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What Does Al Qaeda Want?: Unedited Communiques (Terra Nova) Paperback – November 23, 2004

by Robert O. Marlin IV (Commentary)
2.5 2.5 out of 5 stars 2 ratings
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In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, al-Qaeda has become the most infamous terrorist organization in history. While their actions are deplorable, it remains a populist and idealist movement—and one that continues to spread. Despite heavy media coverage, most people are unaware of the group's ultimate goals. Sampling from actual al-Qaeda texts, this is al-Qaeda in its own words, rather than another interpretation (which often emphasizes the inflammatory religious rhetoric) offered by the Bush administration and other factions of the Western world. Introductions and commentary provide the historical context necessary to understand fully the interconnection between the religious, social, and political issues that led to the emergence of Osama bin Laden and his jihad against the West. These primary sources enable readers to discern the fundamental convictions underlying the group's demands, and help answer the question, "What does al Qaeda want?"
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    112 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    North Atlantic Books
  4. Publication date
    November 23, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.4 x 6.9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1556435487
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1556435485
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While it lacks the latest bin Laden tape advising U.S. citizens how to avoid "another Manhattan," this compendium of excerpted translations covers broadcasts by the Al-Qaeda leader and by deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri, as well as press releases. It begins with the declaration of Jihad in August of 1996 ("It is a duty now upon every tribe in the Arab peninsula to fight..."), which is the longest of the 13 documents here. Short commentaries by Marlin, a Ph.D. candidate in borderlands studies at the University of Houston, establish a cursory historical and political context for each piece. The selection criteria are not given, and feel arbitrary and incoherent. Most of the translations are stiff and sourced to the Web, rather than to the originals; the lack of a single voice adds to the sense of jumble.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"The history, culture, and body of beliefs from which Bin Laden has shaped and spread his message are largely unknown to many Americans."
- from The 9/11 Commission Report

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ North Atlantic Books; First Edition (November 23, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 112 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1556435487
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1556435485
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.4 x 6.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    2.5 2.5 out of 5 stars 2 ratings

Customer reviews

2.5 out of 5 stars
2.5 out of 5
2 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

S. Redwine III
1.0 out of 5 stars What Does Al-Qaeda Want?
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2006
The idea of a collection of Al-Qaeda communiques with commentary in the English language is a good one. Unfortunately, this is a botch job. Marlin comes to the subject with no background and edited the communications quite poorly while providing no helpful commentary. He should have left this task to someone even remotely qualified and if his aim was really to make primary sources available to other scholars, then he should have published the messages in their entirety and not edited them. Don't waste your time or money on this volume.
2 people found this helpful
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Joe K.
4.0 out of 5 stars Useful Collection of Al Qaeda Pronouncements
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2008
I'm interested in what's going on in the Middle East, and I'm always looking for the truth or at least a different perspective. I found Marlin's collection of al Qaeda communiqués to be a valuable resource. Americans are likely to find the contents of these communiqués disturbing. Obviously, al Qaeda wants us out of the Middle East and will stop at nothing to achieve this goal. The book does a good job of letting al Qaeda's leaders say for themselves what al Qaeda wants.

I was a little disappointed that Marlin did not offer his opinion on these communiqués or on al Qaeda in general, but according to Marlin, he never set out to write a polemic. The book consists of a collection of unedited communiqués along with a "brief introduction to each document [that] provides some historical context to aid our understanding of the fundamental issues as articulated by the authors." The purpose of the book is, in the commentator's own words, "to provide a perspective on al-Qaeda's goals through a representative sample of the written demands of Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network." In other words, Marlin set out to present the facts and allow critical readers to draw their own conclusions.

The book achieves this goal, but I'd still like to know what Marlin thinks.

Personally, I think al Qaeda's leaders are like most megalomaniacs. Unfortunately, the megalomaniacs are fighting for control of the world at the expense of ordinary people like the rest of us - Muslim and non-Muslim. I think any critical reader will conclude from this book that al Qaeda's leadership is intensely and dangerously irrational.
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