How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War

Rating:
Summary: Why Did it Not Happen Sooner
Review: Although this book was a rush job right after the 9-11 attacks it does cover some very interesting issues and points of view. The book has essays from a number of foreign policy and terrorism experts on topics ranging from the CIA efforts in Afghanistan, the cultural environment in the Middle East, airport security, bio-weapons and the ability of the US armed forces to handle this new threat. The topics covered are very interesting and gives the reader and good overview of the different issues involved in this complicated foreign policy and security issue. The essays are also minus most of the emotion that many other books on the 9-11 attacks have. This is probably due to the topics of the essays and the limited space each author was given. The editors also did a good job of arranging the essays so that the book had a good flow and the items lead into one another.

Overall my only real complaint with the book is that there were a few errors here and there, but they are due to the quick publishing date of the book and do not take away much from the points. Also reading a book with a new author per chapter you do not have a consistent writing style but the editors did a good job in that the wide range of authors is not a detriment to the flow of the book. I assumption is that the test of some was edited with a heavy hand to provide the consistent writing style. Overall the book is an interesting look at the causes of the 9-11 attacks and well worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: A Good First Impression of the American Challenge
Review: The question that is the title of this book is one that will be pondered over for a very very long time. Obviously the 9/11 attacks had many causes from the roots of the "jihad" against us to the failures of security and intelligence operations. In this book, published shortly after the attacks, the editors of "Foreign Affairs" have gathered together a diverse group of experts on various subjects relating to the terrible events of that day and asked each to submit a short essay on their particular area of expertise. The first group concern Islam, the Middle East and the U.S. role in the region. Brian Jenkins attempts to dissect the Al Quaeda organization. Fouad Ajami, a foreign affairs thinker I greatly admire, writes about the uneasy American presence in the Middle East and its relationship to the jihad against the West. Michael Scott Doran also covers this subject from the perspective that the United States is intervening in an Islamic civil war. Karen Armstrong, an expert on Islam, briefly examines the religion's history to demonstrate how Islam has no tradition of violence and the Medieval tradition of conquest was not inspired by the Koran. It is her view that today's Islamic radicalism is a modern phenomenon. Walter Laqueur, an expert on terrorism, contributes a fascinating piece on the changing tactics of terrorists. He looks at the stark difference in scale of bloodshed between the nationalistic terrorists such as the IRA or the Basque Separatists who had at least rational goals, if not deplorable methods, and the nihilism of the Islamists. Other essays look at the history of Afghanistan, the duplicitous role played by Saudi Arabia and Sandy Berger contributes an essay on Bin Laden's phony concern for the Palestinians. The next series looks to issues of protecting the U.S. homeland. William Weschler writes about the difficulties of cutting off Al Quaeda's finances. Richard K. Betts discusses the difficulties of using counter-intelligence to thwart attacks. Gregg Easterbrook documents the pathetic airline security. Stephen Flynn demonstrates the pathetic state of homeland security on 9/11. The remaining essays deal with such diverse issues as the threat of germ warfare, and how the U.S. needs to conduct the war on terrorism. My personal favorite essay is by Michael Mandelbaum who writes about "diplomacy in wartime." Mandelbaum recognizes that diplomacy is not just about the carrot but also about the stick.

Due to its October 2001 publication date, some of this book seems out of date. Nevertheless, it remains valuable as a documentation of the first impressions of a number of important thinkers to the challenges that lie ahead. It does not explain "how this happened" nor does it set out to do so. Someday, when the smoke clears, THE book on how and why this happened will surely be written. Just as happened with the British nap of the thirties that allowed Hitler to become a mortal threat, we will eventually learn the true reason America slept for ten years while this horrendous threat got worse and worse. This book is well worth reading, however, and provides some basic insight.

Rating:
Summary: Compilation Falls Short of Answers
Review: With such an indispensable question asked of this book's title, the book never reaches it to that indispensable mark. It certainly hits all around the dartboard like a late night drunk randomly firing darts in his favorite corner bar at three in the morning. But to answer a question like "How did this happen (9/11?" we need a stone cold sober dart champion focused and singular firing bull's eye after bull's eye.

Here's what I mean, in the same book we get disparate articles on "The Biological Threat From Abroad," by Richard Butler, "What's next for U.S. Armed Forces," by Gen Wesley Clark, and "American Society Responds to the New War," by Alan Wolfe; none of which go towards answering the question that continues to burn in the minds of free people across the world, "How did this happen?" or more succinctly "Why?"

Give credit where it is due to the editors of Foreign Affairs (one of my favorite journals) for assembling such a powerhouse of national policy experts writing about the topics they know best, but to unroot the causes of Islamic extremist one book alone won't cut it. Delve much deeper than what this book has to offer. Check out some of the assembled suggested reading listmania lists here on "Amazon.com" and start digging in. I've read about 10 books on the subject to date and feel like I have ten more to go to scratch at some sort of understanding.

What we need to here from is from inside the Maddrassas that ingrain a hatred of the West from an early age. These schools are all over Pakistan and dotted about the Middle East. If we can get at why these children are taught to hate and are hijacking a peaceful beautiful religion maybe we can get closer to answering the question, "How did this happen?"

Read this book to hear how the leaders in their respective fields view the terrorist problem and what is to be done all from a US perspective, but don't buy into the preconception that it will answer the question published on the title.