Made, Not Born: Why Some Soldiers Are Better Than Others

by Bruce Newsome

From the publisher:
Why do the combat capabilities of individual soldiers vary so much?

This book seeks to provide an answer to this and other questions about variability in combat performance. Some soldiers flee quickly from the battlefield, while others endure all hardships until the bitter end. Some combat units can perform numerous types of missions, while others cannot keep themselves organized during peacetime. Some militaries armed with obsolete weapons have out fought enemies with the latest weapons, just as some massively outnumbered armies have beaten back much larger opponents.

In this first social scientific study of the effectiveness of combat troops, Newsome evaluates competing explanations for the varying combat capabilities and performances.

There are four main explanations, each emphasizing the influence of a single factor. The first focuses on material endowments. How well funded are the troops? Do they have the latest protective gear and the most advanced weaponry? Second, some analysts claim that democracies produce better commanders, superior strategies, more motivated personnel, or better-managed personnel; others, however, associated those characteristics with more authoritarian forms of government. Third is the idea that giving more power to the troops on the ground in individual combat units empowers them with decision-making capability and adaptability to fast-changing situations and circumstances. Newsome presents evidence that decentralized personnel management does correlate with superior combat performance. Fourth, soldier capabilities and performance often are assumed to reflect intrinsic attributes, such as prior civilian values.

Newsome argues that the capabilities of combat soldiers are acquired through military training and other forms of conditioning, but he does not entirely discount the role of a soldier's individual character. In the age-old nature vs. nurture argument, he finds that intrinsic qualities do count, but that extrinsic factors, such as training and environment, matter even more.

Saving Lives: The S.A.F.E. Model for Resolving Hostage and Crisis Incidents

by Mitchell R. Hammer

From the publisher:
The standoff and ultimate tragedy in Waco, Texas, highlights the potential volatility and uncertainty of crisis negotiations and demonstrates the challenges law enforcement officials face as they attempt to resolve these situations. Hammer's new book provides a practical negotiation approach (the S.A.F.E. model) that hostage negotiators and first responders can use to help "save lives" in situations where violence or the threat of violence is present. It identifies methods of interaction and communication during a hostage crisis that help to dispel tension and resolve situations peacefully.

Combining approaches from various schools of thought on the topic, and applying the methods to both domestic and international contexts, the author has devised a model that is applicable to many types of crisis negotiations and focuses on interaction, communication, and discourse designed to bring a situation down to a manageable level. Through the analysis of several cases representing domestic, criminal, and suicidal situations, he provides a vivid roadmap to the ways in which crisis negotiation can be used to dispel violence before it takes place.

Military Transformation Past and Present: Historic Lessons for the 21st Century

by Mark D. Mandeles

From the publisher:
Transformation has become a buzz word in today's military, but what are its historical precursors - those large scale changes that were once called Revolutions in Military Affairs (RMA)? This work asks, Who has gotten it right, and who has not?

The Department of Defense must learn from history.

Most studies of innovation focus on the actions, choices, and problems faced by individuals in a particular organization. Few place these individuals and organizations within the complex context where they operate. Yet, it is this very context that is a powerful determinant of how actions are conceived, examined, and implemented, and of how errors are identified and corrected.

The historical cases that Mandeles examines reveal how different military services organized to learn, accumulate, and retrieve knowledge; and how their particular organization affected everything from the equipment they acquired to the quality of doctrine and concepts used in combat. In cases where more than one community of experts was responsible for weighing in on decisionmaking, the service benefited from enhanced application of evidence, sound inference, and logic.

These cases demonstrate that, for senior leadership, participating in such a system should be a strategic and deliberate choice. In each of the cases featured in this book, no such deliberate choice was made. The interwar U.S. Navy (USN) aviation community and the U.S. Marine Corps amphibious operation community were lucky that, in a time of rapid technological advance and strategic risk, their decisions in framing and solving technological and operational problems were made within a functioning multi-organizational system. The Army Air Corps and the Royal Marines were unfortunate, with corresponding results. It is characteristic of 20th-century military history that no senior civilian or military leader suggested a policy to handle overlapping responsibilities by multiple departments.

Today's policymakers have not learned this lesson. In the present time, while a great deal of thought is devoted to proper organizational design and the numbers of persons required to perform necessary functions, there is still no overarching framework guiding these designs.

MARK D. MANDELES is the author of The Future of War: Organizations As Weapons,(2005), Managing "Command and Control" in the Persian Gulf War (Praeger, 1996), and The Development of the B-52 and Jet Propulsion: A Case Study in Organizational Innovation.

Americans and Asymmetric Conflict: Lebanon, Somalia, and Afghanistan

by Adam B. Lowther

From the publisher:
As the war in Iraq continues to rage, many in the White House, State Department, Department of Defense, and outside government are left to wonder if it was possible to foresee the difficulty the United States is currently having with Sunni nationalists and Islamic extremists. Recent American military experience offers significant insight into this question. With the fog of the Cold War finally lifting and clarity returning to the nature of conflict, the dominance of asymmetry in the military experience of the United States is all too evident.

Lebanon (1982-1984), Somalia (1992-1994), and Afghanistan (2001-2004) offer recent and relevant insight into successes and failures of American attempts to fight adversaries utilizing asymmetric conflict to combat the United States when it intervened in these three states. The results illustrate the difficulty of engaging adversaries unwilling to wage a conventional war and the need for improved strategic and tactical doctrine.

In this work "It is easy," Lowther writes, "for Americans to forget the lessons of past conflicts as the politics of the present dominate...." His purpose here is to highlight some of history's recent lessons so that we may move forward with an awareness of what experience offers.

From CWBN:
Amazon shows this title as being released in July, but the publisher's website shows a release date of September 30.

Nuclear Endgame: The Need for Engagement with North Korea

by Jacques L. Fuqua

From the publisher:
I heartily commend Jacques' work. His book could not be more timely in the wake of North Korea's recent nuclear weapons test. Jacques' well researched book should be must reading for the Bush administration as well as for serious students who have heard a lot about the North Korean situation but have had little opportunity to examine the facts on the ground. - Thomas C. Hubbard, former U.S. Ambassador and veteran negotiator to the Republic of Korea

Despite the volatility and unpredictability North Korea has come to symbolize in international diplomacy and security issues, it represents only half of the potential danger on the Korean peninsula.

In a notable departure from its past role as guarantor of stability on the Korean peninsula, the United States has, under the stewardship of the Bush administration, come to be regarded as, at best, an obstacle to peace and security, and at worst a potential trigger for hostility. The most immediate result of this shift on the Korean peninsula has been the U.S. failure to undertake an effective policy formulation process, which has manifested itself (on both sides of the 38th parallel) in more reactive and convulsive responses to challenges from the North Korean regime. Without such understanding there is little hope of advancing discussions or resolving North Korea's nuclear program. Fundamental to understanding North Korea's endgame is realizing that its nuclear weapons program, while menacing, is unlikely to be used offensively without major provocation; it functions as a tool of its diplomacy--missile diplomacy--to ensure survival of the regime.

Working closely with South Korea, the United States must ensure that any potential resolution reached on North Korea's nuclear program does not undermine its longer-term objectives for securing broader peace and security on the Korean peninsula. Ideally, any resolution brokered over the North's nuclear weapons program will provide a synergistic effect in addressing the conventional war threat posed by North Korea on the Korean peninsula. In short, the United States must undertake constructive engagement. Steadfast unwillingness to engage with North Korea only provides more fodder for the regime to stall any action, and, as part of its endgame, makes U.S. behavior the issue. the issue, which is part of its endgame.

From CWBN:
Amazon shows this title as being released in July, but the publisher's website shows a release date of September 30.

Iran's Military Forces and Warfighting Capabilities: The Threat in the Northern Gulf

by Anthony H. Cordesman and Martin Kleiber

From the publisher:
Nations around the world are uncertain and anxious about Iran's intentions in the Middle East and the wider global arena. Its current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made no secret of his opposition to Western society, particularly Israel, and his desire to acquire nuclear weapons. However, as Anthony Cordesman and Martin Kleiber point out, Ahmadinejad does not necessarily speak for the Iranian clerical regime, who operate in a cloud of secrecy and also directly control Iran's military.

