The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda by Ali H. Soufan

Oct 28, 2011 Terry Earley rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://www.npr.org/2011/09/13/1404014...

This got 4 stars because it is a very important book written mostly in the first person. There is a great deal of detail, naming names and places, though much has been redacted by the CIA. It was tough getting through the beginning, but well worth slogging through the background part.

Soufan demonstrates that absolute power absolutely corrupts. After the tragedy of 9/11, the country was in the mood for revenge. Bush and his neo-cons were more than ready to...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Slim Khezri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ali Soufan's book is precious documentation of the reality that America's constitution and (on its better days) open-minded values and respect for the law are excellent tools of self-defense against foreign enemies, tools far more effective than the torture and extra-judicial killings preached and practiced by the neo-cons. Soufan's detailed, dispassionate narrative makes clear that a smart person of good character, armed with the right languages, cultural sensitivity, patience, humor, and appet...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Bryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book completely changed my perspective about EIT, or enhanced interrogation techniques. I believed, hook, line & sinker all of the misinformation from the CIA, et. al. regarding the intelligence obtained using these methods. While I have not been supportive of the methods, I was convinced that the information we were gathering was in fact due to torture. From reading this book, however, I learned that all of the intelligence we supposedly gained from torture, was actually gained from tr...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Stephen Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: subject-intelligence

Interrogation represents intelligence collection in its most visceral form. Sitting in “the box” with one’s enemy, maintaining composure and decorum, all while outwitting them to the point that they provide valuable information against their will requires the skills of a chess master combined with a thespian. It is clear after reading The Black Banners that former FBI Agent Ali Soufan embodies this ability and more.

A Lebanese-American assigned to the FBI’s counterterrorism office in New York Ci...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Socraticgadfly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, politics-public-policy

This is the most detailed account yet, from an insider, about how we might have been able to prevent 9/11 had politicians taken it more seriously (BushCo) and had the CIA, and even a few FBI agents, not believed in this "wall" of separation between intelligence and criminal investigation.

Ali Soufan also details not only how torture ("enhanced interrogation techniques") don't work, he at the same time describes how traditional police-type interrogations can and do work, with the right person in c...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This urgent firsthand account of high stakes interrogations highlights the conflict between two very different styles of intelligence gathering. Ali Soufan systematically displays his successes as the leading Arabic speaking FBI interrogator. He outsmarts his interlocutors, who were invariably prepared for torture, and not theological debates on the finer points of interpretation of the Koran. Soufan drew the terror suspects out, discovering their hopes, and also their weaknesses, ultimately tri...more This urgent firsthand account of high stakes interrogations highlights the conflict between two very different styles of intelligence gathering. Ali Soufan systematically displays his successes as the leading Arabic speaking FBI interrogator. He outsmarts his interlocutors, who were invariably prepared for torture, and not theological debates on the finer points of interpretation of the Koran. Soufan drew the terror suspects out, discovering their hopes, and also their weaknesses, ultimately tricking them into thinking he already knews everything about them, so there was no point in lying. Defeated, they revealed all.
Sadly, after 9/11, American foreign policy grew more fearful, and less rational. “Enhanced interrogation,” the fancy term for torture, became the order of the day. Sufan continued to elicit actionable intelligence over tiny gifts such as a phone call home, or a plate of diabetic cookies, while the CIA learned nothing whatsoever after hours of water boarding and humiliation. Worse, the CIA took credit for Soufan’s discoveries, using his intel as justification for the continuation of their futile, ultimately un-American, coercive interrogation policies. Sufan’s account stands as a much-needed corrective to well-publicized falsehoods he was powerless, for many years, to contradict. His manuscript preserves the CIA’s redactions, which do pathetically little to prevent the truth from shining through.
I wish I could definitively say that the Obama administration put a stop to enhanced interrogation. Unfortunately, this book remains necessary and relevant. The Black Banners is a must-read for every informed citizen. Not enough decision makers and culture shapers have a realistic understanding of effective intelligence gathering. Since finishing The Black Banners, I’ve seen multiple examples of our pop culture perpetuating misconceptions of torture as an effective means of eliciting accurate information, most recently in an unconvincing scene in Brad Bird’s megahit, Mission Impossible 4. I’d like to send Brad Bird a copy of the Black Banners. Ali Soufan is a true American hero, as overlooked and under-credited as Bird’s fictional heroes from his earlier masterpiece, The Incredibles. The fate of our world may indeed depend on how we tell our stories; a movie version of The Black Banners might be just the way to start.
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Nov 29, 2011 Kenyon Harbison rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you read one single book about 9/11 and the U.S. conflict with Al Queda, especially the time-frame from 1997 until 2003, read this book.

