Omar Nasiri's "Inside the Jihad" covers terrorism during the nineties in Brussels, London, and Afghanistan. Nasiri (not his real name) a Moroccan who became a spy for French intelligence, DGSE, after being recruited into a terrorist cell by his brother. He discusses the ammunition trade he did for his brother's "friends" or supplying the jihad. Nasiri never seems too concerned about the fight in Algeria between the GIA and the secularist regime. Nasiri's recollections should be taken with a grain of salt. There is no way to know his true intentions for writing the book. The reason I put this disclaimer in is the last sentence of his book is pretty straightforward on his feelings toward outsiders.
Nasiri describes nerve wracking missions such as crossing heavily armed borders, Afghani terrorist camps, and mosque infiltration. The insider account he is able to publish at a great risk to his life should be read by all who want to further understand terrorism. Nasiri is eloquent in his manners and blunt with his stories and views. Us in the West will never truly understand how people kill in the name of religion, yet Nasiri clues us into some of the reasons terrorists kill innocents and foes alike. He does not agree with the killing of innocent lives, but does believe any force from a foreign force on Muslim land is a rational call for "jihad" in the name of Allah.
He describes things that I had not heard about the Taliban and Al Qaeda. He does make clear the jihad started way before Osama Bin Laden showed his face to the world in the nineties. The loose structure of terrorism can be clearly seen throughout the book. Only cells know their actual job and not anyone else. He showed the cells to be living independent organisms. The description of Chechens, Saudis, and others at the camps training together affirms the loose connections between cells and brothers; the silence of the brothers' past and future also showed the independence of each person and group in the camps.
Nasiri's account should be read by those wanting to understand the history of the nineties from the inside. He was never a high ranking member with knowledge of attacks and other plans; however, he did meet many of the players that would later raises their heads in the attacks against the West. Many of the main players of terrorism will be quickly recognized by readers of terrorism and the Middle East. This is not a hard book to approach by newcomers studying terrorism because Nasiri does a great job introducing the reader to the characters in his book. Nasiri does end the book on a grim note stating that he would be open to fighting anyone that invades "his" land. So his accounts should be
- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Basic Books; First Edition edition (November 20, 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0465023886
- ISBN-13: 978-0465023882
- Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 57 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#486,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #741 in African Politics
- #1019 in Middle Eastern Politics
- #950 in Terrorism (Books)
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