Given the ambiguous nature of Iran's global objectives, this new study focuses on the tangible aspects of Iran's military forces and takes an objective look at the realistic threats that Iran poses the region and the world. The authors systematically assess each aspect of Iranian military forces from their conventional armies to their asymmetric threat via proxy wars in the region.

ANTHONY CORDESMAN holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and is an analyst and commentator for ABC News. He has written extensively on energy and Middle East politics, economics, demographics, and security. He has served in a number of senior positions in the U.S. government, including the Department of Energy, and several assignments in the Middle East.

MARTIN KELIBER is a researcher at the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at CSIS. He previously worked on security sector reform and nuclear non-proliferation at the German Foreign Office, in Bosnia, and at the United Nations. He has published on the nuclear non-proliferation regime and Iran as well as U.S. foreign and defense policy and he is the co-author of Chinese Military Modernization: Force Development and Security Capabilities together with Anthony H. Cordesman.

A Democracy Is Born: An Insider's Account of the Battle Against Terrorism in Afghanistan

by Matthew J. Morgan

From the publisher:
In October 2004, more than eight million citizens of Afghanistan turned out to vote in the first democratic election in the turbulent, 5,000-year history of the country. This incredible voter turnout in the face of horrific threats and actual bullets, rockets, and bombs was a shout of defiance and a significant setback to the former Taliban regime and their al Qaeda allies. It was a stunning success and serious step forward for the Afghan people and for the United States in the campaign against international terrorism. The change is more dramatic than the American Revolution, in the aftermath of which the new American democracy maintained a representative form of government similar to its British roots. The change is also more positive than the French Revolution, which degenerated into tyranny and anarchy. The Afghan Revolution of democratic governance, albeit aided and guided by international military and political powers, is thus one of the most historic events of our time.

Written by a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, this book provides readers with a candid account of Afghanistan's first presidential election and its subsequent transition to democratic self-governance. In particular, Morgan speaks to the security apparatus and the measures protecting the election. The election's security process marked a defeat for the al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist insurgents attempting to frustrate Afghanistan's transformation into a democratic nation. Morgan's narrative of Afghan development is interspersed with firsthand, personal accounts from the author's eleven-month deployment as an officer serving in the U.S. military in Afghanistan. His stint there, embedded within the United Nations in a civilian-clothes role, enables him to write from the perspective of a UN security officer, offering insights beyond those that might be gained on the battlefield.

"Matt Morgan served his country in Afghanistan, and he continues his service in writing A Democracy Is Born. He provides a vivid, first-hand account of the difficulties and tremendous sacrifices made by Americans and Afghans to bring stability and peace to that troubled land." - Ed Ruggero, Best-Selling Military Historian, Author of The First Men In and The Leader's Compass

"A Democracy Is Born is an engaging story from the frontlines of today's major conflict against international terrorism." - General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.) Adjunct Professor of International Affairs at the United States Military Academy NBC News National Security Analyst

"Matt Morgan is a rare breed of author, equally at home in a university classroom and on the streets of Afghanistan. A Democracy Is Born deftly weaves his personal travels into the wider sweep of an historic era. The beauty, danger, poignancy, and hope of Afghanistan come alive in these pages." - Nathaniel Fick, Author of the New York Times bestseller One Bullet Away

Handbook of Terrorism and Insurgency in Southeast Asia

by Andrew T.H. Tan (editor)

From the publisher:
"This is an excellent volume, which is very well conceived and balanced in its treatment of the problem of terrorism and insurgency in Southeast Asia. This volume will greatly advance our empirical understanding of conflict and violence in this pivotal region. The book contains many insightful contributions and, overall, the Handbook will serve as a standard reference on the subject matter for years to come." – M.L.R. Smith, King’s College, University of London

This timely and significant book seeks to explain the deep-seated complexities of terrorism and insurgency in Southeast Asia. In the aftermath of 9/11, this region has been designated by the United States to be the ‘second front’ in the war on terrorism. Yet despite the emergence of this ‘new’ global terrorism, the authors argue that armed rebellion in Southeast Asia is a phenomenon that predates Al Qaeda and the global Jihadist movement and that much can be learned from the motivations behind it.

War on Islam

by Enver Masud

From CWBN:
We were unable to find a description of the contents of this book.

From the critics:
"Enver Masud gives example after example of disinformation and lies, cover-ups and double standards" - Impact International

Excellent book. Dispels the myths and commonly held misconceptions about Islam. - Human Rights Foundation, South Africa

Defending the Homeland: Historical Perspectives on Radicalism, Terrorism, and State Responses

by Melinda M. Hicks and C. Belmont Keeney (editors)

From the publisher:
Terrorism and national security have been in the foreground of the nation's political landscape since the uncertain times brought on by the attacks of September 11, 2001. This collection of scholarly essays provides a chance to learn from the past by offering an analytic and sometimes provocative look at the inseparability of security and history.

Melinda M. Hicks and C. Belmont Keeney have collected ten essays written by academic scholars and presented at the 2005 U.S. Senator Rush D. Holt History Conference. These essays discuss the different responses to terrorism throughout history, covering such issues as national security, politics of fear, motivations of terrorists and radical groups, and foreign diplomacy.

Defending the Homeland focuses on the faces of terrorism and national security at home and abroad, discussing not only the acts of terror but the motivations behind those acts and investigating under what circumstances individual liberty is sacrificed upon the altar of national security. Recommended for scholars, students, and the general public; intended to broaden knowledge of the history of radicalism, terrorism, and state responses to terrorist events.

Under the Gun in Iraq: My Year Training the Iraqi Police

by Robert Cole and Jan Hogan

From the publisher:
President Bush is fond of saying, "When Iraq can stand up, America can stand down." A large part of "standing up" is having a well-trained police force in place to maintain peace and order.

Why is it taking so long to put a solid police force together? How prepared are the Iraqis to carry out their duties? What pitfalls are Americans facing as they try to get Iraqi police up to speed?

In this book Robert Cole--a retired California police officer hired by DynCorp as an international police trainer--presents a vivid account of the challenges of training the Iraqis to handle their own security. In blunt, everyday language, Cole gives the reader an unusually candid and often hair-raising glimpse into reality at the street level as he and his colleagues navigate the dangerous sectors of Baghdad, Tikrit, and Kirkuk, dodging explosions and bullets aimed at them by young, Iraqi, wannabe heroes.

Cole describes situations not shown in the media that fly in the face of the party line from Washington: men in their sixties being hired as policemen, Iraqi detectives who extract information from people by ramming toothpicks under their fingernails, officers suggesting that the best way to subdue potential suspects who flee is by shooting them in the back, police hunkered down in their barracks who refuse to patrol neighborhoods for fear of violence, an enemy that easily blends into a population armed to the teeth with loaded AK-47s, and the routine frustrations of cultural and language barriers to communication.

In sharp contrast to the usual bromides about staying the course, Under the Gun in Iraq paints a brutally realistic picture of the bleak, perilous road ahead. This is essential reading for all Americans seeking an honest understanding of the dire situation in Iraq.

Iraq, a State in Search of a Nation

by William O. Beeman

From CWBN:
We were unable to find a description of the contents of this book.

From the publisher:
WILLIAM O. BEEMAN is Professor of Anthropology and Director of Middle East Studies at Brown University. He has lived and conducted research for over 30 years in all areas of the Middle East. He has served as a consultant to the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense, and has testified before Congress on Middle Eastern affairs. He is the President-Elect of the Middle East Section of the American Anthropological Association (2005-2006) and will serve as President from autumn 2006 until 2008, then as Outgoing President from 2008 to 2009.

