J.M. Berger on Geraldo At Large

I discussed the security threat posed by white supremacy, as well as the history of the movement in the U.S. and extremism in the military on Fox News' Geraldo At Large. I appear beginning at the 12-minute mark, but I recommend watching the whole thing, which features interviews with prominent white supremacist movement figures.

For more about American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere.

Labels: J-M-Berger, white-supremacists

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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Jihad Joe Reading And Signing At Porter Square Books in Cambridge

I'll be appearing at my local, Porter Square Bookstore, in Cambridge to do a reading from Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go To War In The Name Of Islam on Tuesday, July 12, at 7 p.m. Click here to RSVP through Facebook, or just come on down. I hope to see you!

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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Sunday Reading: The New York Times Review of 'Jihad Joe'

The New York Times has a review of my new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, by national security reporter Scott Shane. You can read the whole thing here. The money quote follows:

At a time when some politicians and pundits blur the line between Islam and terrorism, Berger, who knows this subject far better than the demagogues, sharply cautions against vilifying Muslim Americans. "Extreme and indiscriminate anti-Muslim rhetoric helps to validate the worldview of our enemies -- the premise that America's wars are indeed wars against Islam," Berger writes. "You cannot tell someone, 'You are my enemy,' and then blame them for believing you."

It is a timely warning from an expert who has not lost his ­perspective.

Check out the full review

Buy the book

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

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Jihad Joe Review At Zenpundit: "A Book To Admire"

My new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, was reviewed by Charles Cameron at Zenpundit. Some excerpts:

Berger's work is detail-packed and focused, and a useful resource for that reason alone. But it is also and specifically the work of someone who has read and talked with and listened to the people he is writing about, and his work carries their voices embedded in his own commentary. It thus joins such works as Jessica Stern's Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill and Mark Juergensmeyer's similarly named and similarly excellent Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. [...]

Berger neither condemns nor excuses: he sees, he asks, he researches, he reports. His observations of the current situation can thus be trusted to be driven by insight rather than ideology -- not the most common of stances, but one we very much need. [...]

Berger's is a book to read, certainly -- and more significantly perhaps, a book to admire.

Read the full review

Buy the book

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

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Jihad Joe Roundup: Events, Video, Pictures, Writing And More

J.M. Berger, left, takes questions at the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington Univeristy during an event launching his new book, "Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam." Frank Cilluffo, right, director of HSPI moderated the session.

I was honored to be a guest of the Homeland Security Policy Institute on Tuesday to discuss my new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go To War In The Name Of Islam, the first comprehensive look at the phenomenon of American jihadists.

Everyone was very kind, and many people were generous with their time and help throughout my D.C. visit. I also got to meet some people doing the work of the nation and the work of the media, and the sometimes-grind of trying to learn and teach about terrorism and extremism.

I'll have some reflections on various things discussed during the trip in the days to come, but for now I wanted to share a few multimedia items related to the book that might of interest.

First off, there's a video posted on HSPI's Web site featuring the 90-minute session. The first half hour is me talking, the last hour is a great question-and-answer session I really enjoyed. I want to particularly thank Frank Cilluffo, the head of HSPI, for both the opportunity and his kind words about the book.

The Huffington Post ran a a slideshow of America's Most Wanted Jihadists featured in "Jihad Joe."

I had an opinion column at on the increasing use of guns by terrorists. Sadly, I think this is a problem that we'll be hearing a lot more about in the months to come.



I appeared May 20 on the Fox News Reporting special "Secrets of 9/11" to discuss the role of Anwar Awlaki in the September 11 attacks. You can find even more revelations about Americans who helped the 9/11 hijackers and Anwar Awlaki's role in Jihad Joe.

"Jihad Joe" also reveals the existence of other American support networks for September 11, including infrastructure created by Ali Mohamed, an American citizen and Al Qaeda spy who infiltrated the U.S. Army and played games with the CIA and FBI.

Thanks to everyone who worked on the project for including me, and thanks to everyone who had a good word for my appearance. If they make it available on Hulu, I will link it from the blog.

