Prelude to Terror
BusinessWeek magazine has book reviews on two books that explore different sides of the terrorist threat. The books: Jonathan Randal's Osama: the Making of a Terrorist; and, Steve Coll's Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001. 
Osama chronicles the life of bin Laden -- his early days, his family, his mother, and how the son of a family of 54 children from the 20 wives of Mohammed bin Laden, came to manipulate the billionaire family and the House of Saud. bin Laden, a very religious man, saw minor action in the jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan, and returned home to meddle in the affairs in Yemen and wanting the Saudis to do something about Saddam Hussein -- a man he called an "apostate." bin Laden wanted to take some mujahideen veterans to battle Saddam when he invaded Kuwait, but the Saudis decided to bring in the US to deal with the problem. bin Laden, it appears, has never forgiven them or the US for that. 
Ghost Wars picks up right where Osama leaves off. Ghost Wars deals with the making of bin Laden, and provides insight into the terrorist he became. The book follows bin Laden through Asia and northern Africa -- from Sudan, to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The book benefits from the insight of the CIA agents who knew the danger bin Laden posed in the 1990s, but were unable to get the support needed in Washington to do something about it. The CIA repeatedly warned the White House of the dangers bin Laden posed, and repeatedly planned missions to take him out throughout the late 1990s, but at every moment when it came to make a decision, the White House came up short. These are both going to be on my list to get eventually.
Osama chronicles the life of bin Laden -- his early days, his family, his mother, and how the son of a family of 54 children from the 20 wives of Mohammed bin Laden, came to manipulate the billionaire family and the House of Saud. bin Laden, a very religious man, saw minor action in the jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan, and returned home to meddle in the affairs in Yemen and wanting the Saudis to do something about Saddam Hussein -- a man he called an "apostate." bin Laden wanted to take some mujahideen veterans to battle Saddam when he invaded Kuwait, but the Saudis decided to bring in the US to deal with the problem. bin Laden, it appears, has never forgiven them or the US for that. Ghost Wars picks up right where Osama leaves off. Ghost Wars deals with the making of bin Laden, and provides insight into the terrorist he became. The book follows bin Laden through Asia and northern Africa -- from Sudan, to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The book benefits from the insight of the CIA agents who knew the danger bin Laden posed in the 1990s, but were unable to get the support needed in Washington to do something about it. The CIA repeatedly warned the White House of the dangers bin Laden posed, and repeatedly planned missions to take him out throughout the late 1990s, but at every moment when it came to make a decision, the White House came up short. These are both going to be on my list to get eventually.
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