Russia's Security and the War on Terror

by Mikhail Tsypkin

From the publisher:
This book discusses and provides examples of Russia’s need to reshape its security and military policies in order to meet the global challenges of fighting terrorism and counterinsurgency. It addresses some of the problems facing Russia’s national security and military power, including:

* Military reform
* US-Russian relations
* The political economy of Russian security policy
* Russian policy regarding the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
* The chances for US-Russian cooperation in ballistic missile defence.

Russia's Security and the War on Terror provides a insight into Russian military policies and its changing relationship with NATO throughout the 1990s.

This book was previously published as a special issue of The Journal of Slavic Military Studies

The FBI: A History

by Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones

From the publisher:
This fast-paced history of the FBI presents the first balanced and complete portrait of the vast, powerful, and sometimes bitterly criticized American institution. Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, a well-known expert on U.S. intelligence agencies, tells the bureau’s story in the context of American history. Along the way he challenges conventional understandings of that story and assesses the FBI’s strengths and weaknesses as an institution.

Common wisdom traces the origin of the bureau to 1908, but Jeffreys-Jones locates its true beginnings in the 1870s, when Congress acted in response to the Ku Klux Klan campaign of terror against black American voters. The character and significance of the FBI derive from this original mission, the author contends, and he traces the evolution of the mission into the twenty-first century.

The book makes a number of surprising observations: that the role of J. Edgar Hoover has been exaggerated and the importance of attorneys general underestimated, that splitting counterintelligence between the FBI and the CIA in 1947 was a mistake, and that xenophobia impaired the bureau’s preemptive anti-terrorist powers before and after 9/11. The author concludes with a fresh consideration of today’s FBI and the increasingly controversial nature of its responsibilities.

"I would describe this book as a most important work on the FBI. It will change the way people think and talk about the FBI." — Christopher Waldrep, San Francisco State University

“Jeffreys-Jones provides a succinct, telling account of the FBI's checkered history. His book, however, is very much a tract for our own time. Jeffreys-Jones's analysis of our post-9/11 FBI reveals a still-ossified bureaucracy, lacking in any ready response capability—and most importantly, sustained by Patriot Act provisions which have provided more license and authority for abuses of power.” — Stanley Kutler, author of Wars of Watergate

Terrorism: The Bottom Line

by Nathan I. Yungher

From the publisher:
This captivating work moves away from the encyclopedic approach of its competitors to engage readers in the subject of terrorism. It is written in practical language and uses common terms, anecdotes, thought-provoking questions and case studies to help readers understand terrorism and its impact on society.

This book offers 17 chapters in six sections with topics such as a brief history of terrorism; foundations of terrorism; terrorism as a universal plague; weapons of mass destruction; counterterrorism on the domestic front; and terrorism in our future. Built on the author’s most popular lectures, the book also contains riveting events in modern history and their relevance to terrorism. Anyone interested in Terrorism; for courses in Terrorism

Target Iran: The Truth About the White House's Plans for Regime Change

by Scott Ritter

From the publisher:
In the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, Scott Ritter's Iraq Confidential was embraced by the antiwar movement in America. His claims that Iraq had been effectively disarmed were ignored by both the Bush administration and the mainstream media. In the wake of the debacle, Ritter has been vindicated. Now Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector, has set his sights on the White House's hyping of Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. In Target Iran he once again sets the record straight.

Target Iran is Ritter's “national intelligence assessment” of the Iranian imbroglio. Ritter examines the Bush administration's regime-change policy and the potential of Iran to threaten U.S. national security interests. He also considers how the country is seen by other interested parties, including the United Kingdom (Tony Blair may once again be called upon by Bush to provide an international “cover” in any confrontation), Israel (the Israelis view Iran as their number one threat today), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (responsible for inspecting the alleged nuclear program).

From the critics:
Ritter offers shrewd observations about why things have cooled off regarding Iran as the midterm elections loom and cautions that war with Iran would be catastrophic and must be averted. - Booklist

Beslan: The Tragedy of School No. 1

by Timothy Phillips

From the publisher:
9:04 a.m., 1 September, 2004. A boy is standing with his classmates in the playground of School No 1 in Beslan, in the Russian republic of North Ossetia. Looking around, he notices an oddly dressed man in combat fatigues and a mask. He feels he ought to tell his mother, but is reluctant to fall out of line... By the time the siege ended two days later, at least 330 parents and children would be killed in the massive explosions that tore through the gymnasium or caught in the crossfire of a three hour gun battle between the Russian forces and the terrorists.

Tim Phillips book tells the human story of the siege - of the terrible toll that thirst, hunger and sleeplessness took on the hostages, of the bravery of those who dealt with the terrorists, such as the elderly headmistress of the school and the doctor who tried to relieve the suffering of the young children. Phillips also looks at the authorities' response to the siege and finds it severely wanting. He has spent time in Beslan researching the book, talking to those involved and those affected, listening to the conspiracy theories, and trying to set the events of September 2004 in their wider context of centuries of conflict and enmity in the Caucasus.

“Timothy Phillips, a translator of Russian and a specialist on the Caucasus region, had access to many of the Beslan survivors and has used their accounts to put together the first written narrative of the tragedy. He also broadens the story to include an investigation of the town and its culture” — Sunday Times

“Timothy Phillips has written a book that enables us to look at the siege not as a one-off tragedy, but as one episode in a troubled history of the region that began with the Russian civil war of 1918 … It is the frankness of the participants that makes this such an important work for any reader who wishes to understand what is happening in the North Caucasus. And it is in this that the great talent of the author shines brightest. Many questions remain, questions that the survivors asked rhetorically of the author and other questions that arose in the author’s own mind … Phillips is not so reckless or so naïve as to attempt to answer them, but he gives them new life. From the mass of information at his disposal he has woven a many layered but accessible tapestry of life in one of the most complex and explosive regions of the world” — Guardian

“Traumatic events and the truth about them rarely sit comfortably together. In Beslan, Timothy Phillips provides a skilful and sensitive account of the shocking events of September 2004, when a school in the North Caucasus was attacked by a group of thirty or so terrorists … In this impressive book, Phillips manages simultaneously to offer a detailed account of the historical context of the atrocity, as well as the personal details of individuals caught up in the events. This makes for painful reading. He provides clarity about the wider ethnic tensions central to this tragedy, while remaining true to the memory-shattering confusion that such a trauma brings in its wake … This excellent book also reminds us that, once the global media have moved on from a place where something terrible has taken place, the real work of finding out what happened begins” — Independent

“Timothy Phillips, on the other hand, has done a heroic and, one might have thought for a foreigner, impossible job: he has reconstructed from the testimony of many hundreds of witnesses the hellish events of that September … His work is a fit memorial to the dead … Timothy Phillips’s book provides the victim’s story.” — Literary Review

"Timothy Phillips allows the survivors to speak for themselves, and they tell a harrowing tale... As well as providing a valuable account of what actually happened inside the school, Phillips shows how this atrocity was was an outgrowth of modern Russia, a society driven by violence and corruption, and the history of the north Caucasus" — Irish Times

"Fine and subtle… The book, based on extensive interviews, rouses pity and horro"’ — Financial Times

"Phillips emphasises the social and cultural importance of the first day of school for Russian kids and their parents –it’s a big event, a celebration of education. With this in mind, the massacre of 360 people, children, parents and teachers, taken hostage in 2004 by terrorists, becomes even more significant and horrifying" — The Times

"Mixing survivor testimonies with a potted history of ethnic conflict in the North Caucasus, Timothy Phillips not only reconstructs the tragedy with clarity and objectivity, he uses it to illuminate deeper-rooted political and social corruption" — Metro

"On 1 September 2004 Chechen terrorist took more that 1,200 people hostage at a school in a small southern Russian town…In this compelling account, BBC translator Timothy Philips interview the survivors. Perceptive and emotional" — Esquire

"Timothy Phillip's scholarship, his understanding of the people of all ethnic groups in the region and his involvement with them, make this a valuable historical document, as well as being a compelling, if harrowing, read" — Irish Independent