Click here to see the INTELWIRE exclusive documents featured on the show

Another INTELWIRE exclusive story of note on Awlaki:

U.S. Gave Millions To Charity Linked To Al Qaeda, Anwar Awlaki

An excerpt from "Jihad Joe" dealing with Awlaki:

Anwar Awlaki is NOT the next Osama bin Laden

Buy "Jihad Joe: today

Publishers Weekly Review: Jihad Joe is "timely and chilling"

Labels: 9-11, 9-11-Commission, American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Anwar-Awlaki, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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American Jihad: From Smoking Fuses To Smoking Barrels

I had an opinion piece in the New York Daily News about the growing emphasis on the use of guns by American jihadists and their Al Qaeda inspirations.

When people think about terrorism, they tend to envision bombs, hostages and hijackings. But the future of terrorism increasingly belongs to the humble gun. From Frankfurt to Mumbai and beyond, terrorists are making the gun their primary weapon of choice.

Nowhere is this threat more troubling than here in the United States. In the decade since the Sept. 11 attacks, 17 Americans have been killed by reasonably clear-cut cases of homegrown Islamist terrorism. Every one of those deaths was caused by a gun. And if Al Qaeda has its way, there will be many more.

For much more about American jihadists, buy J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, out now!

Recent Jihad Joe news:

J.M. Berger discussing Anwar Awlaki on Fox News Reporting: Secrets of 9/11

Documents featured in Secrets of 9/11

You can also view a live Webcast of Jihad Joe launch event at George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute on Tuesday May 24, 10:30 a.m.

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Guns, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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Anwar Awlaki 9/11 Documents As Seen On 'Fox News Reporting: Secrets of 9/11' And In J.M. Berger's Book 'Jihad Joe'

I appeared tonight on the Fox News Reporting special "Secrets of 9/11" to discuss the role of Anwar Awlaki in the September 11 attacks.

You can find even more revelations about Americans who helped the 9/11 hijackers and Anwar Awlaki's role in my new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale now.

"Jihad Joe" also reveals the existence of other American support networks for September 11, including infrastructure created by Ali Mohamed, an American citizen and Al Qaeda spy who infiltrated the U.S. Army and played games with the CIA and FBI.

Here are links to PDFs of some of the key documents featured on tonight's show:

9/26/2001: FBI Letterhead Memorandum, Anwar Aulaqi

10/23/2001: FBI Communication, Anwar Aulaqi, Dar El Hijra mosque

10/8/2001: FBI FD-302, Associates of hijackers in San Diego

9/15/2001: FBI FD-302, Interrogation of Anwar Aulaqi

Another INTELWIRE exclusive story of note on Awlaki:

U.S. Gave Millions To Charity Linked To Al Qaeda, Anwar Awlaki

An excerpt from "Jihad Joe" dealing with Awlaki:

Anwar Awlaki is NOT the next Osama bin Laden

You can also click here for the latest INTELWIRE coverage of Awlaki, or follow INTELWIRE on Twitter.

ABOUT JIHAD JOE

They are Americans, and they are mujahideen. Hundreds of men from every imaginable background have walked away from the traditional American dream to volunteer for battle in the name of Islam. Some have taken part in foreign wars aligned with U.S. interests while others have carried out violence against Western interests abroad, fought the U.S. military, and even plotted terrorist attacks on American soil.

"Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam" is the first comprehensive look at the phenomenon of American jihadists from the 1970s to the present, and looking ahead to the future, drawing on scores of interviews and thousands of pages of exclusive documents.

Buy "Jihad Joe: today

Publishers Weekly Review: Jihad Joe is "timely and chilling"

Learn more about the book

On May 24, 2011, the Homeland Security Policy Institute will host J.M. Berger for a Policy and Research Forum Event to launch and discuss "Jihad Joe" and the broader issue of American jihadists.

Click here for information for the event including live Webcast

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Anwar-Awlaki, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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Video Preview of 'Fox News Reporting: Secrets of 9/11'

You'll find me here... Check out the story, as well as the program at 10 p.m. ET on Fox News Channel. For a whole lot more about Anwar Awlaki's links to the September 11 attacks, read my new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, available now in bookstores everywhere, on Amazon.com and many other online booksellers.