Ali Soufan was an FBI investigator and interrogator. This is the guy whose old-school, non-"enhanced" interrogation led to the initial connection between Al Queda and 9/11. He conducted multiple interrogations that led to multiple arrests and convictions in courts of law of terrorists.

He also paints a picture of an FBI and an old-fashioned form of interrogati...more

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May 12, 2012 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars

I began reading the book only in order to gain information about Al Qaeda. As it turned out, I gained new insight into the argument against torture. Although it seems that not engaging in torture is only for humanitarian purposes, it it also for practical purposes. Mr. Soufan repeatedly shows how informed and experienced interrogators not only gain more information without torture but gain more reliable information. He also shows how once someone starts down the road of “harsh” interrogations, o...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Kent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: politics, history-world

This is the book to read to get details on the behind-the-scenes interrogations of al-Qaeda and on the failures of CIA intelligence gathering and information sharing which led to the U.S.'s failure to detect the 9/11 plot.

Despite significant redactions of the text mandated by the embarassed CIA (particularly the chapter on the CIA's interrogation of Zubaydah), Soufan's story reveals the al-Qaeda story from its earliest origins right through 2009 activities, and includes a chapter on the intellig...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Khaled Gharaibeh added it

a book to read indeed. the author documents his career as FBI agent in interrogating al-qaeda members starting from east africa embassy bombings late 90's along to USS Cole and of course 9/11 tragic event.
it is so obvious the author puts most of the blame on the CIA for unforgiven security mistakes whether in communication, agents interrogation skills, ego of directors. also he puts blame on the white house administration in dealing with al-qaeda and the invasion of iraq based on false qaeda-ira...more

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May 12, 2012 Jerome rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ali-soufan-fbi, hank-crumpton-cia

Interesting, but there was little here that I didn't find in Lawrence Wright's "The Looming Tower." he also provides some very interesting insights into the 9/11 plot and the many opportunities to stop it that we missed; according to him, that is. Hindsight is always perfect, and whining and complaining about how much the CIA screwed up isn't going to change the fact that it happened. Hell, if 9/11 wouldn't have happened, would we be the country we are today? Besides, even if we had captured Naw...more Interesting, but there was little here that I didn't find in Lawrence Wright's "The Looming Tower." he also provides some very interesting insights into the 9/11 plot and the many opportunities to stop it that we missed; according to him, that is. Hindsight is always perfect, and whining and complaining about how much the CIA screwed up isn't going to change the fact that it happened. Hell, if 9/11 wouldn't have happened, would we be the country we are today? Besides, even if we had captured Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar before 9/11, would that have derailed the plot. Probably not. Mihdhar and Hazmi were replaceable parts in a determined killing machine. As for how much the CIA is criticized for its "failures" regarding Zacarias Moussaoui, that was the FBI's case, not the CIA's.

The book's basic structure is that of an organization's internal history: It gives very quick summaries of the events, presented mostly as a chronology rather than being organized into story lines. And an important function is to acknowledge the people involved. Are you an FBI employee who received a tip-line phone call? Expect to get at least a paragraph in the book. Such internal histories are compilations that are intended to be consulted, not read. Analogy: If you want to learn how great movies come to be, reading hundreds of pages of Academy Awards acceptance speeches is unlikely to provide insight.

In this book you will be hard-pressed to find anything negative done by, or said by Ali Soufan. He always does the right thing, and says the right thing which always avoids some international diplomatic and intelligence agency scandal. According to this book, which totally does not stroke the author's huge ego, Ali Soufan was the best intelligence officer the US had at the time. He spoke Arabic and all. That's unheard of, particularly in the intelligence world.