"This book, written by the main translator for the BBC's Beslan documentaries, attempts to analyse the events and put them into a historical context, explaining the myriad tragedies and enmities that have left the North Caucasus strewn with conflict... If nothing else, the claims, counter-claims and rumours which have surrounded the tragedy mean there is a need for a book which describes the events themselves, their chronology, and the facts and figures. This book does more, including giving insights into possible divisions among the terrorists and highlighting the still unanswered questions... The book paints a picture of complete chaos and mishandling of the siege on both sides. The idea of grimly determined automaton terrorists, fully aware of what they were doing, is cast into doubt. The chaos on the government side is set out in jaw-dropping detail... This book lays bare the dysfunctional state of modern Russia, and the Caucasus in particular" — Scotland on Sunday

"This book tells the human story of the siege in the words of those who witnessed and were affected by it and examines the response of the Russian authorities. Inevitably, this is a difficult and emotional read: events are examined in vivid detail. You desperately hope for a happy ending, already knowing the tragic outcome" — Waterstones Books Quarterly

"A moving ground-level account" — Tony Wood, Times Literary Supplement

Strategies for Protecting National Critical Infrastructure Assets: A Focus on Problem-Solving

by John Sullivant

From the publisher:
This title eases the research burden, develops investigative protocols, and pulls together data into a comprehensive and practical guide, to help the serious reader understand advanced concepts and techniques of risk assessment with an emphasis on meeting the security needs of the critical national infrastructure. The text is divided into five major sections, which are further broken down by individual chapters, each addressing one element of risk assessment as well as focusing attention on applying the risk assessment methodology to a particular industry. This book establishes a new and acceptable approach for conducting risk assessments in a high-risk world.

* Helps the reader to understand advanced concepts and techniques of risk assessment

* Provides a quick, reliable, and practical "briefcase" reference to use in the office as well as on the road

* Introduces the elements of the risk assessment process by defining its purpose and objectives, describing the behavioural and physical sciences, the techniques employed in the process, and the measurement and evaluation tools and standards used to perform an objective risk assessment.

Drawing on the collective experience of many experts, this definitive reference presents the best methods, techniques, and measurements to help security analysts conduct objective security assessments. It helps readers understand advanced security assessment concepts in today's high-risk world and identify, measure, and prioritize security risks. A comprehensive, practical guide, this resource:

* Describes a practical, proven approach that has been used in over 3,000 security assessments in thirty countries

* Features three primary sections: an introduction that helps analysts understand today's challenging environment; an overview of security assessment methodology broken down into five specific elements; and details on tailoring the methodology to specific industries

* Defines the purpose of the security assessment process, the behavioral and physical sciences brought into play, the techniques used, and measurement and evaluation tools and standards

* Presents an S3E comprehensive, system-integrated methodology supported by user-friendly, step-by-step guidance that is complemented by a series of S3E Security Assessment Methodology matrices

* Includes chapters dedicated to specific infrastructure sectors: water; energy; transportation; chemical industry and hazardous materials; agriculture and food; banking and finance; and telecommunications

* Provides worksheets that facilitate the cataloging and documenting of research data

This book gives consultants, security practitioners, corporate security managers and directors, and others a reliable, hands-on "briefcase" reference to use in the office as well as in the field. It's also an ideal text for upper-level students in related courses.

The Costs of War: International Law, the UN, and World Order After Iraq

by Richard Falk

From the publisher:
In The Costs of War: International Law, the UN, and World Order After Iraq, Richard Falk, brings together some of his recent essays, published and unpublished, examining the impact that the Iraq War has had and will have on international law, human rights, and democracy.

A new introduction provides an overview as well as a sense of the current context and reflects on the internal prospects for Iraq and on the logic of an early U.S. military and political withdrawal.

Having been revised and updated to take account of the march of events, the essays are organized into the following sections:

Part 1 addresses the effects of the American invasion and occupation of Iraq on the current dimensions of world order

Part 2 provides a normative inquiry into the larger intentions and consequences of the Iraq War

Part 3 considers the more fundamental implications of the Iraq War, especially on our understanding of war as an instrument for the solution of conflict.

Falk demonstrates the dysfunctionality of war in relation to either anti-terrorism or the pursuit of a global security system based on military dominance; the historical potential of a realistic Gandhiism as a positive alternative in the setting of global policy in the twenty-first century.

The Costs of War will be of interest to students and scholars of political science, media studies, and politics and international relations in general.

Class 11: My Story Inside the CIA's First Post-9/11 Spy Class

by T. J. Waters

From the publisher:
In the weeks following the attacks of 9/11, the Central Intelligence Agency received over 150,000 résumés from people wanting to serve their nation. T. J. Waters became one of more than a hundred students admitted into the CIA’s Clandestine Service to become Class 11, the first post- 9/11 training class. Filled with more information about the CIA’s Clandestine Service Training Program than has ever been allowed into the public domain, Waters takes readers behind closed doors, where the trainees learned methods of subterfuge, mastering disguises, how to withstand interrogations, and how to cross into hostile territory undetected—and provides a moving portrait of ordinary Americans with the courage and determination to go to any lengths to protect their country.

“Anyone who wants to know how CIA officers really operate—as opposed to the mythology often seen in the media—will want to read this book.” — Ronald Kessler, New York Times bestselling author of The CIA at War and Inside the CIA

“Waters and the CIA deserve much credit for a book that can only enhance the public’s understanding of the importance of a rejuvenated clandestine service.” — John Lehman, Washington Post and member of the 9/11 Commission

T.J. WATERS was a vice president of a private consulting firm specializing in intelligence collection and training prior to joining the CIA. He is currently a senior intelligence analyst for the Department of Defense and lives in Florida.

From LWBN:
This is the paperback edition of an earlier hardcover release.

Thinking About Terrorism: The Threat to Civil Liberties in a Time of National Emergency

by Michael E. Tigar

From the publisher:
Written by one of the top trial lawyers alive today, this is Michael Tigar's look at how government through history has responded to terrorism, with an analysis of our own government's response to the attacks of 9/11, particularly in regard to our own civil liberties.
When does safety at any cost undermine the very basis for our republic? This book is a must-read for anyone concerned with the state of our civil liberties today.

Countering Terrorism: Blurred Focus, Halting Steps

by Richard A. Posner

From the publisher:
Countering Terrorism evaluates the successes and failures of recent efforts by the U.S. government to reform our intelligence infrastructure.

Posner challenges the over-politicized, now conventional wisdom that these reforms have threatened our civil rights and liberties.

Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero

by Marco Martinez

From the publisher:
At the age of seventeen, Marco Martinez was a thug—a gun-toting, car-stealing gang member.

At the age of twenty-two, he was a hero—the recipient of the Navy Cross, the second-highest honor a U.S. Marine can receive, for extraordinary heroism under fire in the Iraq War. Hard Corps tells the story of his incredible transformation and of his experiences on the front lines of the War on Terror.

Writing with passion and candor, Martinez brings us back to his gang days, detailing experiences that make him “shudder in shame” to remember. And he recalls the moment that changed everything for him, when he spotted a barrel-chested U.S. Marine Corps recruiter at his high school. Immediately, he saw an opportunity to alter the course of his aimless life.

Martinez takes us with him through the grueling ordeal of Marine boot camp and the even-more-punishing training at the School of Infantry to show just how warriors are made. He reveals how he and his fellow grunts prepared tirelessly for battle, seeing combat not as a burden but as a privilege, the ultimate baptism by fire.

For Martinez, that baptism came in Iraq. In Hard Corps, he unfolds a warrior’s tale as riveting, harrowing, and immediate as any ever written. He takes us onto the narrow, treacherous streets of Baghdad, where enemy fire rains down from all directions; alongside his Marine squad as they patrol through the most dangerous war zone imaginable; and into a brutal terrorist ambush that calls upon reserves of ferocity and courage none of the Marines could ever be certain they possessed and that proves the value of every moment of their torturous training. Martinez also recounts stunning reminders of why we fight: the Iraqi man he met whose tongue had been chopped off for speaking out against Saddam Hussein’s regime, the ghastly evidence of human experimentation that Martinez’s squad discovered at an abandoned Iraqi military barracks, and the horrifying mass graves the Marines unearthed in the Iraqi desert.