After the program, come back to news.intelwire.com to see the original documents featured during the show.

Labels: 9-11, 9-11-Commission, American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Anwar-Awlaki, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

Posted by J.M. Berger | Permalink

 

American Terrorist Anwar Awlaki's Role Examined In 'Secrets of 9/11'

You can see me talking about Anwar Awlaki's role in 9/11 and my new book "Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam" in the Fox News Reporting special "Secrets of 9/11," Friday at 10p ET, hosted by Bill Hemmer.



I'm in the teaser at 1:05. And just in case this begs the question, I did not tell them Awlaki was the new Osama bin Laden.

For a whole lot more about Anwar Awlaki's links to the September 11 attacks, read my new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, available now in bookstores everywhere, on Amazon.com and many other online booksellers.

Labels: 9-11, 9-11-Commission, American-Al-Qaeda, American-Terrorists, Anwar-Awlaki, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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J.M. Berger's New Book, Jihad Joe, On Sale Now!

They are Americans, and they are mujahideen. Hundreds of men from every imaginable background have walked away from the traditional American dream to volunteer for battle in the name of Islam. Some have taken part in foreign wars aligned with U.S. interests while others have carried out violence against Western interests abroad, fought the U.S. military, and even plotted terrorist attacks on American soil.

"Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam" is the first comprehensive look at the phenomenon of American jihadists from the 1970s to the present, and looking ahead to the future, drawing on scores of interviews and thousands of pages of exclusive documents.

Buy "Jihad Joe: today

Publisher's Weekly says "Berger lifts the veil on the phenomenon of American jihadists in this timely and chilling examination. ... Drawing on detailed case studies of individual American jihadists, the author concludes that they are a diverse group and their "path to radicalization begins with a rock-solid belief that Muslims are a victim class." Berger's expose painstakingly lays out the scope and character of the American jihadist movement and points the way to a national debate on solutions."

Click for full review

On May 24, 2011, the Homeland Security Policy Institute will host J.M. Berger for a Policy and Research Forum Event to launch "Jihad Joe."

Founded in 2003, The George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) is a nonpartisan "think and do" tank whose mission is to build bridges between theory and practice to advance homeland security through an interdisciplinary approach. HSPI's impact stretches from Washington to far-flung international capitals. By reaching across disciplines and partnering with universities and institutes, and hosting leading national and international leaders and practitioners, it is a central destination for homeland security policy analysis and debate.

RSVP for the event

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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Talking Jihad Joe at GWU's Homeland Security Policy Institute

An announcement today from George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute:

On May 24, 2011, the Homeland Security Policy Institute will host J.M. Berger for a Policy and Research Forum Event. Terrorism analyst J.M. Berger is author of the forthcoming book Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go To War In The Name Of Islam, the first comprehensive look at the long history of American involvement in jihadist causes.

I'm very excited about this event and hope you all can attend. You can RSVP here.

For more about the book including videos and documents, click here.

To order "Jihad Joe," click here. The book should ship out at the end of this week.

More news soon!

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Homeland-Security-Policy-Institute, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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A Conversation About Jihad With Controversial Preacher Bilal Philips

The Islamic preacher Bilal Philips has long been a lightning rod for controversy. Born in Jamaica and raised in Canada, he converted to Islam in 1972 and studied Islamic theology in Saudi Arabia and the UK, eventually earning a doctorate.

During the first Gulf War, Philips ran a sort of Islamic tent revival for U.S. troops stationed in Saudi Arabia, which claimed to have converted thousands of soldiers to Islam. Subsequently, he used contacts made during that program to help recruit U.S. military veterans as volunteer trainers in the war in Bosnia starting in 1992. That program is described in great detail in my forthcoming book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, which hits bookstores on May 15.

Philips was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1995 prosecution U.S. v. Omar Abdel Rahman, in which almost a dozen people -- including Clement Hampton-El, an associate of Philips -- were convicted of conspiring to blow up the Lincoln and Holland tunnels in New York City, among other terrorism-related activities. Philips denies any wrongdoing in the case, blaming FBI informant Emad Salem for acting as an "agent provocateur" who actually instigated the plot and drew others into it. The extensive evidence in the case does not support this view.

