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United States of Jihad

Who Are America's Homegrown Terrorists, and How Do We Stop Them?

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
A riveting, panoramic look at “homegrown” Islamist terrorism from 9/11 to the present
 
Since 9/11, more than three hundred 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: an American was among those who planned the attacks in Mumbai, and more than eighty U.S. citizens have been charged with ISIS-related crimes. Others have acted on American soil, as with the attacks at Fort Hood, the Boston Marathon, and in San Bernardino. What motivates them, how are they trained, and what do we sacrifice in our efforts to track them?
 
Paced like a detective story, United States of Jihad tells 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 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 U.S. policies on terrorism; and at how social media has revolutionized terrorism.
 
Lucid and rigorously researched, United States of Jihad is an essential new analysis of the Americans who have embraced militant Islam both here and abroad.
Washington Post, Notable Non-Fiction Books in 2016
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    • Library Journal

      March 1, 2016

      In the wake of the December 2015 attack in San Bernardino, CA, this book could not be timelier. Journalist and CNN national security analyst Bergen (Manhunt) here calmly and lucidly examines the diverse stories of the more than 300 people in the United States who have been charged with jihadist terrorist crimes since September 11, 2001. His nuanced insights, couched within a series of gripping narratives, offer readers a solid foundation to knowledgeably face the barrage of political opinions being flung about by many Americans this election year. While covering the violence at Fort Hood, TX, Little Rock, AR, and Boston in great depth, Bergen also looks at numerous foiled or failed attacks. In addition, he discusses several broader themes including lone-wolf attacks, the role of the Internet and social media, the U.S. Muslim community, and Americans traveling abroad to places such as Syria for jihadist training. Throughout the narrative, Bergen provides a balanced assessment of terrorist prevention tactics such as surveillance, informants, and drone strikes on American citizens abroad. VERDICT Highly recommended for all readers seeking an informed view of current events. [See Prepub Alert, 10/26/15.]--Brian Sullivan, Alfred Univ. Lib., NY

      Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      Starred review from February 15, 2016
      Not so many years ago, Americans viewed terrorism as something that happened elsewhere on the crowded streets of a Middle Eastern city, perhaps, or in an isolated Third World village. But as daily headlines in our own newspapers in cities large and small attest, the U.S. is fomenting its own brand of radicalization that targets perceived sources of injustice right here at home, while fostering dissension that lures the zealous into battlegrounds abroad. What makes a person susceptible to the rhetoric of jihad? Are government agencies capable of recognizing and preventing such acts of insurrection? As the national security analyst for CNN, Bergen has been at the forefront of reporting on terrorism for more than 20 years. In this innovative and illuminating work, soon to be supported by a companion HBO documentary, Bergen explores nearly every aspect of terrorist activity, from ISIS' use of social media to the FBI's development of behavioral profiles that identify potential terror activists. Both balanced and galvanizing, Bergen's meticulous portrait of violent extremism is required reading for anyone who truly wants to understand the nature of the evolving threats from within and without.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

    • Library Journal

      November 15, 2015

      CNN security analyst Bergen, the author of several New York Times best-selling books on al-Qaeda, looks at the 300 Americans who have been indicted for or convicted of terrorism since 9/11 to clarify their motivation.

      Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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