Hard Corps gives us a visceral sense of what it means to know that you are ready to die for your brother Marines and that they would do the same for you. It tells us how it feels when words like duty, honor, and country are not an empty slogan. And, ultimately, it captures the traditions and ooh-rah spirit of the U.S. Marine Corps and the valor of all the Marines, sailors, soldiers,

From the critics:
The book is peppered with denunciation of biased news coverage, liberals, hippies, John Kerry and Anthony Swofford (ex-marine author of Jarhead), but readers who enjoy learning about the mechanics of an urban gang and of a marine platoon in combat are unlikely to object. - Publishers Weekly

Schmoozing With Terrorists: From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal Their Global Plans to a Jew!

by Aaron Klein

From the publisher:
Presented here for the first time are face-to-face conversations that noted journalist -- and Orthodox Jew -- Aaron Klein has conducted with leaders and members of terror organizations, including every major Palestinian Arab terror group, al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Martyrs, Popular Resistance Committees, Arab liberation front, PFLP, Iraq insurgents, Taliban officials and even groups suspected of operating on U.S. soil (including Al-Muhajiroun).

This clever, often humorous but deeply disturbing book focuses not on how terror cells operate or how they get their funding, but on the individuals behind the masks and suicide bomber vests. It tells stories, often horrifying, about the events that have shaped, and are shaping, today's Middle East, as told by the perpetrators, in their own words.

Aaron Klein is a well-known journalist with a special interest in Islamic terrorism and its implications for national security. He currently writes for publications such as WorldNetDaily, the Jewish Press, and Yediot Aharonot (Israel's largest daily.)

Private Soldiers: A Year in Iraq with a Wisconsin National Guard Unit

by Benjamin Buchholz (Author), Joseph Streeter (Photographer), Nathan Olson (Photographer)

From the publisher:
In April 2005 they received the official alert: The Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 2-127th Infantry Battalion was being mobilized. After training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, the 620 soldiers of the Gator Battalion would serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom, providing armed convoy escort and route security throughout all of Iraq, from Umm Qasr in the south to Mosul in the far north.

Their mission would take them into the most dangerous regions of Iraq, and during the next year the battalion would withstand hundreds of attacks, see dozens wounded, and lose three members killed in action.

Private Soldiers chronicles the 2-127th’s year-long deployment from the unique perspective of the soldiers themselves. Written and photographed by three battalion members, the book provides a rare first-hand account of war and life in Iraq. Fascinating soldier interviews reveal the effects of deployment on the troops and on their families back home, and interviews with Iraqi civilians describe the Iraqis’ perceptions of life, war, and working alongside Wisconsin troops. Brilliant photography illuminates the 2-127th’s year, from training to “boots on the ground” to their return home. And candid photos taken by battalion members capture the soldiers’ day-to-day lives and camaraderie.

An extremely timely and relevant account of soldiers’ lives, Private Soldiers honors Wisconsin’s participants in the Iraq war and helps readers understand the war’s human side.

All royalties from sales of Private Soldiers will go to the 2-127th’s family support groups and to funds established in memoriam of the battalion members who gave their lives in the Iraq war.

CAPTAIN BENJAMIN BUCHHOLZ was the 2-127th Infantry Battalion’s civil affairs officer during deployment. He works full time for the Wisconsin National Guard as the 2-127th's training officer. A widely published writer of fiction and nonfiction, Ben lives in Brandon, Wisconsin, with his wife, Angie, and sons Wesley and Jack.

STAFF SERGEANT JOSEPH STREETER has been a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard for over twelve years. While deployed in Iraq he served as a squad leader in the 2-127th’s C Company. He also works as the system administrator at the Wisconsin Joint Force Headquarters and runs a sports photography business. He lives in Madison.

LIEUTENANT NATHAN OLSON has been a member of the Wisconsin National Guard for more than sixteen years. During his time in Iraq he served as a platoon leader in C Company, 2-127th Infantry. He also works for the Wisconsin National Guard as the environmental assessment and reports manager for the state. Nathan and his wife, Ann, own an event and portrait photography business in Columbus, Wisconsin.

Bush, the Detainees, and the Constitution: The Battle over Presidential Power in the War on Terror

by Howard Ball

From the publisher:
The infamous detainees of Guantanamo, garbed in their bright orange prison jumpsuits, have come to symbolize a host of controversial policies and powers claimed by President George W. Bush in the so-called war on terror. Designated as "enemy combatants," a vaguely defined and previously unrecognized category in the international laws of war, they have been at the center of a legal firestorm challenging the Bush administration's conduct of the war.

Howard Ball, one of our nation's leading constitutional authorities, takes a close look at the White House's defense of its detainee program (what some have called an "American gulag"), the court actions used to challenge that enormous expansion of unchecked presidential power, and the potential threats to American democracy should those actions ultimately fail. Focusing on the Enemy Combatants Cases of 2004 and 2006--including Rasul v. Bush, Hamdi v. Bush, Rumsfeld v. Padilla, and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld -- Ball examines competing legal arguments pitting the detainees' fundamental human rights (including habeas corpus) against Bush's proclamation that he alone has the authority to decide their fate, as well as efforts by the Court and Congress to reclaim their own authority in such matters.

Ball describes how the administration repeatedly found ways to evade both the letter and spirit of the Court's decisions through new legislation, presidential signing statements, and even redefinition of the status of the detainees. He also examines the official context of the cases--including the two Congressional Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, the "Patriot Act," and the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program--as well as other factors such as presidential claims to "state secrets privilege," the torture controversy, and the impact of the 2006 elections.
Ball reminds us once again that, in a time of war, there will always be a great tension between the need for security and the constitutional protection of due process. Ultimately, he tells a troubling story about the relationship between absolute presidential power and the principles of representative government, one that thoughtful readers cannot afford to ignore.

"President Bush's treatment of enemy combatants in the 'war on terror' is the most important constitutional story of our time, and Howard Ball tells it with a deft sense for detail, an impressive field of vision, and a sharply critical eye." -- David Cole, author of Enemy Aliens: Double Standards and Constitutional Freedoms in the War on Terrorism

"Ball's detailed and lucid brief on the dangers of executive unilateralism touches upon the most difficult legal questions of the new century. A sobering and important read." -- Aziz Huq, author of Unchecked and Unbalanced: Presidential Power in a Time of Terror

"A sweeping and essential guide." -- Karen J. Greenberg, editor of The Torture Debate in America

The Corporate Security Professional's Handbook on Terrorism

by Edward Halibozek (Author), Andy Jones (Author), Gerald L. Kovacich (Author)

From the publisher:
The Corporate Security Professional's Handbook on Terrorism is a professional reference that clarifies the difference between terrorism against corporations and their assets, versus terrorism against government assets. It addresses the existing misconceptions regarding how terrorism does or does not affect corporations, and provides security professionals and business executives with a better understanding of how terrorism may impact them.

Consisting of three sections, Section I provides an explanation of what terrorism is, its history, who engages in it, and why. Section II focuses on helping the security professional develop and implement an effective anti-terrorism program in order to better protect the employees and assets of the corporation. Section III discusses the future as it relates to the likelihood of having to deal with terrorism.

The book provides the reader with a practitioners guide, augmented by a historical assessment of terrorism and its impact to corporations, enabling them to immediately put in place useful security processes and methods to protect their corporate interests against potential acts of terror. This is guide is an essential tool for preparing security professionals and company executives to operate in an increasingly hostile global business environment.

- Features case studies involving acts of terror perpetrated against corporate interests
- Provides coverage of the growing business practice of outsourcing security
- Remains practical and straightforward in offering strategies on physically securing premises, determining risk, protecting employees, and implementing emergency planning

Edward P. Halibozek is currently the corporate director of security for a Fortune 100 company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. He holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and an MBA in business. Mr. Halibozek is an experienced lecturer and has written and published many articles, papers, plans, policies and procedures related to corporate security.