Philips has not returned to the United States for some time, although he travels to his native Canada occasionally. In recent years, Philips has been banned from entering the UK and Australia on the basis of alleged links to terrorism (which he denies) and remarks at a UK mosque and elsewhere which appeared to say that it was Islamically acceptable for adult men to marry girls as young as the onset of puberty, or even younger. Philips spoke recently in Copenhagen, an appearance that was covered in advance with some apprehension by the local media, but which failed to deliver fireworks.

I contacted Philips during Ramadan last year primarily to discuss the Bosnia program. The results of that portion of the interview are detailed in the book. Afterward, we moved into a discussion of the evolution of the concept of jihad from the days when he was assisting Bosnian jihadists. The conversation took place late at night after a long day for both of us. I've edited the transcript significantly for readability, to remove verbal tics and trailing sentences from both participants, but I have not altered the views or content.

Whether or not one accepts Philips' statements at face value (and he tends to adjust his tone depending on his audience), his views shed an interesting light on one of the more difficult areas of Western-Muslim relations and one of the most challenging problems in counterradicalization -- preachers and opinion leaders in the Muslim world who clearly believe and preach in often stirring terms that Western civilization exists in sharp conflict with Islamic civilization, but who skirt, avoid, evade or simply stop short of openly endorsing violence.

Another example of this is Jama'at Al Muslimeen, a Baltimore-based Muslim organization I wrote about in February's CTC Sentinel (PDF).

Such people and organizations contribute to an environment that is a precursor to violent radicalization while engaging in self-protective qualifications, pitting Islam against the West in a scenario fraught with tension and extremes, while attempting to stop short of uttering the kind of rhetoric or taking part in physical acts which would lead to prosecution. For a long time, Anwar Awlaki was one such public figure, and his pre-radicalization rhetoric is likely more influential than what he has done since openly embracing terrorism.

The process of radicalization is not necessarily a sharp turn toward violence; it often begins in gray areas relating to ways of talking about the world and underlying assumptions about why people in both the West and the Muslim world do the things they do. In that spirit, I think there's a lot of food for thought in this interview. Comments are welcome on Twitter.

Q: How have attitudes about military jihad changed over the last 15 or 20 years? How do you determine what is a legitimate jihad?

Bilal Philips: In my view, much of what has been put under the general heading of jihad doesn't really comply with the shariah, or Islamic legal definitions. And many of the tactics which are being used, desperation-type tactics of suicide bombing, and these kinds of things, are illegitimate from the shariah perspective. So very few of the struggles that are going on are, from my perspective, really endorsable.

In some cases, like Chechnya, it went through certain stages. Afghanistan, in the earlier stages, when they were struggling against the Russians, then that was fine. But then what it evolved into, what it became, you know, is something that went awry.

And people began using techniques or tactics which are unacceptable, Islamically. So in terms of legitimate struggle around the world today, to me one is hard-pressed to identify. When people ask me, because of course, people ask me wherever I go, people may ask, you know, about something of that, "What about this struggle, what about that struggle?" and so on, I usually advise people that these things are confused.

You go there, you may have the best of intentions, but you don't really know what is going on, what is really behind the scenes, tactics and things we see that are not really legitimate, so I advise people to stay away from it. [I prefer] continuing to propagate the message of Islam, try to correct the media distortions, etc., help in that, if it's relief, medical, food, these kinds of things, ok. These can always benefit places, whether it's Chechnya, whether it's Afghanistan, whether it's anywhere.

So, you know, sending and supporting these kinds of things, fine. But to say, getting involved, on a military level, I think things have sort of deteriorated. The best of those struggles, that could come the closest to the definition of legitimate jihad, really have become corrupted. So, people are hard-pressed to find [just] causes, if that's the direction they would be involved in.

