Al Qaeda Now: Understanding Today's Terrorists

Book Overview

At the invitation of the New America Foundation and the New York University Center for Law and Security, a group of individuals regarded as authorities on international terrorism and Al Qaeda were brought together at a meeting held in the United States Senate office building. This volume contains the presentations that were made at this meeting. They constitute a valuable synopsis of current knowledge on Al Qaeda and the policies in place to counter threats of future terrorist attacks. The papers in this book will contribute to understanding how Al Qaeda has evolved from a movement to an ideology, what influence it has on Middle East stability and what continued threat it is to the United States, Europe, and other areas of the world. The contributors are from academia, research centers, government agencies and the media. They represent a cross section of recognized experts on Al Qaeda and international terrorism.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521676274
• ISBN13: 9780521676274
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 284 Pages
• Weight: 0.87 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Decent, but lacking...

The presentations provided in the book are decent and span a variety of opinions. The question and answer sections at the end of each chapter provide some interesting topics for discussion in relation to what was presented. My problem with the book was that it lacked any real analysis and the majority of the people being interviewed, although labeled as "terrorism experts", were not. Just because you interview terrorists and report on terrorism as a journalist, does not mean you are an expert. The few people who are actual experts do provide an accurate picture of what the see today in relation to al-Qa'ida. Jessica Stern, Marc Sageman, Michael Scheuer, etc.