the "mechanics" of al-Qaeda sponsored terrorism with a central reference.......bringing alive al-Qaeda for the reader. Their in-depth study, through meticulous research, translations from excerpts, and summarizations in an analytical fashion gives the reader a sense of what it all means. These are the golden nuggets of the book.

What Ben and Aimee have done for the United States and other countries in The al-Qaeda Threat: An Analytical Guide to al-Qaeda's Tactics & Targets, should be taken seriously. The only detailed, critical, analytical account done on al-Qaeda to date that every Law Enforcement Agency, Senator and Congressional representative, DoD component, and academic institution should have. For anyone seriously devoted to understanding al-Qaeda, this is a must-have reference.

David Jimenez, MSgt, USAF, Ret, CCA; President, Texas Association of Crime & Intelligence Analysts; Instructor, University of Texas at El Paso; Adjunct Faculty, American Military University

4.0 out of 5 stars Studying al-Qaeda? This book is your base, May 15, 2008

By 

E. M. Van Court "Van, emvc (at) lycos.com" (Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The al-Qaeda Threat: An Analytical Guide to al-Qaeda's Tactics & Targets (Paperback)

For the study of al-Qaeda (AQ), Osama bin Laden, Islamic terrorism or related fields, this book is an excellent starting point.

It covers tactics, targets, goals, organization, media releases, and the philosophy of AQ and provides a timeline of their media releases and attacks from 1992 through 2002. The book appears to be composed, in large part, of extracts from a more comprehensive data base with accompanying analysis. The tactics section covers both tactics that have been used by AQ, and tactics that they have expressed a desire or interest in using. Likewise, the targeting section reviews both past and discussed targets of AQ. The analysis of statements is excellent, providing considerable insight into the AQ mindset, perceptions, and philosophy. Citations are generally good, but could be improved with more detail on dates of interviews and publication.

Overall, it is very good, but could be better. It lacks visual presentation of some of the most valuable material. A simple plot of the relationship between press releases and actions would make the book much more valuable. Much of the discussion of tactics is repetitive, but could have benefited from cross-referencing. And the lack of an index is a glaring omission.

Despite these shortcomings, this is an essential reference for serious research and professionals. This book is not for the New York Times best-seller list readers, but for military, security, intelligence, and policy professionals. In that context, it condenses a diverse range of material into a handy package that will make research go much faster.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars repetitive and incomplete, September 19, 2005

By 

pedro Cash (middle east) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The al-Qaeda Threat: An Analytical Guide to al-Qaeda's Tactics & Targets (Paperback)

as far as an analytical guide i find it hard to believe the preface that they are a "thinktank" type of group providing analysis on AQ, every tactic I've read was a mediocre breakdown, i expected something with a bit more product instead of cut and paste of the same excerpts from what seemed to be the same interviews or manuals. If they had the comlete text initially in the book as opposed to snippits prior to the tactics it would have made a better book, i wouldn't buy this book unless you want to read quotes of extremist speeches.