Sometime Ali's harshest words are against the CIA and a certain ex-ambassador to Yemen, Mrs. Bodine. Now, recall that he has allegedly interviewed many dangerous terrorists who are often depicted as neutral characters at worst. Due to the nature of this book it is not possible to know for sure the veracity of Soufan's many claims, however reason tells me that if the author is never wrong, and never has a bad day in his job, he is probably lying. In this book he's simply trying to say this: CIA failed to stop 9/11, and ambassador Barbara Bodine loved Yemen more than America.

On page 206, the censored word means CIA station chief. On page 243, the censored words refer to Clark shannon, Maggie Gillespie, and Tom Wilshire.(less)

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Samarth I agree with you that Super-agent Soufan having never done anything wrong in the book is probably misleading and he definitely goes beyond establishin...more
Jun 01, 2012 09:33pm

Jerome You bring up good points, but ultimately, al-Qaeda was responsible for 9/11, not Bush, not the FBI, and not the CIA.

You might like "The Mission, the M...more
Sep 22, 2012 05:45am

Mar 24, 2012 Ray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Would I call the book exciting? Not exactly. Exasperating? Often, due to a combination of many CIA imposed redactions in the later chapters of the book, and partly due to being reminded of how poorly the "war on terror" was handled in its early phases. But if you asked if the book was informative, interesting, and well worth the read, the answer is absolutely!

The author, Ali Soufan, is a native Arabic speaker who spent eight years as an FBI special agent, from the time just before 9/11 and throu...more Would I call the book exciting? Not exactly. Exasperating? Often, due to a combination of many CIA imposed redactions in the later chapters of the book, and partly due to being reminded of how poorly the "war on terror" was handled in its early phases. But if you asked if the book was informative, interesting, and well worth the read, the answer is absolutely!

The author, Ali Soufan, is a native Arabic speaker who spent eight years as an FBI special agent, from the time just before 9/11 and through the period of the most significant battles against Al Qaeda. Soufan seemed to be something of a legend within the FBI because of his interrogation skills and insights into Arab culture, and now that he's left the FBI, can tell his stories from this most important timeframe.

Soufan's account has been called the most detailed to date by an insider concerning the American investigations of Al Qaeda and the major attacks that the group carried out, including bombings of American Embassies in East Africa, the U.S. Navy destroyer U.S.S. Cole, as well as the Sept. 11 attacks. It's unfortunate that the Central Intelligence Agency required significant redactions to several chapters in the book, especially since many of the redacted passaged are currently in the pubic record. Yet the redactions are not exactly surprising since the Agency leadership and lack of cooperation with the CIA is a frequent target of Mr. Soufan in this book.

Initially, I had my doubts that I'd be able to keep the seemingly endless list of incomprehensible names, places, and descriptions straight in my mind, but that was a needless concern. Soufan ably presents clear and impressive descriptions of the FBI's investigative efforts in identifying those responsible for the terrorist attacks against our country. One can't help but feel proud of the skill and dedication of the Agents performing these important tasks.

On the other hand, once can't help being angry to hear about how rules put in place by bureaucrats in the intelligence agencies prevented cooperation between the FBI and CIA, and hearing how had those barriers not been in place, several of those successful attacks against our country may have been prevented. Also infuriating was hearing of how senior members of the Administration pressured the FBI to draw conclusions to support ideological positions despite facts to the contrary. Equally disturbing was hearing Soufan's very believable descriptions of how senior administration officials and certain CIA officials distorted and inflated the effectiveness of "enhanced interrogation techniques". Soufan's first-person account of his successful interrogations of Al Qaeda and terrorist suspects using professional and skillful techniques vs. "enhanced techniques" is very believable. Many have claimed that waterboarding and enhanced techniques just don't work, and Mr. Soufan makes the case that the FBI tried and true techniques produce results without undermining our principles or breaking our laws.

I had considered myself fairly well informed about the fight against Al Qaeda and terrorism over the past ten years, but found there was much I didn't know once I started reading this book. Despite the interruptions to the flow of the narrative caused by the redactions, I found this a book well worth reading. (less)

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Nov 17, 2011 Debby Allen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is very readable, especially given the incredible complexity of the information. I've read first person true stories, and Soufan manages to tell what happened while staying credible. At no point did I pause and wonder, "really? Little cya?" Even though Soufan is clearly one of the good guys, he remains matter of fact and believable.

