The Black Banners: Inside the Hunt for Al Qaeda
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This is an absorbing account of America's fightback after 9/11, full of revealing or amusing details ... So ultimately this book is cheering as well as fascinating, because it reveals the dedication of those who defend us, as well as the weird frailties of those who try to kill us (Sunday Times )
Although many have claimed to tell the inside story of the hunt for al-Qaeda, Ali Soufan has a better claim than most ... this is one of the most valuable and detailed accounts of its subject to appear in the past decade (The Economist )
In a new memoir, a former F.B.I. agent who tracked Al Qaeda before and after the Sept. 11 attacks paints a devastating picture of rivalry and dysfunction inside the government's counterterrorism agencies. The book describes missed opportunities to defuse the 2001 plot, and argues that other attacks overseas might have been prevented, and Osama bin Laden found earlier, if interrogations had not been mismanaged (Scott Shane New York Times )
He's the special agent who came in from the cold...the most successful U.S. interrogator of Al-Qaeda operatives...Soufan was involved in a string of crucial investigations and interrogations, from the Millennium Bombing plot in Jordan to the U.S.S. Cole bombing in Yemen and a number of Gitmo interrogations. His greatest success was the interrogation of Abu Jandal, bin Laden's former bodyguard (Bobby Ghosh Time )
After the 1998 embassy bombings,Soufan helped assemble the initial evidence linking them to Bin Laden. Soufan's language skills, his relentlessness, and his roots in the Middle East made him invaluable in helping the FBI understand Al Qaeda, an organization that few Americans were even aware of before the embassy bombings (Lawrence Wright New Yorker )
To those inside the U.S. government Soufan has long been something of a legend. He conducted the most effective and fruitful interrogations of Al Qaeda suspects during the war on terrorism, and save for some inexplicable failures by the CIA, he and his team might well have prevented 9/11. Soufan has since left the FBI and written a gripping account of his experiences, brimming with details about Al Qaeda and its historical development (Harper's Magazine )
Although many have claimed to tell the inside story of the hunt for al-Qaeda, Ali Soufan has a better claim than most ... this is one of the most valuable and detailed accounts of its subject to appear in the past decade (The Economist )
In a new memoir, a former F.B.I. agent who tracked Al Qaeda before and after the Sept. 11 attacks paints a devastating picture of rivalry and dysfunction inside the government's counterterrorism agencies. The book describes missed opportunities to defuse the 2001 plot, and argues that other attacks overseas might have been prevented, and Osama bin Laden found earlier, if interrogations had not been mismanaged (Scott Shane New York Times )
He's the special agent who came in from the cold...the most successful U.S. interrogator of Al-Qaeda operatives...Soufan was involved in a string of crucial investigations and interrogations, from the Millennium Bombing plot in Jordan to the U.S.S. Cole bombing in Yemen and a number of Gitmo interrogations. His greatest success was the interrogation of Abu Jandal, bin Laden's former bodyguard (Bobby Ghosh Time )
After the 1998 embassy bombings,Soufan helped assemble the initial evidence linking them to Bin Laden. Soufan's language skills, his relentlessness, and his roots in the Middle East made him invaluable in helping the FBI understand Al Qaeda, an organization that few Americans were even aware of before the embassy bombings (Lawrence Wright New Yorker )
To those inside the U.S. government Soufan has long been something of a legend. He conducted the most effective and fruitful interrogations of Al Qaeda suspects during the war on terrorism, and save for some inexplicable failures by the CIA, he and his team might well have prevented 9/11. Soufan has since left the FBI and written a gripping account of his experiences, brimming with details about Al Qaeda and its historical development (Harper's Magazine )
Most Americans first heard of FBI agent Ali H. Soufan in the spring of 2009. That's when he testified from behind a black curtain in the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing room ...The testimony was explosive.
Now Soufan has fired another salvo ... detailed descriptions of what unfolded behind the closed doors of the world's interrogation rooms. We learn that terrorists smirk when they think they have the upper hand. They quarrel over interpretations of the Koran. One burst into tears after he was allowed to telephone his family.Soufan describes the tension between two men sizing each other up on either side of a table. In those moments, which make up the bulk of the book, the narrative soars, as Soufanallows readers to experience the high-stakes intellectual dance between foes.
Soufan's story provides a new and important window on America's battle with al-Qaeda.
(Washington Post )Product Description
'If you see the Black Banners coming from Khurasan, join that army, even if you have to crawl over ice; no power will be able to stop them'
Hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad
The Black Banners is the ultimate insider's account of the realities of counter-terrorism. During a decade on the front lines, as the FBI's lead investigator into Al Qaeda, Ali Soufan thwarted plots around the world and won some of the most important confessions from terrorists - without laying so much as a hand on them. Most of these stories have never been reported before, and never by anyone with such intimate firsthand knowledge. Soufan takes us into the interrogation rooms, into the hideouts. He even gives us a ringside seat at bin Laden's personal celebration of the 9/11 bombings. This is a gripping blow-by-blow account of the ten-year hunt for the most dangerous and well-connected Islamist terrorists - some of whom are still at large.