Mr. Halibozek is the former Chairperson for the Aerospace Industries Association, Industrial Security Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Chief Special Agents Association in Los Angeles California. Mr. Halibozek served for four years as an Industry member to the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC).

Andy Jones is an experienced Military Intelligence Analyst and Information Technology Security specialist. He has had considerable experience in the analysis of Intelligence material in Strategic, Tactical and Counter-Insurgency operations and a wide range of Information systems management experience. In addition, he has considerable experience in the security of Information Technology systems, having been responsible for the implementation of Information Technology security within all areas of the British Army and in some joint service organizations. He has directed both Intelligence and Security operations and briefed the results at the highest level. He was awarded the MBE for his work during his service in Northern Ireland and has gained an Open University Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and technology and a Masters degree in Information Security and Computer Crime from the University of Glamorgan. After completing 25 years service with the British Armys Intelligence Corps, he moved into the area of defense research and was employed as the manager of a group of 80 research scientists and as a researcher and analyst in the area of Information Security. He has also had experience as a project manager within defense research for the security aspects of a number of large projects and has gained considerable expertise on the criminal and terrorist aspects of Information Security. He has undertaken a range of research into a number of aspects of Information warfare and the threats to information systems. 1n 2002 he co-authored a book on information warfare and is currently researching to write a book on the risks to information systems. In addition to his main work as a senior lecturer on Information Security and Computer Crime at the University of Glamorgan, he is currently also an associate lecturer for the Open University on Internet communications. His primary area of research for the last two years has been into methods for the measurement of threat to information systems and the development of a method that will allow the threat to be modeled. He has had a number of papers on this subject published and has received considerable interest in the concept from both government and industry.

Dr. Kovacich has over 40 years of security, criminal and civil investigations, anti-fraud, information warfare, and information systems security experience in both government as a special agent and as a manager in international corporations. Dr. Kovacich currently resides on an island in Washington state where he continues to write, lecture and conduct research relative to information systems security, information warfare defensive and offensive operations, high-technology crime and techno-terrorism.

Blood Brothers: Among the Soldiers of Ward 57

by Michael Weisskopf

From the publisher:
This “expert piece of journalism by a brave man about brave men” follows three soldiers and a reporter through eighteen months on Ward 57, Walter Reed’s amputee wing (The Washington Post).

Time magazine’s Michael Weisskopf was riding through Baghdad in the back of a U.S. Army Humvee when he heard a metallic thunk. Looking down, he spotted a small object inches from his feet and reached down to take it in his hand. Then everything went black.

Weisskopf lost his hand and was sent to Ward 57 at Walter Reed Medical Center, the wing reserved for amputees. There he met soldiers Pete Damon, Luis Rodriguez, and Bobby Isaacs, alongside whom he navigated the bewildering process of recovery and began reconciling life before that day in Baghdad with everything that would follow his release.

Blood Brothers is the story of this difficult passage—a story that begins with healthy men heading off to war, and continues through the months in Ward 57 as they prepare for a different life than the one they left. A chronicle of devastation and recovery, this is a deeply affecting portrait of the private aftermath of combat casualties.

From the critics:
On the long journey toward healing, Weisskopf discovers and intimately describes the common psychological afflictions as well as the phenomenon known as phantom pain, which results from "the jumble of severed nerve endings." In this war where the public is prevented even from seeing photographs of returning coffins, the grim reality of these men’s sacrifice becomes clear. Blood Brothers is a fine and heartfelt work honoring them. - New York Times

The Siege of Mecca: The Forgotten Uprising in Islam's Holiest Shrine and the Birth of al-Qaeda

by Yaroslav Trofimov

From the publisher:
On November 20, 1979, public attention focused on Tehran, where the Iranian hostage crisis was entering its third week. The same morning–the first of a new Muslim century–hundreds of gunmen stunned the world by seizing Islam’s holiest shrine, the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Armed with rifles that they had smuggled inside coffins, these men came from more than a dozen countries, launching the first operation of global jihad in modern times. Led by a Saudi preacher named Juhayman al Uteybi, they believed that the Saudi royal family had become a craven servant of American infidels, and sought a return to the glory of uncompromising Islam. With nearly 100,000 worshippers trapped inside the holy compound, Mecca’s bloody siege lasted two weeks, inflaming Muslim rage against the U.S. and causing hundreds of deaths.

Despite U.S. assistance, the Saudi royal family proved haplessly incapable of dislodging the occupier, whose ranks included American converts to Islam. In Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini blamed the Great Satan–the U.S.–for defiling the shrine, prompting mobs to storm and torch American embassies in Pakistan and Libya. The desperate Saudis finally enlisted the help of French commandos led by tough-as-nails Captain Paul Barril, who prepared the final assault and supplied poison gas that knocked out the insurgents. Though most captured gunmen were quickly beheaded, the Saudi royal family responded to this unprecedented challenge by compromising with the rebels’ supporters among the kingdom’s most senior clerics, helping them nurture and export Juhayman’s violent brand of Islam around the world.

This dramatic and immensely consequential story was barely covered in the press in the pre-CNN, pre-al-Jazeera days, as Saudi Arabia imposed an information blackout and kept foreign correspondents away. Yaroslav Trofimov now penetrates this veil of silence, interviewing for the first time scores of direct participants in the siege, including former terrorists, and drawing on hundreds of documents that had been declassified on his request. The narrative reveals how Saudi reaction to the uprising in Mecca set free the forces that produced the attacks of 9/11, and the harrowing circumstances that
surround us today.

From the critics:
Trofimov, a Wall Street Journal writer and observer of the Muslim world (Faith at War), tackles an incident unreported in the West: the violent takeover of Islam's holiest shrine by Muslim fundamentalists in 1979. Carrying out his investigations in one of the world's most closed societies, Trofimov has crafted a compelling historical narrative, blending messianic theology with righteous violence, and the Saudi state's sclerotic corruption with the complicity of the official religious institutions. Trofimov aptly points out endemic regional problems with enduring repercussions for fighting terror, but is hampered by his sensationalist style ("The world was twelve months away from the tumultuous events that would cover the mosque's marble courtyard with blood, spilled guts and severed limbs"). In 1979, the Saudi intelligence services apparently had no accurate blueprints of the Grand Mosque, and knew nothing of the underground labyrinth where many of the militants took shelter; they eventually received plans to the site from Osama bin Laden's older brother. Ringleader Juhayman and his followers have inspired al-Qaeda and countless other Islamic revivalist movements to ever greater acts of violence, even though they were mesmerized by their limited understanding of an obscurantist theology and were convinced that that one of their unassuming members was the Messiah. Casual readers will be well served by this introduction to Muslim fundamentalist terrorism. - Publishers Weekly

Had there been no 11/20/79, there might never have been a 9/11/01: 20-20 hindsight meets solid journalistic and storytelling skills in this latest work by sometime Wall Street Journal correspondent Trofimov (Faith at War: A Journey on the Frontlines of Islam, from Baghdad to Timbuktu, 2005). At the dawn of the 15th century, by the Islamic calendar, an armed gang led by radical Islamist Juhayman al Uteybi seized the Grand Mosque of Mecca, one of Islam's most sacred sites, to protest the Saudi government's corruption and illegitimacy as an ally of the West. The new year's celebration was a day on which natives of the city mingled with foreign visitors, allowing the conspirators, among them Saudis, Pakistanis, Indians, Egyptians, Burmese, Afghans and even one American, fairly easy access into the holy precinct. There they holed up and battled a succession of Saudi military assaults, "a drawn-out battle that would drench Mecca in blood, marking a watershed moment for the Islamic world and the West." These events were overshadowed by the seizure in Iran of the U.S. embassy, but it did not escape watchful militants in the Islamic world that the siege was finally broken when French special forces commandos entered Mecca-supposedly off-limits to infidels-and restored order. Saudis formerly loyal to the House of Saud were so shocked at the intervention that they became radicalized opponents of the regime; one such convert was Osama bin Laden, whose family was closely allied with the royals. These newly forged militants were also emboldened by the decision, under the Carter administration, to reduce the formal American presence in the Muslim world after Tehran and Mecca. Juhayman's Islamistmessage, writes Trofimov, was in great degree the one Al Qaeda and its allies espouse today-and, as today, though Sunni in origin, that message is also turning Shiites to the cause of anti-Western jihad. It has taken nearly 30 years to comprehend these events in their proper context, and Trofimov does excellent work in narrating them in that light. - Kirkus