I think the effort now is a greater emphasis on community building, developing the kind of infrastructure to protect the Islamic faith, and to help it to grow in places like the U.S., Canada, U.K. Muslim schools have really come up in the last 20 or 25 years, there has been an explosion of Muslim schools. That people realize that this is the area that is really the big area that Muslims need to work on, in Western circumstances, to preserve the Islamic traditions, Islamic way of life, etc.

And it's just going farther and farther away from the military routes. Of course, those that are bent on that particular route, they are still there, trying to recruit people. And there are also agents, you know, causing people to be drawn into different circumstances. I know cases in the, in Canada where youths were drawn into ridiculous projects and ended up in jail.

But I think those are getting fewer and farther between. The overall leanings of the community is more towards community building than it is to going over and fighting, Islamically. This is my feeling in the communities that I have visited in the west.

Q: Have the conflicts changed? Or is it the people involved, who are steering the activity, that have changed? I guess the more direct would probably be, I listened to a lecture of yours from some years back, in which you said you believed in the "clash of civilizations," and that America was the enemy of Islam. Is the west at war with Islam in your view?

Yes, from the clash perspective, I mean, of course, Huntington's argument, and I'm not promoting his whole argument, just one element of it, which was this concept of globalized western civilization as portrayed in secular democracy, you know, being pushed down the throats of the rest of the world.

This is how I see it. Basically all societies have fallen to this. They've accepted it. In some cases it was better than what they had, and it was the best option they had to go with. You know, places like India, etc. But there is a clear conflict between the concept of secular democracy, and I have written a book on this, a book called, "The Clash of Western Civilization and the Islamic View." [...] Basically, it's identifying the elements of the clash, because of course, from a secular perspective, that secular outlook on life, is completely, completely opposite to the shariah perspective, where everything is looked at from the perspective of God and the law of God.

You have another perspective, which is, which is where God doesn't have any role to play in all of this. It's all looked at from humanist or human perspective, you know? Without God having any involvement, or shouldn't be involved. If you want to believe in God, that's your business, so and so. But it shouldn't come into public policy, and etc.

So that obviously is a foundational clash. It's a clash of concepts. I'm not necessarily saying it has to be a military clash, but it's a clash of concepts, right? And then the issue of democracy, you know, where the fundamental concept of human beings making laws for the whole society, in all aspects, again, in conflict with the shariah perspective, where that is the role of God.

That you may have a limited democratic principle, as we call it, shura, in Islamic law, where, you know, in areas that are not already prescribed by God. Through the Quran and through the Messenger, in those common, day-to-day areas, the people can come together and choose what they feel is most appropriate in their given circumstances.

So it this limited scope, which is acceptable. But this other approach, where it is, you know, you have to accept this, you know, "We are the most highly evolved civilization on the earth, and obviously if we are the most highly evolved, our systems must be the most highly evolved. So this is what, this is where mankind is headed, you know? And we need to help you get there. It's our duty to help you reach this point."

So, this attitude fuels the clash. I feel that with the rise in Muslim consciousness around the world, and awareness of the Islamic systems, and people looking to it now as alternatives away from the colonial heritage and legacy, I think that the powers-that-be sees this as the last frontier, the last major threat, the one to standing firm.

Even though governments have been undermined, and the Ottoman empire broken up, and replaced by British, German, French law, etc., still, with this consciousness in the scholarship, Muslim scholars around the world, it's not going away. It's the teachings and those teachings continue to be propagated, and it's reaching a wider and wider audience, in this last 10, 15, 20 years.

So with this heightened awareness, we see things in Algeria, we see things elsewhere, Sudan and elsewhere, where this consciousness is coming to a political arena, you know, even in Turkey, in Indonesia, in different parts of the Muslim world, you know, more and more we see this consciousness and awareness, taking a greater and greater role, a political role. So I feel that obviously, the forces that are behind this promotion of globalized secular democracy and western civilization naturally find this as their enemy.

I mean, America thrives on an enemy, you know, where you can identify the bad guys, and then you can mobilize the military industrialized complex, all this stuff, you know, it works for them.

Q: But does Islam thrive on enemies? I've read 20, 30 years of the Muslim World League's journal, month after month, article after article, about the enemies that are constantly circling, and trying to close in on Islam. Can't the same thing be said about not Islam, but the Islamic world, the Islamic nations, the Muslims?

