In the wake of the attacks at Fort Hood, the Boston Marathon, and in Paris, here is a riveting, panoramic look at “homegrown” Islamist terrorism, from 9/11 to the present
Since 9/11, some 300 Americans–born and raised in Minnesota, Alabama, New Jersey, and elsewhere–have been indicted or convicted of terrorism charges. Some have taken the fight abroad: Americans were among those who planned the attacks in Mumbai, and more recently a dozen US citizens have sought to join ISIS. Others have acted entirely on American soil. What motivates them, how are they trained, and what do we sacrifice in our aggressive efforts to track them?Paced like a detective story, United States of Jihad will tell the entwined stories of the key actors on the American front. Among the perpetrators are Anwar al-Awlaki, the New Mexico-born radical cleric who became the first American citizen killed by a CIA drone and who mentored the Charlie Hebdo shooters; Samir Khan, whose Inspire webzine has rallied terrorists around the world, including the Tsarnaev brothers; and Omar Hammami, an Alabama native and hip hop fan who became a fixture in al Shabaab’s propaganda videos until fatally displeasing his superiors. Drawing on his extensive network of intelligence contacts, from the National Counterterrorism Center and the FBI to the NYPD, Peter Bergen also offers an inside look at the sometimes controversial tactics of the agencies tracking potential terrorists–from infiltrating mosques to massive surveillance; at the bias experienced by innocent observant Muslims at the hands of law enforcement; at the critics and defenders of US policies on terrorism; and more.
Lucid, rigorously researched, and packed with fascinating new details, United States of Jihad is the definitive account of the Americans who have embraced militant Islam both here and abroad.
I’ve been TERRIBLE about reading non-fiction, which is why I decided to get this book. While I was in the Academy, one of our units we studied was Homeland Security — though we discussed international terrorism, we spent a bulk of our time talking about homegrown terrorism.
United States of Jihad was obviously well researched and well-written. It definitely challenged my thinking and made me realize the dangers that lurk on our own soil.
The current boogeyman of the terrorism world is ISIS. ISIS has successfully used social media to spread their propaganda and recruit new members — many of whom they encourage to stay at home to further their agenda.
I’m not quite sure how to give a full, in-depth review of this book without making it sound like CliffNotes — if you’re interested in learning more about terrorism, definitely check out this book. Thank you to Blogging for Books for the opportunity to review this.
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