And the believability of his story will make your blood boil and steam plume from your ears. The correlation between torture and people injured by terrorists is...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

An inside look at the investigations and interrogation of criminal and terror suspects of al Queda. Including what worked and what didn't. The author details inter-agency rivalries, egos, bad science and stupid politics (and politicians) who denied law enforcement and intelligence agents the tools and information that may have prevented attacks (including 9/11) and possibly found Bin Laden years earlier.

Good read for anyone who's interested in current events, history, terrorism, criminal / inte...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars

In delivering this detailed operational history of Al-Qaeda, the author gives much insight into the workings of the terrorist network. Soufan has the unique perspective as a Lebanese-American FBI agent. Major investigations he describes are the east Africa embassy bombings, USS Cole bombing, and of course the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. He explains proper FBI interrogation and contrasts that to the CIA led psychological torture sessions that were implemented by former Attorney General Ashcrof...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Shannon Jaros rated it 4 of 5 stars

We all know of the 9/11 attacks, however Ali Soufan the author himself knows more about the events leading up to that catastrophic event, what happened that day and the aftermath than the majority of the people in the world. The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against Al-Queda by Ali Soufan is a riveting true account of his interactions involving just what the title speaks of. Enlightening the public on such a private matter to the Country's government and high superiors, sec...more

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Apr 04, 2012 John Gnesin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Probably the most essential post-9/11 reading after the Commission Report, Soufan's first-hand account is absolutely damning to the Cheney administration, George Tenet's CIA and slams closed the case on the use of, and efficiency of torture and it's perverse and un-American celebration by the degenerate right. Worse than amoral, the politicians, lawyers, agencies and contractors involved in the program were incompetent and ignorant and Soufan exposes them by not only citing numerous instances of...more Probably the most essential post-9/11 reading after the Commission Report, Soufan's first-hand account is absolutely damning to the Cheney administration, George Tenet's CIA and slams closed the case on the use of, and efficiency of torture and it's perverse and un-American celebration by the degenerate right. Worse than amoral, the politicians, lawyers, agencies and contractors involved in the program were incompetent and ignorant and Soufan exposes them by not only citing numerous instances of the "torture regime" taking credit for his and other's traditional police work, but even more infuriating, provides a list towards the end of suspects he was cut off from by the CIA who later had provable links to terrorists who committed subsequent attacks (such as the bombings in England and Spain).

The CIA and the larger torture regime could not find the links, were unable to interpret the intelligence they had and were unwilling to share it with those like Soufan who could. All the CIA and Bush administration apparently succeeded in doing was painting a huge black mark over America's reputation and making it impossible to prosecute most of the terrorists at Guantanamo or anywhere.

Soufan's writing reminds me a bit of Vincent Bugliosi's style in Helter Skelter - methodical, and evidence-based but with a determined and honorable personality that shines through. My one complaint would be Soufan's little joke of blacking out obvious words to mock the CIA's censorship such as "I" or "me", which is funny the first couple of times and then increasing obnoxious, particularly when it's hard enough to read through "the black banners" themselves (that's my bad joke).

This is a minor complaint however. In addition to being a virtual Afghanistan of smoking guns, the book provides startling insight into the history, motives and methods of Al Queda, usually in the terrorist's own words and provides much needed context from an author who is an expert in interrogation, investigation, terrorism and Islam.

All in all a very important book written by a true and credible patriot and hero. Essential reading.(less)

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Dec 05, 2012 William rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: other

A more correct subtitle would have been: Ali Soufan thinks Ali Soufan was a great FBI agent. This is not to say that the author is not knowledgable about the subject of Al Qaeda or that his experiences with the bureaucracy and methodology of the American intelligence system shouldn't sicken the citizen at large, but it is to say that the scope of this book is narrower than the title would lead one to believe. Additionally, while some of the redactions were easily dismissed, the absence of entire...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Wayne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