No. I think you know, when you look at it from the Muslim perspective, it's defense. You know, the sharks are circling, beware. Hey, the sharks are out there, you need to preserve by education, being aware, setting up institutions, whatever. These kind of projects, and things like this, supporting Muslim communities, so they don't get overrun completely, lost in the sauce, as they say.

So it's more a defensive. It's not, you know, an offensive, "We need to go out and make America an Islamic state." This is not what you are going to be finding in those kind of readings, what you've read from there. This is more identifying the problems that the Muslim world face to day. Because we've got to understand that, they came under a concerted attack, which decimated the Muslim body.

The Ottoman empire was the last of the Islamic states, you could say, which had to least a large degree, had that Islamic spirit of unity, of, of territory, you know, the Muslim nation, concepts, where people interacted on the basis that there were Muslims in this area, non-Muslims functioned OK under it, to varying degrees. That unity, which is something found in the Islamic teachings, that Muslims should be one. The state of affairs where Muslims are split up into different countries, this is an unnatural state.

From the shariah perspective, this is unnatural. Because, you've got lines, borders which were drawn, where you have half of people on one hand, and half, like the Kurds, for example, right? You've got Kurds in Turkey, you've got Kurds in Iraq, you've got Kurds in Iran. I mean, who drew these lines?

You know, if this area is without borders and lines, then those people are people of that area, and they can function and move freely back and forth. When you draw, draw those lines and set countries, and nationalities and these kind of things, then this is a formula for disaster. It's a time bomb.

So, I would say that the Muslim World League and others, when speaking of these kind of issues, they're really addressing more this kind of approach, where the Muslim world need to come back together. We should be able to do things together, ultimately come back as one nation.


Q: When you look at Americans who have become radicalized to the point of terrorism, within the last ten years. I'm not talking about a situation like Bosnia or Afghanistan, where the morality and the motivation is more obvious. I'm talking about these, these kids who are getting on the Internet, and then get up to go to Somalia, or who get involved with trying to bomb something. And their narrative starts with, "There is this war on Islam that is being perpetrated by the United States."

Does the narrative precede acts of war? Do you think that the United States is at war? Do you think [radicalized individuals] are just responding to a factual state of affairs, or are they receiving a message from people who want to manipulate them?

Well, I think in their case, you know, most of that is manipulated. The situation of America, America basically being the leading nation in this Western civilization, this globalized role, is that they're the leading force. I mean, they are the force. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.

To what degree it is a focused, I don't feel that it is focused probably across the nation, that this is our enemy, and we're gonna go fight this enemy, and this. No. But there are powers within the country who are looking at globalized interests from other perspectives, which have to do with economics.

It's not necessarily a religion thing, per se, but these economics are there. Whether it's oil, or it's you know, minerals, or whether it's whatever, they would like to remove whatever will hamper their ability to exploit the resources of the rest of the world.

So Islam, and I mean, we have no end of statements, you know, we can put it under the general heading of Islamophobia, but we have no end of statements by leading figures in the American establishment, from the military and from elsewhere, you know, where they very clearly identified Islam as the enemy.

You do have these things. I mean, I won't say it is on the news, 24-7, but definitely in some circles it is there, it pops out, it comes out from time to time, in individual statements, that perception is definitely there. What I feel, personally, is that the struggle is fundamentally an ideological struggle.

Which, from the Muslim perspective, that's where or how they need to tackle it. You could say, from a Western civilizational perspective, it is ideological also, but the issues of economics and politics play a greater role.

You know, people might go into Iraq for weapons of mass destruction, which were made up, as an excuse to go in. Bin Laden becomes an excuse for Afghanistan, to stop any trends of that nature. I mean, I have my own doubts, though I've heard about bin Laden's things, and what he's involved in, and no doubt he may be dedicated to what he perceives, how he sees it. But I wouldn't be surprised if 50 years from now, it came out that somehow he was connected with the CIA, FBI, whatever. Actually, he was a plant, and this was this. The way things go, I just wouldn't be surprised. I would not be shocked that, wow, that was the case.