A History of Iraq

by Charles Tripp

From the publisher:
To understand Iraq, Charles Tripp's history is the book to read. Since its first appearance in 2000, it has become a classic in the field of Middle East studies, read and admired by students, soldiers, policymakers and journalists. The book is now updated to include the recent American invasion, the fall and capture of Saddam Hussein and the subsequent descent into civil strife. What is clear is that much that has happened since 2003 was foreshadowed in the account found in this book. Tripp's thesis is that the history of Iraq throughout the twentieth-century has made it what it is today, but also provides alternative futures. Unless this is properly understood, many of the themes explored in this book - patron-client relations, organized violence, sectarian, ethnic and tribal difference - will continue to exert a hold over the future of Iraq as they did over its past.

From the critics:
Tripp offers a lucid, digestible overview of contemporary Iraq's byzantine political power structure. Placing the evolution of the modern Iraqi state firmly into historical context, the author analyzes the roots of Islamic law, the negative effects of British imperialism, the controversial Haahemite monarchy, the fledgling republic, and, finally, the emergence of the militant Ba'th Party and the subsequent dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Also included are cogent examinations of social, cultural, and economic traditions that have contributed to the development of regionally aggressive and rabidly anti-Western policies. This insightful investigation of an often bewildering Middle Eastern nation should be considered for purchase by all public libraries interested in building a comprehensive collection of national histories of the region. - Booklist

Iran in the 21st Century

by Katouzian

From the publisher:
This book examines Iran and its position in the contemporary world. It contains chapters on social developments in the country including gender relations, contemporary politics, international relations, relations with the US and Israel, nuclear weapons and energy programmes, oil and the development of the economy.

Ghost Plane: The True Story of the CIA Rendition and Torture Program

by Stephen Grey

From the publisher:
On June 10th, 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that the US had captured a known terrorist who was exploring a plan to explode a "dirty bomb" on American soil. That alleged terrorist was José Padilla who was finally charged in 2005 with conspiracy to murder.

What Ashcroft didn't talk about was how information against him was obtained – by the relentless torture of one man -- Binyam Mohamed, in the name of the United States. Arrested at Karachi Airport before Padilla’s arrest on April 10, 2002, Mohamed was put on a luxury executive jet and flown to an interrogation center in Morocco. For over 18 months, he was subjected to one torture after another: Beating followed beating and, then, his guards produced razor blades and began to split the skin all over his body, including on his genitals.

Since 1997, hundreds of people, many of whom have no ties to terrorist organizations, have been abducted from foreign airports or street corners on suspicions based at times on the flimsiest of evidence courtesy of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. In Ghost Plane, Stephen Grey tells the true story of the CIA's torture program known by the euphemism "extraordinary rendition" and the airplanes that make the program run.

Begun during the Clinton administration, but taking a decidedly more voracious turn after 9/11, the rendition system has seen the transfer of more than 1000 prisoners into jails stretching from Guantanamo to Syria, from Kabul to Bangkok and beyond. Grey had access to the thousands of CIA flight records and has interviewed dozens of sources from the most senior levels of the National Security Council to the CIA.

In Ghost Plane, he paints a disturbing picture of the War on Terror that reaches to the highest levels of power in Washington, D.C. and exposes the extreme ethical corruption at the heart of this US government program, a program finally acknowledged by President George Bush in September 2006, undertaken in the name of the citizens of the United States.

iSpy: Surveillance and Power in the Interactive Era

by Mark Andrejevic

From the publisher:
Whether you're purchasing groceries with your Safeway "club card" or casting a vote on American Idol, that data is being collected. From Amazon to iTunes, cell phones to GPS devices, Google to TiVo--all of these products and services give us an expansive sense of choice, access, and participation. But, in an era now marked by large-scale NSA operations that secretly monitor our email exchanges and internet surfing, Mark Andrejevic shows how these new technologies are increasingly employed as modes of surveillance and control.

Many contend that our proliferating interactive media empower individuals and democratize society. But, Andrejevic asks, at what cost? In iSpy, he reveals that these and other highly touted benefits are accompanied by hidden risks and potential threats that tend to be ignored by mainstream society. His book offers the first sustained critique of a concept that has been a talking point for twenty years, an up-to-the-minute survey of interactivity across multiple media platforms. It debunks the false promises of the digital revolution still touted by the popular media while seeking to rehabilitate, rather than simply write off, the potentially democratic uses of interactive media.

Andrejevic opens up the world of digital rights management and the data trail each of us leaves--data about our locations, preferences, or life events that are already put to use in various economic, political, and social contexts. He notes that, while citizens are becoming increasingly transparent to private and public monitoring agencies, they themselves are unable to access the information gathered about them--or know whether it's even correct. (The watchmen, it seems, don't want to be watched.) He also considers the appropriation of consumer marketing for political campaigns in targeting voters, and also examines the implications of the Internet for the so-called War on Terror.

In iSpy, Andrejevic poses real challenges for our digital future. Amazingly detailed, compellingly readable, it warns that we need to temper our enthusiasm for these technologies with a better understanding of the threats they pose-to be able to distinguish between interactivity as centralized control and as collaborative participation.

"A vivid and compelling account of how interactivity appears to be enhancing our power yet in fact is increasing the power of others to watch over us and control us." -- Daniel J. Solove, author of The Digital Person: Technology and Privacy in the Information Age

"Do not mistake this book for another rose-colored glimpse of the digital future. This is a sharp-eyed, sharp-elbowed tour of a darker world." -- Fred Turner, author of From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism

Baghdad Ablaze: How to Extinguish the Fires in Iraq

by Raymond Tanter (Author), Thomas McInerney (Author), Paul Vallely (Author), R. Bruce McColm (Author), and the Iran Policy Committee

From the publisher:
Baghdad Ablaze insightfully evaluates the U.S. invasion and occupation as a spark and pretext for terrorist groups to build organizations, sects to broaden their political base, and Iran to control Iraq. The book makes crucial suggestions regarding how occupation forces can end the violence instead of inspiring it. The incisiveness of these ideas about Iraq for Europe and America complement the author's book, What Makes Tehran Tick. -Paulo Casaca, Portugese Member of European Parliament

Baghdad Ablaze is exceptional in its portrayal of the political landscape of Iraq. The book paints a picture of ethnic differences, legacy of discrimination against Shiites by Sunnis, and sectarian violence. According to evidence in Baghdad Ablaze, sectarian tensions were dormant until unleashed by occupation, and exacerbated by the Iranian regime. -Struan Stevenson, Scottish Member of European Parliament

Contractor Confessions: Tales from Iraq

by Russell Blair

From the publisher:
Phony memoirs and fake tales from Iraq have discredited both genres. Truth or lies? Fact or fiction? Memoir or novel? My story starts like this: "I was introduced to Iraq up close and personal flying 100 ft off the ground in a Blackhawk helicopter. I was on my way to Mosul from Camp Anaconda and we flew with the doors open, gunners at the ready, rising and falling with the contours of the land. Following the Tigris River north, we passed over farms, villages, isolated mud huts and herds of sheep. Little children waved and smiled while their parents stared at us with sullen faces..... for thousands of years armies have marched across this same land seeking conquest and empire and treasure. And here I am and I'm wearing my Elvis shades."

The author spent two years in Iraq as a civilian contractor.