This is a book I would consided owning. A book that I would want to have on my shelf ready to reference if I needed to.
Ali Soufan was one of the FBI's leading experts on al-Qaeda and their leading expert on interrogating high value detainees, both before and shortly after 9/11. He writes of the successes that he and his team had while using traditional criminal interrogation techniques. Inexplicably even as he was in the middle of an interrogation with a cooperating witness, the CIA decided that...more This is a book I would consided owning. A book that I would want to have on my shelf ready to reference if I needed to.
Ali Soufan was one of the FBI's leading experts on al-Qaeda and their leading expert on interrogating high value detainees, both before and shortly after 9/11. He writes of the successes that he and his team had while using traditional criminal interrogation techniques. Inexplicably even as he was in the middle of an interrogation with a cooperating witness, the CIA decided that they needed to pay an outside consultant to instigate a program of "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques" (EIT). The cooperating witness was stripped naked, humiliated, forced to stand in uncomfortable positions for hours at a time, deprived of sleep, blasted with loud music and white noise, and eventually waterboarded. He promplty stopped cooperating and refused to talk.
Soufan blows the lid off of the argument that the EITs were both necessary and effective. He provides mountains of evidence to back up his claims that the program was unpopular in the intelligence community (especially within the FBI), it was illegal, it was ineffeciently run, it was innefectual, it was counter productive. He points out numerous claims of successful retrieval of intelligence by the program as either blatant lies or taking credit for intelligence that was gained without the use of EITs.
The writing style of the book, as a whole, is very good. He has a natural narrative style and peppers the book with numerous personal anecdotes. At times these anecdotes break up the rhythm of the story. They appear out of nowhere and lead to nowhere. I got the impression that the book needed more time in the editing process before publication. The author does state in the introduction that the book was rushed a bit to publish on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
The book is, at times, heavily redacted. The first page of the book describes Soufan's process of having it cleared by the FBI. It was inexplicably sent to the CIA for clearance as well and even more strangley the CIA redacted certain parts of it that were clearly declassified material. Reading the redacted sections shows that the CIA was obviously trying to cover up sections that made them look bad. The redactions are at times completely ridiculous. Some entire passages simply black out the pronouns, I, we, us, our. These can be easily deciphered by reading the context of the passage. I look forward to a revised edition with the redacted parts visible, but highlighted so we can see what was deemed so secret.
This is a book that should be read by every American.(less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Vanessa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Vanessa by: Jessica Ramirez

A FBI agent who investigated the USS Cole bombing and al-Qaeda pre and post 9/11 publishes his notes on interrogating terrorists. There are some interesting politics, but mostly just information on interrogation and how the US figured out who carried out attacks and how. A friend recommended this book to me because she thought it was very interesting, but I found it pretty dry. I'll have to follow-up with her about which parts she thought were interesting. Soufan uses his stories of interrogatio...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Pierre rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, war

The Black Banners is a great book that lets you peek behind the curtain to see what life was like for FBI agent Ali Soufan. Through the authors eyes, we are able to see the unfortunate consequences of political infighting between various government agencies which hamstrung investigations and ultimately changed the course of history.

The author describes in detail what it was like to interrogate captured al-Queda operatives and how valuable intelligence was gained from many of these interrogation...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Patrick C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This highly detailed account of al Qaeda and America's investigation (both before and after 9/11 by a former FBI Agent may be the most informative and revealing yet about this complicated history. It is also an in depth explanation of methods for effectively questioning al Qaeda suspects and a well-argued polemic against "enhanced interrogation techniques" (EIT).

It is also very disturbing to learn, in detail, how lack of cooperation from the CIA and Defense Department compromised these investiga...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-war, iraq-war, afghanistan-war, counter-terrorism, american-military-and-foreign-polic

This has been the best book for blowing apart the supposed benefits of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques since Matthew Alexander's books Kill or Capture and How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq
When I finished reading this book I knew three things, that my understanding that the FBI and the CIA had learned to work together, under the same agenda, since 9/11, was wrong, and that I was still deeply against the use of...more This has been the best book for blowing apart the supposed benefits of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques since Matthew Alexander's books Kill or Capture and How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq
When I finished reading this book I knew three things, that my understanding that the FBI and the CIA had learned to work together, under the same agenda, since 9/11, was wrong, and that I was still deeply against the use of enhanced techniques as a way of extracting information from prisoners.
The third realisation was that the CIA is a very tarnished machine and the more we learn about their activities in books such as these and in arenas such as the post 9/11 and Gitmo Inquiries, the more its gloss will wash off.

Ali Soufan is a unforgettable narrator. An interrogator of gentle persuasion and manipulation, a credit to the FBI and a credit to the United States. His book, The Black Banners is a legacy that should be valued. It is not only a work that feels true, but is proven to actually be true, which is refreshing. I do not leave this book wondering whether it was one man's distorted version of events.