Because really, I see him, when I look at his role, in terms of what happened with Afghanistan, he became a reason for the destruction of the Islamic state of Afghanistan. Which, initially, was something which was quite innocent, I felt. It was innocent Muslim people trying to bring that country back together after how many years of destruction, with what happened in the country. And there was a lot of positive, good things happening.

I feel maybe their knowledge, Islamic shariah knowledge base, you know, needed upgrading, whatever, but their intent was good. They were trying to do good things, and then this thing just turned into something else altogether. And it seemed to me that you know, bin Laden played the biggest role in turning it around. He had another agenda; their agenda was Afghanistan. Let's get this thing together, make an Islamic state here, run this country and benefit the country. Whereas his thing was, it's about America, we need to attack America. We need to hit them this way, that way and the other way.

However, when I look back at what happened with Emad Salem, you know, I just hear things like that in the background when I think of bin Laden. So, it may not be him. It may be those around him. Ayman Zawahiri or others, who were the ones that changed the direction. Maybe initially bin Laden wasn't in that direction. From what I heard, he really wasn't.

But that change took place, at the later point, when people from the former Ikhwan, the extremist Gamaat, Al Jihad and all this, came around him, and started to feed. So that changed his direction. So there's that element that does have a desire to want to bring about change immediately and by any means necessary. And by any military means necessary. That is really a very dangerous group which remains, and has its offshoots which continue to pick up innocent, ignorant young people who have no Islamic background.

This is why my philosophy, my encouragement is more in the area of education, because where people are properly educated, and they understand, the Islamic shariah as a totality, and understand what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, they're better able to resist those kinds of attempts to recruit them, and to draw them into these kinds of illegitimate conflicts.

But when they are ignorant, then they become susceptible. So this is why I have tried to, my focus is encouraging the establishment of formal education institutions which would spread knowledge about Islam on a wider scale in the Muslim community.

Labels: American-Jihadists, Bilal-Philips, Bosnia, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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Publisher's Weekly: J.M. Berger's "Jihad Joe" Is "Timely" and "Chilling"

Publisher's Weekly is out with the first official review of Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go To War In The Name Of Islam. "Jihad Joe" hits bookshelves on May 15.

Investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker Berger lifts the veil on the phenomenon of American jihadists in this timely and chilling examination. [...] Berger's exposé painstakingly lays out the scope and character of the American jihadist movement and points the way to a national debate on solutions.

Read the full review

Pre-order "Jihad Joe" today

Book Web site

Table of contents

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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Table Of Contents For "Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go To War In The Name Of Islam"

In response to a request from a follower on Twitter, I'm posting the table of contents for my forthcoming book, "Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go To War In The Name Of Islam," the first comprehensive look at the phenomenon of American jihadists from the 1970s to the present.

The TOC and hopefully some preview information will be available on Amazon.com, hopefully soon. The book is scheduled to be released in April/May 2011. Pre-orders are available now and are very much appreciated. The more people who order in advance, the better I will be able to promote the book. And if you order now, you can lock in a 35% discount off the cover price, which will likely go away as the release date gets closer.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: The “New” Problem

1. The Early Years (1960s through 1988)

2. Al Qaeda’s Americans (1988 to 1992)

3. The Death Dealers (1990 to 1993)

4. Project Bosnia (1992 to 1995)

5. Rebuilding the Network (1993 to 2001)

6. War on America (1991 to 1999)

7. The Rise of Anwar Awlaki (through 2001)

8. Scenes from September 11 (2001)

9. The Descent of Anwar Awlaki (2001 to present)

10. A Diverse Threat (2001 to present)

11. The Keyboard and the Sword (2001 to present)

12. The Future of American Jihad (2011 to ?)

Acknowledgments
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index
About the Author

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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Intelwire Daily Brief

INTELWIRE has launched the INTELWIRE Daily Brief at http://intelwiredailybrief.com/. The Daily Brief is a moderated, crowd-sourced round-up of the most important terrorism and security news on any given day.