In The Black Banners Soufan also explains why the pervasive use of torture is not helping in the 'War on Terror', and how a more enlightened approach to intelligence is not only possible, but essential. This is a story not just of intrigue and bravery, but of empathy. He shows us how terrorists think and operate. And he shows that through this understanding, they can be stopped and finally brought to justice.
Ali Soufan knows the truth about the successes and failures of countering terrorism. His knowledge is essential to us all.
Inside This Book
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I found this book to be very interesting. It is written by a former FBI cover agent who infiltrated Al Queida before the 9/11 attacks and he has a remarkable story to tell. Its certainly unique and makes for some pretty compelling reading. Overall, it it very well written and the author describes places, events and people very well; but due to the high number of people involved in his "story" and the "FBI jargon" / acronyms he uses it can be a bit confusing in places if you lose attention (despite my best efforts I found I was referring to the index / who's who list quite a lot!!)
However, as interesting as this book is, it does have a VERY big negative going for it which is a real shame. The negative in question is stated on the cover, is explained in the foreword, and has been commented on by other reviewers.The big negative is the number of redactions (censured words. names etc. At the start of the book its not too bad, but it gets worse the further you read on and as a result in places its makes for some pretty hard reading. The redactions are especially prominent in the final 3rd of the book where nealy whole pages are nothing but black bars where the text has been censured. As a result the flow of the book and the "story" itself becomes hard to understand at best, and at times impossible. The author explains in the foreword that despite him never working for them, the redactions were put in on at the request of then CIA (both the FBI and US state dept give the book the OK in its original format)and while it may be understandable that the CIA may want some redactions, in some cases they have at time gone way over the top and have contributed to ruining a very good book.
I hope that the paperback version, or 2nd edition (if there is one)can correct this problem as this really is a very good book on a very interesting subject. Sadly, the book in its present form its ruined by the amount of redactions in it and that is a shame.
However, as interesting as this book is, it does have a VERY big negative going for it which is a real shame. The negative in question is stated on the cover, is explained in the foreword, and has been commented on by other reviewers.The big negative is the number of redactions (censured words. names etc. At the start of the book its not too bad, but it gets worse the further you read on and as a result in places its makes for some pretty hard reading. The redactions are especially prominent in the final 3rd of the book where nealy whole pages are nothing but black bars where the text has been censured. As a result the flow of the book and the "story" itself becomes hard to understand at best, and at times impossible. The author explains in the foreword that despite him never working for them, the redactions were put in on at the request of then CIA (both the FBI and US state dept give the book the OK in its original format)and while it may be understandable that the CIA may want some redactions, in some cases they have at time gone way over the top and have contributed to ruining a very good book.
I hope that the paperback version, or 2nd edition (if there is one)can correct this problem as this really is a very good book on a very interesting subject. Sadly, the book in its present form its ruined by the amount of redactions in it and that is a shame.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Before buying Ali Soufan's `The Black Banners' (named after a Hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad), you need to understand that parts of the book have been heavily redacted at the behest of the CIA. As the author and publisher had committed to a publication date of September 12th 2011, the legal wrangling with the CIA had to take second place. Hopefully, a non-redacted version will be available soon and, despite this book running to over 600 pages, it would be worth reading again to get the full picture.
Soufan was an FBI agent who specialised in Al-Qaeda long before 9/11, in fact even before the attack on the USS Cole. His experience as an interrogator revealed significant findings of their organisational structure and plans, which helped to break up a number of terrorist plots. Soufan manages to bring the reader into the interrogation room with him, face to face with some of the world's most wanted men. The book really excels here, as you're brought along with the trials and tribulations of interrogations and dealing with foreign police and intelligence services.
The main thrust of Soufan's tale, however, is his disdain for what was known as `Enhanced Interrogation Techniques' by the CIA - such as waterboarding. He makes the case that tried and tested interrogation techniques, such as those used by the FBI, allow for greater and much more accurate intelligence than other, more questionable, methods. In fact the CIA are almost shown as bumbling fools, experimenting with these questionable techniques and, when they don't get the results they intended, use the intelligence gained by the FBI and claim it as their own, thus justifying the continued use of EITs. There's even the hint in Soufan's book that techniques like waterboarding were authorised by the Bush Administration in order to punish those suspected of involvement in Al-Qaeda, and gaining intelligence was a secondary objective. That's not to say that Soufan was soft on those he interrogated, or that he was some sort of sympathiser. He clearly shows that if the purpose of interrogation is to extract accurate and usable intelligence, then the FBI's methods were much more successful in that regard than the CIA's.
This is a great book, offering an insight into a world that the vast majority of us will never experience in our lives. The details of the investigations, and the authors' conclusions on EITs and Al-Qaeda itself, are a fascinating tale. The redactions can be annoying, especially when whole chapters seen to consist of more blocked text than actual words, but the power of Soufan's experiences still come through strongly.
Soufan was an FBI agent who specialised in Al-Qaeda long before 9/11, in fact even before the attack on the USS Cole. His experience as an interrogator revealed significant findings of their organisational structure and plans, which helped to break up a number of terrorist plots. Soufan manages to bring the reader into the interrogation room with him, face to face with some of the world's most wanted men. The book really excels here, as you're brought along with the trials and tribulations of interrogations and dealing with foreign police and intelligence services.