I had a few issues that landed it the 4 stars instead of 5. It is an issue of editorial perspective. the editor should have held this books publishing date back so they could make more sense of the mess Ali Soufan was left with when the CIA censored the book. As a result, the book, in parts, is a mass of black censor lines and you can have page after page where nothing connects. A word here, a half a paragraph there, two parts of a sentence missing the middle. Surely if the publishing date was held back the author and editor could have made something better of these areas. The other issue I had was for the first half of the book I felt many parts needed shaving down. A good editing cull would have done this book many favours for the first half. From 9/11 onwards, it was a lot more focused and streamlined.

An eye opening book and a must read for every American, and for every international, who needs to know how 9/11 could have been stopped, why aggressive interrogations render confessions tainted and unreliable, and how Osama Bin Laden could have been caught three times over from 2002 and why it never happened until 2011.(less)

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Oct 27, 2011 Doug Dams rated it 4 of 5 stars

I heard about this book when I saw the author interviewed on TV. His comments about interrogating al-Qaeda members were interesting. The book tells about the author joining the FBI and becoming an expert on al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. He shows how interrogation techniques used by the FBI produced more and better results than the enhanced interrogation techniques (EIT) used by the CIA. The book takes the reader inside interrogations and the minds of al-Qaeda members. It explains a lot about al-...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Jackmccullough rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Who planned and carried out the bombing of the USS Cole? How about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks? What about numerous other attacks, either successful or foiled?

That we know in detail not only who did these things, how they were planned and financed, and how they were carried out is due in large part to the efforts of Ali Soufan and people working with him. You may have seen him on 60 Minutes, heard him on Morning Edition, or heard him on Terry Gross, but The Black Banners is still w...more Who planned and carried out the bombing of the USS Cole? How about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks? What about numerous other attacks, either successful or foiled?

That we know in detail not only who did these things, how they were planned and financed, and how they were carried out is due in large part to the efforts of Ali Soufan and people working with him. You may have seen him on 60 Minutes, heard him on Morning Edition, or heard him on Terry Gross, but The Black Banners is still worth reading.

For those of us who grew up in the 1960's, and came to view the FBI as the ultimate enemy of civil liberties, this book may be surprising, because it reveals that in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks it was Soufan and other FBI agents who opposed the Bush Administration's torture plots as both illegal and ineffective. Unfortunately, forces at the very top of the administration were determined to use torture even when it was shown not to lead to the discovery of actionable information. As a result, Soufan demonstrates that they delayed the discovery and apprehension of Osama bin Laden for many years and failed to discover and prevent at least one terrorist attack, on an oil tanker in the Arabian Sea.

Lies, coverups, internal deception, and disregard for constitutional and humane values: Soufan demonstrates how these were the hallmarks of the Bush Administration's conduct in the years following 2001. The stated justification for these practices was that they were the only effective way to obtain information we needed to defeat the terrorists, particularly in the so-called ticking time bomb scenario.

Of course, we know, both from Soufan and elsewhere, the opposite is true. For instance we are told that Khalid Sheikh Muhammad was waterboarded 183 times, whereupon he gave up vital operational information. Soufan demonstrates that this claim is false, and that waterboarding and other forms of torture have, in fact, defeated attempts to obtain actionable information, rather than the reverse.

I strongly recommend The Black Banners. There are areas where it's tough going, frequently because of the merciless onslaught of unfamiliar names, when you don't know which names are important. There is a guide to names and persons at the end, and it would have been good to know that it was there when I started reading it. Since I was reading the Kindle version I would have appreciated links in the text to the appendix.

One other thing: if you're coming to find a debunking of the official version of the 9/11 story, look elsewhere. Fringe characters aside, the debate is over. There is no question of what happened on September 11, 2001. We know who did it, we know how they planned it, and we know it wasn't the CIA, Mossad, the Bilderberg Group, Bush, or anyone else the conspiracy nuts have claimed.

