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The Assassination Complex: Inside the Government’s Secret Drone Warfare Program

4.5 out of 5 stars 39 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-1501144134
ISBN-10: 1501144138
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (May 3, 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1501144138
  • ISBN-13: 978-1501144134
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsIt's simply murder
By David Wineberg TOP 500 REVIEWER on May 3, 2016
Format: Hardcover
In 2001 there were 16 names on the Known or Suspected Terrorist list. In 2013 there were 469,000 and there are now north of 680,000. These are people singled out for extra security at airports, like Senator Ted Kennedy who was prevented from boarding several flights, and a cub scout named Mikey Hicks, who got the treatment the first time when he was just two. It also includes the president of Bolivia and the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament. Membership in a terrorist organization is not required. Once on the list, directives request every conceivable scrap of information, even biographical data on co-travelers. Mere death is not an acceptable reason for removal from the list, and neither is acquittal by a jury. To get off a list, all 19 American security agencies have to agree, and the subject will not be informed. And that’s just one list. So begins The Assassination Complex.

The book is really well constructed. Its prologue is a view from above by Edward Snowden, who compares the treatment he received with the slap on the wrists to General Petraeus for basically the same thing, the first foretaste of the tsunami of hypocrisy to come. The first stories butter us up with the way civilians are targeted by agencies like TSA, and all the astounding kinds of data they collect on over a million people, most of whom are specifically not even suspected of belonging to terrorist organizations. Then we get into drone killing. In story after story, the methods, the operations and the effects on individuals, families and whole countries comes into stark relief.

Extrajudicial killing is a routine daily practice, with hundreds of civilians killed for every suspect targeted. This includes children, pregnant women, American hostages and whole families.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsImportant critique of Obama's drone program
By Judith Kelsey-Powell, Kindle Customer on May 9, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
For those who have followed the work of Scahill, Greenwald and others through media outlets like Democracy Now, much that is reported in this book will be familiar. Nevertheless it is very helpful to have the entire case laid out clearly with supporting documents in one place. It is crucial reading for all Americans as we continue to wrestle with the legal principles which should govern the technology of modern warfare.
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5.0 out of 5 starsA Long-Overdue Window into America's Vast Killing Machine
By Barry Eisler on May 13, 2016
Format: Hardcover
Based on dramatic revelations from a post-Snowden whistleblower, this excellent short book from Jeremy Scahill and other Intercept writers provides a long-overdue window into America's vast killing machine: who makes the decisions on who will be killed; how those decisions are made; how the strikes are carried out; most of all, in a thoughtful foreword by Edward Snowden and afterword by Glenn Greenwald, the implications for a democratic society of all this due-process-free, non-battlefield killing.

In addition to its substantive appeal, the book is beautifully laid out and includes numerous graphs, photographs, and text inserts that render some of the more complex aspects of the topic (such as the communications infrastructure and other logistics of drone strikes) easy to follow.

The inserts on the Orwellian language of drone strikes were particularly good. Did you know the military laments the difficulty of killing far-away people as "the tyranny of distance"? It takes a special sensibility to refer to obstacles to killing people as a form of "tyranny," but those are your tax dollars at work. Also, when an intended target is killed, that's called a "jackpot," but when an unintended target is killed, that's called an "EKIA," or Enemy Killed in Action. So no matter who is killed, the government always wins. It's both amusing and dispiriting to consider that the people behind this "heads I win, tails you lose" nomenclature also probably roll their eyes at the notion of children getting a "participant" ribbon just for entering a competition, with no need to actually win anything.

I'm a little surprised the book has only received four reviews since coming out ten days ago.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsJeremy Scahill is one of the best investigative journalist we have
By Esti Marpet on May 27, 2016
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Jeremy Scahill is one of the best investigative journalist we have. He has been relentless exposing reality on the ground and the consequences of our misguided policy of assassinations by drones or other means. This book is a must read for anyone who cares to gain information behind the conventional media coverage or pentagon talking points. See his film Dirty Wars -It's heartbreaking- and read his book on Blackwater.
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5.0 out of 5 starsChange we can believe in, Mr President?
By Hulililani Ka'ahanui on July 2, 2016
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Yesterday, July 1 (Friday afternoon before the 4th of July holiday weekend), the U.S. government made its "news dump" regarding our drone program in the Middle East and the related assassinations exposed in this much needed book which was released May 3 (2 months ago). It is shameful that our government still wants to hide the facts from the American people. If there is nothing wrong going on here, why is the government so reluctant to discuss the facts openly? Change we can believe in: President Bush's drone program put on steroids by Obama. Fabulous!
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5.0 out of 5 starsThe Drone Story.
By T. Bing on June 4, 2016
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
If you want to know what is really going on with the drone program and why the present administration is not transparent about the results, this book is a neccessary read. The cost is not always measured in dollars and cents.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starshighly recommend.

Gives an inside view of the decision making process when terrorist are targeted, and the technology of drones being used to implement the outcome, a must read, highly recommend.

Published 11 days ago by maestro
4.0 out of 5 starsWeep for "we", America. ....

There arn't enough stars , and the right color to convey the depth and breast of what I feel.

Published 15 days ago by Charles Harrienger
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great, thanks!

Published 28 days ago by Mircea Pitici
5.0 out of 5 starsAn amazing and eye widening book

An amazing and eye widening book. I had to step away at time because of my anger/sadness. I used this book for a research paper, and it was all I really needed. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Matthew Ferland
5.0 out of 5 starsThis book deserves six stars

Based on leaked documents, this book gives an inside look at America's military drone program.

Publicly, drone strikes are used only on those who are deemed an imminent... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Paul Lappen
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

ok

Published 2 months ago by Mr. Mohammad A. Dadgar
3.0 out of 5 starsInformative but boring.

Good info, but extremely dry. It focuses more on the mechanics of how drone strikes are conducted rather than the policy itself. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Hopkins
5.0 out of 5 starsRight on. Unfortunately ''''war" is a numbers game re ...

Right on. Unfortunately ''''war" is a numbers game re: civilian mortality. Forget morality (if it ever existed in warfare.

Published 3 months ago by Chris Thomas
4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

very revealing about the dark side of America.

Published 4 months ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsKeeping up with all the corruption that the mass media fails to report...

I am a fan of Jeremy Scahill and will read this book on an upcoming flight.

Published 4 months ago by Amazon Customer

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