Michael F. Scheuer ist ein ehemaliger CIA-Mitarbeiter. Während seiner 22-jährigen Karriere war er von 1996 bis 1999 Leiter der Bin-Laden-Einsatzstation (auch bekannt als „Alec Station“), der Überwachungseinheit für Osama bin Laden im Counterterrorist Center. Anschließend war er von September 2001 bis November 2004 erneut Sonderberater des Leiters der Bin-Laden-Einheit. Scheuer trat 2004 zurück.
A veteran CIA counter-terrorism analyst provides a sobering analysis of the U.S. Iraqi War policy while making unsettling predictions about how American security will be affected by the conflict, in a report that reveals how America's foreign policy is undermining key national goals and rendering the country vulnerable to terrorism. Reprint. 50,000 first printing.
Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror - With a New Epilogue
U.S. leaders assert success in combating al Qaeda, yet a member of the intelligence community reveals that we are actually losing the war on terror. The author argues that until leaders acknowledge their misguided approach, our enemies will only gain strength. He emphasizes that the real danger lies in believing, as U.S. officials suggest, that Muslims attack us for our identity and beliefs rather than our actions. Political rhetoric claims that Islamists are offended by Western freedoms and values, but while some aspects may disturb conservative Muslims, no jihadist leader has targeted democracy or coed universities. Instead, discontent stems from specific U.S. policies and their military, political, and economic consequences. Osama bin Laden's strategy capitalizes on this anti-U.S. sentiment, presenting a compelling case that Islam is under siege by America. Al Qaeda's rhetoric condemns U.S. support for corrupt regimes, backing of Israel, and military occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, framing their grievances as justifications for war. Bin Laden's followers believe their solution lies in conflict, not in dismantling our secular democracy, but in defending their lands, communities, and faith. Unless U.S. leaders recognize this reality and modify their foreign policies, even moderate Muslims may be drawn to bin Laden's cause.
On the second anniversary of 9/11, The Jamestown Foundation began publishing the Terrorism Monitor. Jamestown has since added Terrorism Focus to its body of analytical work on terrorism. These publications have served the media, policymaking, intelligence, and academic communities as the only periodicals in circulation devoted to examining the inner-workings of terrorist groups and the global implications of terrorist acts. Unmasking Terror brings to gether the unique perspectives of some of the world's leading experts on al-Qaeda and international terrorism. The second volume of Unmasking Terror contains articles published from September 11, 2004 to Septemeber 11, 2005.