Crescent of Betrayal: Dishonoring the Heroes of Flight 93

by Alec Rawls

From the publisher:
When the heroes of Flight 93 smashed their hijackers into the ground at the cost of their own lives, it was America’s first post-9/11 moment. Knowing that hijacked airplanes had already killed thousands at the World Trade Center, the passengers refused to let the killers on board determine their destinies without a fight – in this case, to the death. Logic and common sense would dictate that any memorial built across that barren field in Pennsylvania where Flight 93 met its horrific yet inspiring end would honor the passengers’ sacrifice…not that of the religious fanatics who killed them.

Or so you would think.

Architect Paul Murdoch’s "Crescent of Embrace" design – the one selected by the Flight 93 Memorial Committee headed by the National Park Service and its diversity-obsessed Superintendent, the design that supposedly honors the brave Americans who, through no fault of their own, became the first casualties in a war declared by Islamic terrorists – is in reality, the world’s largest mosque, one specifically designed to honor the killers, not their victims.

Carefully researched, with scrupulous attention to sourcing, Cresent of Betrayal: Dishonoring the Heroes of Flight 93 shows in disturbing detail how political correctness, elitism, and a disdain for America and its values has allowed a memorial to heroes morph into a tribute to their murderers. Carefully dissecting Paul Murdoch’s design feature by feature, author Alec Rawls demonstrates unequivocally that Murdoch’s "vision" has nothing to do with honoring America but everything to do with paying tribute by stealth to those who mean to do this nation grievous harm.

World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism

by Norman Podhoretz

From the publisher:
For almost half a century—as a magazine editor and as the author of numerous bestselling books and hundreds of articles—Norman Podhoretz has helped drive the central political and intellectual debates in this country. Now, in this beautifully written and powerfully argued book, he takes on the most controversial issue of our time—the war against the global network of terrorists that attacked us on 9/11.

In World War IV, Podhoretz makes the first serious effort to set 9/11 itself, the battles that have followed it in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the war of ideas that it has provoked at home into a broad historical context. Through a brilliant telling of this epic story, Podhoretz shows that the global war against Islamofascism is as vital and necessary as the two world wars and the cold war (“World War III”) by which it was preceded. He also lays out a compelling case in defense of the Bush Doctrine, contending that its new military strategy of preemption and its new political strategy of democratization represent the only viable way to fight and win the special kind of war into which we were suddenly plunged.

Different in certain respects though the Islamofascists are from their totalitarian predecessors, this new enemy is equally dedicated to the destruction of the freedoms for which America stands and by which it lives. But it took the blatant aggression of 9/11 to make most Americans realize that war had long since been declared on us and that the time had come to fight back. Past administrations, both Republican and Democratic, had failed to respond with appropriate force to attacks by Muslim terrorists on American citizensin various countries, and even the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 was treated as a criminal act rather than an act of war. All this changed after 9/11, when the whole country rallied around President Bush’s decision to bring the war to the enemy’s home ground in the Middle East.

The successes and the setbacks that have followed are vividly portrayed by Podhoretz, who goes on to argue that, just as in the two great struggles against totalitarianism in the twentieth century, the key to victory in World War IV will be a willingness to endure occasional reverses without losing sight of what we are fighting against, what we are fighting for, and why we have to win.

"Norman Podhoretz's book is an antidote to the attempt to return to the denial of the 1990s. It forcefully argues for an America truly on offense against Islamic terrorism."
— Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York

"In this compelling book, Norman Podhoretz convinced me that using the term Third World War to describe the war on terror is wrong. This is the fourth world war (with the cold war as a third great struggle between freedom and tyranny), and it is a war we can win and must win. Every citizen interested in our survival as a free and safe country should read World War IV."
— Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House

"You must read this forceful analysis of where we are—at war—and why we must remain engaged and be ready to act in defense of our national security."
—George P. Shultz, former U.S. secretary of state

The Apocalypse of Ahmadinejad: The Revelation of Iran's Nuclear Prophet

by Mark Hitchcock

From the publisher:
He stands only 5-foot-4 and smiles incessantly. But behind that charismatic persona beats the heart of a genocidal terrorist. Meet the World’s Most Dangerous Man

In his provocative, well-researched exposé of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, prophecy expert Mark Hitchcock unveils the insidious agenda behind this radical Shiite’s regime:

* Ahmadinejad plans to hasten the return of the Islamic messiah
by ushering in his vision of the apocalypse.

* His ultimate goal–driven by his fanatical ideology–is to bring the Mahdi, or Twelfth Imam, out of hiding.

* And he plans to do so by arming his country with nuclear weapons, then exporting the Iranian revolution to the world by destroying Israel and the United States.

But there’s a bizarre twist to Ahmadinejad’s nightmarish intentions: This ardent zealot may well be part of God’s plan to set the stage for a scenario prophesied more than 2,500 years ago. Hitchcock presents compelling evidence that Ahmadinejad’s actions, including his alliances with Russia and many of Iran’s neighbors, have placed his nation–and the world–on a collision course toward the war of Gog and Magog.

Discover the truth about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his role in biblical prophecy, and what it means for the world–and you.

Enemy Combatant: My Imprisonment at Guantanamo, Bagram, and Kandahar

by Moazzam Begg and Victoria Brittain

From the publisher:
The searing story of one man's years inside the notorious American prison -- and his Kafkaesque struggle to clear his name.

Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has become a worldwide symbol of the dark side of America's War on Terror. Here, for the first time, is a powerful and moving story from the other side, the first detainee's account of life inside the notorious prison. A highly educated British Muslim, Moazzam Begg spent three years in U.S. custody, nearly two of them in Guantánamo, before being released without charge in January of 2005.

Enemy Combatant, written with respected UK journalist Victoria Brittain, is the wrenching narrative of Begg's detention, including his eighteen months in solitary confinement. Secretly abducted at midnight from his home in Afghanistan, held incommunicado in Kandahar and Bagram Air Force base, Begg was eventually flown to Guantánamo, where, like more than 800 Muslim men and boys--550 of whom remain in custody--he was held in shackles and the now-trademark orange prison uniform, subjected to relentless interrogations and abusive and degrading conditions.

A riveting, personal story by a thoughtful and eloquent man, Enemy Combatant is a uniquely personal indictment of America's establishment of a global gulag that flouts the Geneva conventions -- one of the great miscarriages of justice in our time.

From the critics:
Despite considerable media speculation over what Begg may have left out of this memoir, it's a forcefully told, up-to-the-minute political story. Whether Begg is describing his Muslim and Asian friends fighting white supremacist skinhead street gangs in Birmingham, or telling how he shared poetry with a U.S. guard at Guant namo, his tone is assured. His work will be necessary reading for people on all sides of the issue. - Publishers Weekly

The Jihad Next Door: The Lackawanna Six and Rough Justice in an Age of Terror

by Dina Temple-Raston

From the publisher:
The acclaimed author of A Death In Texas tells the riveting, morally complex story of a group of young Yemeni-American men from an upstate New York steel town who may, or may not, have been America's first "sleeper cell." They called themselves the Arabian Knights. They were six Yemeni-American friends, a gang of high-school soccer stars, a band of brothers on the grim side streets of Lackawanna's First Ward, just a stone's throw from Buffalo.

Later, people would argue about why they left western New York in the spring of 2001 to attend an al-Qaeda camp. Some said they traveled to Afghanistan to become America's first sleeper cell--terrorists slumbering while they awaited orders from on high. Others said that their ill-fated trip was a lark, an adventurous extension of their youthful wrestling with what it meant to be Muslim in America.

Dina Temple-Raston returns to Lackawanna to tell the story of a group of young men--born and brought up in small town America--who left otherwise unremarkable lives to attend an al-Qaeda camp. Though they sought to quietly slip back into their roles as middle class Americans, the 9/11 attacks made that impossible.

The Jihad Next Door is the story of pre-emptive justice in the age of terror. It follows a handful of ordinary men through an extraordinary time when Muslims in America are often instantly suspect, their actions often viewed through the most sinister lens.