But if you're interested in reality, you should read this.(less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Cynthia Karl rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book will make your blood boil - to realize how things could've been different if petty turf battles and stupidity had not interfered with the investigations after 9/11. While some may say the author is tooting his own horn, he has a right to toot and he gives full credit to many others. Those who are proponents of "Extreme interrogation techniques" should be forced to read this book preferably while being water boarded. It is not a terribly cohesive book but I read it soon after reading "T...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Adrienne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although this book spends some time exploring the links between various people and ends up feeling like a bad version of Genesis, it is still worth reading. Mr. Soufan is a great story teller. He explores both sides of the equation; what makes a terrorist and what made the US torture. His arguments against torture are compelling and derived from the fact that as a FBI agent who speaks fluent Arabic and is of Lebanese descent he interrogated most of the key figures in "the war on terror". He know...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Mara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, politics

This is a great book! Written by one of, if not the main, FBI interrogator of the al-Qaeda operatives, it tells the story of the FBI's following of the al-Qaeda network from the 1990's until present day. The author was born in Lebanon but moved with his family to the US when he was a child. By chance he ended up joining the FBI. Being fluent in Arabic and with an interest in the history of the Middle East and the Muslim faith, he made a hobby of following the events in that part of the world, sp...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Shea Mastison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Alongside Michael Scheuer's "Imperial Hubris," this is one of the books that I think is indispensable to any American wishing to get a good grasp on the War on Terror. Ali Soufan is extraordinarily genuine; and you will find yourself rooting for him in his contemporary memoir detailing his work in the FBI--specifically on al-Qaeda and the more regional Islamic groups affiliated with them.

I recommend this book to all of my friends; especially if you'd like to better understand the quagmire Americ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Stefan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biographies-and-autobiographies, history-and-politics, national-security, politics, public-policy

Ali Soufan’s The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda has made a significant impression on my thinking. In the past few months, I have found myself going back to it numerous times. Soufan, who served as an FBI Special Agent from 1996 to 2006, was one of the United States Government’s top al-Qaeda experts. Fluent in Arabic and born in Lebanon, Soufan served on the FBI team which investigated the East African Embassy bombings, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen...more Ali Soufan’s The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda has made a significant impression on my thinking. In the past few months, I have found myself going back to it numerous times. Soufan, who served as an FBI Special Agent from 1996 to 2006, was one of the United States Government’s top al-Qaeda experts. Fluent in Arabic and born in Lebanon, Soufan served on the FBI team which investigated the East African Embassy bombings, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen and other al-Qaeda operations in the Middle-East. Following the September 11th attacks, Ali Soufan became one of the U.S. Government’s top interrogators, working extensively at Guantanamo Bay and bases throughout the Middle East.

Drawing from his experience as a investigator and interrogator, Soufan devoted a large portion of The Black Banners to the importance of strategic decision-making and analysis. On one level, Ali Soufan’s book dealt with the American Government’s response to the growing threat of radical international terrorism. On a broader level, however, The Black Banners offered an insider’s perspective on how the American government implemented a sudden shift in policy in response to the dramatic events of September 11, 2001. In the space of a few short months after the attack, American policymakers had to develop a long-term strategic plan for defeating al-Qaeda while also addressing the root problems of radical terrorism in the Middle East.

From a policy perspective, a strategy had to be created which provided a strong military response, enhanced law enforcement capabilities and enabled better intelligence gathering. Yet, any such response also needed to prevent the problem from reoccurring later in a different form. It was critical to address the underlying cultural, economic, religious and education factors. On the more immediate, operational level, the U.S. Government had to develop a cohesive plan for encouraging cooperation between numerous law-enforcement and intelligence organizations. Beyond simply working together, each agency needed to be assigned a different piece of the overall goal. Coordination was essential to prevent needless duplication and ensure that the government worked as a whole towards the ultimate objective.

The threat of international terrorism was not only an ongoing news story, but also an ever-present challenge to Canada’s national security. The Black Banners did not focus directly on Canada, but much of what it explored has direct relevance to this country’s strategic decisions going forward. Ali Soufan started his memoir with a quote from Sun Tzu: “So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will win a hundred times in a hundred battles.” In other words, any successful strategy will depend on having knowledge that is accurate, detailed and timely. Effective decision-making requires understanding your opponent’s plans and motivations, but also your own organization’s capabilities and limitations. Having a strong strategy also depends on effective leadership and a motivated team. It is impossible to completely predict all future problems, but it is possible to create an organizational culture that skillfully adapts to new challenges by emphasizing cooperation and personal initiative.
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