The main thrust of Soufan's tale, however, is his disdain for what was known as `Enhanced Interrogation Techniques' by the CIA - such as waterboarding. He makes the case that tried and tested interrogation techniques, such as those used by the FBI, allow for greater and much more accurate intelligence than other, more questionable, methods. In fact the CIA are almost shown as bumbling fools, experimenting with these questionable techniques and, when they don't get the results they intended, use the intelligence gained by the FBI and claim it as their own, thus justifying the continued use of EITs. There's even the hint in Soufan's book that techniques like waterboarding were authorised by the Bush Administration in order to punish those suspected of involvement in Al-Qaeda, and gaining intelligence was a secondary objective. That's not to say that Soufan was soft on those he interrogated, or that he was some sort of sympathiser. He clearly shows that if the purpose of interrogation is to extract accurate and usable intelligence, then the FBI's methods were much more successful in that regard than the CIA's.
This is a great book, offering an insight into a world that the vast majority of us will never experience in our lives. The details of the investigations, and the authors' conclusions on EITs and Al-Qaeda itself, are a fascinating tale. The redactions can be annoying, especially when whole chapters seen to consist of more blocked text than actual words, but the power of Soufan's experiences still come through strongly.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
No, if you're looking to buy this book and reading this review, then obviously you aren't just looking for an easy read. Black banners has the potential to be a five star book, however the amount of redactions make it challenging to say the least. It is hard to follow roles etc with so much covered up - literally - the author writes from an extremely informed viewpoint, however, whilst the FBI have okayed it, the CIA have not and have actually blocked out huge amount of key info consequently making it a difficult read to follow.. It is well written and it never ceases to amaze to read about the dedication of the military, especially to one who has no experience of such things. Obviously the CIA don't come out smelling of roses here and so one can see why they would insist on so much of the text being concealed. It makes it more challenging to follow when you consider the number of 'characters' incorporated into his 'story'. However he does provide a list at the back.
Black banners basically follows the undercover work of the military with Al-qaeda and is set pre 9/11. It explores the methods used to obtain info and is a real eye opener for most civilians who go about their day to day lives in relative ignorance of any such activities.
To conclude, I would say that yes Black Banners has the potential to be a superb book, but due to the number and length of the redactions, I would probably recommend you wait and by the second or third edition, that hopefully, will have full CIA clearance.
Black banners basically follows the undercover work of the military with Al-qaeda and is set pre 9/11. It explores the methods used to obtain info and is a real eye opener for most civilians who go about their day to day lives in relative ignorance of any such activities.
To conclude, I would say that yes Black Banners has the potential to be a superb book, but due to the number and length of the redactions, I would probably recommend you wait and by the second or third edition, that hopefully, will have full CIA clearance.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Better than fiction
This is a very accomplished overview of Ali Soufan's experiences as a FBI agent engaged with tracking down - and understanding - al-Qaeda. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Maria2222
So much could be said about this book...
...but I'll try to keep it short.
***The good bits***
This is a must-read book. Soufan has written an accessible, funny, emotional, at times deeply moving account... Read more
***The good bits***
This is a must-read book. Soufan has written an accessible, funny, emotional, at times deeply moving account... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Max
A riveting read.
I found this book extremely riveting. After the 9/11 attacks the US intelligence services in particularly the FBI were required to infiltrate cells of Al-Queda, Ali Soufan, because... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Astore Stargazer
interesting
a very interesting book from a veteren FBI Interrorgator and Al Queda analyst ( Pre 911) concerning his time as at the beureau, focusing quite alot on his experiances in differnces... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Pj Williams
A great and highly informative read.
This book is a real eye opener.
Ali Soufan was a highly placed member of the F.B.I, who due to his background and language skills became one of the top anti-terrorist agents... Read more
Ali Soufan was a highly placed member of the F.B.I, who due to his background and language skills became one of the top anti-terrorist agents... Read more
Published 3 months ago by S. Broadbent
Excellent story about investigation and interrogation
This is an interesting story, written by one of the FBI's top interrogators, covering the nearly 10 years he worked for the FBI investigation Al Qaeda. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. R. Atkinson
I trust Soufan... But then who wouldn't?
I usually avoid statements in reviews like this, but I think it is fair to say that this is an important book. Read more
Published 4 months ago by bomble
Fascinating!!
If you are interested to go beyond the stereotypical, surface-level media coverage of the war in Afghanistan and understand the minds of those who are fighting it, the difficulty... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Peter Roxburgh
Amazing Insider information, but a little biased in places
This is an amazing book on one of the biggest international news stories of the last decade: the story of Al-Queda. Read more
Published 4 months ago by M. Bhangal
Terrific behind the scenes perspective
This is the story of the pursuit of al-Qaeda from the FBI perspective.
The CIA is portrayed as incompetent, with the political masters in the White House endangering US... Read more
The CIA is portrayed as incompetent, with the political masters in the White House endangering US... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Richard Murphy
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