The Brief is presented through paper.li, which is still in alpha testing, so the system will be improved over time.

Drawn primarily from headlines selected daily by INTELWIRE's J.M. Berger, the Daily Brief offers a look at key stories from the war on terror and other international and domestic security issues from news outlets around the world. It publishes between 10 and 11 a.m. Eastern time most days.

You can join more than 1,000 people following INTELWIRE on Twitter for an even more comprehensive selection of news and analysis from J.M. Berger, including exclusive documents and imagery related to the news of the day.

Don't forget you can pre-order J.M. Berger's new book, "Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go To War In The Name Of Islam," the first comprehensive look at the phenomenon of American jihadists and American terrorists. It's a story that starts in 1979 with never-before-revealed details of the Americans who took part in the Siege of Mecca, and continues through the present day, covering Anwar Awlaki, Nidal Hassan, Zach Chesser and many more. The scope of Americans taking part in jihad -- how many and for how many years -- has never been fully explored until now.

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Intelwire-Daily-Brief, INTELWIRE-Exclusive, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

Views expressed on INTELWIRE are those of the author alone.

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Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go To War In The Name Of Islam

I am pleased to officially announce my forthcoming book, "Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam," coming in hardcover from Potomac Books in April. Pre-orders are available through Amazon.com, where you can lock in a significant discount if you order now.

My approach to this topic was multifaceted. I was aiming to write a non-partisan, non-ideological book that would appeal to people who are well-versed in jihadism and terrorism while remaining accessible and interesting to people who might be approaching this subject for the first time.

The book is an overview of the phenomenon of American jihadists, hundreds of whom have taken part in jihadist activities here and abroad since 1979. While the number of American jihadists has likely increased in the last few years, I think many readers will be surprised at just how many Americans were taking part in such activities prior to September 11 through individual efforts and as part of elaborate global networks.

Although the book covers a lot of ground as a historical narrative, it also contains an investigative component, with some important stories reported for the first time, as well as expanded versions of stories first reported here on Intelwire.

For more details, check out the listing on Amazon. I will be available throughout the winter and spring to discuss this topic with the media.

Reporters and major mainstream media outlets interested in obtaining review copies should get in touch with me here. The supply of review copies will likely be limited, so I can't guarantee everyone who wants a copy will get one, but I will do my best. My colleagues and I are also developing a documentary to accompany the book. More details on that as they become available.

Source documents and multimedia content cited in the book will be posted to INTELWIRE and a dedicated site devoted to the book, which will debut toward March or April.

Stay tuned!

Book Description

They are Americans, and they are mujahideen. Hundreds of men from every imaginable background have walked away from the traditional American dream to volunteer for battle in the name of Islam. Some have taken part in foreign wars that aligned with U.S. interests while others have carried out violence against Western interests abroad, fought against the U.S. military, and even plotted terrorist attacks on American soil. This story plays out over decades and continents: from the Americans who took part in the siege of Mecca in 1979 through conflicts in Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Bosnia, and continuing today in Afghanistan and Somalia.

Investigative journalist J. M. Berger profiles numerous fighters, including some who joined al Qaeda and others who chose a different path. In these pages he portrays, among others, Abdullah Rashid, who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan; Mohammed Loay Bayazid, who was present at the founding of al Qaeda; Ismail Royer, who fought in Bosnia and Kashmir, then returned to run training camps in the United States; Adam Gadahn, a California Jew who is now al Qaeda’s chief spokesman; and Anwar Awlaki, the Yemeni-American imam with links to 9/11 who is now considered one of the biggest threats to America’s security.

About the Author

J.M. Berger is an investigative journalist working on television documentaries about al Qaeda and the global foreign fighter (mujahideen) phenomenon. Berger recently completed work on a documentary about America’s role in the Bosnian civil war, which premiered on European television in 2010. His previous work includes the 2006 National Geographic documentary Triple Cross, about an American al Qaeda operative who infiltrated the Army and FBI. He runs the investigative journalism website Intelwire.com from his office in the greater Boston area.

Pre-order "Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam"

Labels: American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, INTELWIRE-Exclusive, J-M-Berger, Jihad-Joe

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