A book that will change the way we think about al-Qaeda, intelligence, and the events that forever changed America.
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Oct 28, 2011
Terry
rated it: 
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/13/140401483/...
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 w More...
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 w More...
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Feb 05, 2012
Socraticgadfly
rated it: 
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 More...
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 More...
Jan 08, 2012
Lisa
rated it:
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
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Nov 29, 2011
Kenyon
rated it:
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 o More...
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 o More...
Nov 17, 2011
Debby
rated it:
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 More...
And the believability of his story will make your blood boil and steam plume from your ears. The correlation between torture and people More...
Oct 02, 2011
Charles
rated it:
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, c More...
Good read for anyone who's interested in current events, history, terrorism, c More...
Oct 28, 2011
Shannon
rated it:
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
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Nov 14, 2011
Wayne
rated it:
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 dec More...
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 dec More...
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Nov 02, 2011
Pierre
rated it:
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 int More...
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 int More...
Oct 21, 2011
Patrick
rated it:
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 comprom More...
It is also very disturbing to learn, in detail, how lack of cooperation from the CIA and Defense Department comprom More...
Nov 28, 2011
Terri
rated it:
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 u More...
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 u More...
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Oct 27, 2011
Doug
rated it:
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-
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Oct 29, 2011
Jackmccullough
rated it:
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 Banner More...
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 Banner More...
Jan 31, 2012
Adrienne
rated it: 
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"
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Feb 15, 2012
Mara
rated it:
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
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Nov 08, 2011
Ken
rated it:
This book is phenomenal. It really gives you a forward behind the scenes view of what was happening in the fight against Al-Qaeda, mainly on the intelligence front. I must say that Agent Soufan was/is amazing in how he handles it all which is saying something when you consider that he was basically working with one hand tied behind his back because of a certain intelligence group that will not be named but it starts with a "C". The real sad thing is how heavily censored the book is, ho
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Sep 13, 2011
NPR | Sep 13, 2011: An Interrogator Writes 'The Inside Story Of 9/11'
BBC | Sep 12, 2011: Ex-FBI interrogator 'gagged' over 9/11 backstory
NYT | Apr 22, 2009: My Tortured Decision (op-ed) by Ali Soufan
BBC | Sep 12, 2011: Ex-FBI interrogator 'gagged' over 9/11 backstory
NYT | Apr 22, 2009: My Tortured Decision (op-ed) by Ali Soufan
Jan 16, 2012
A.
rated it:
Recommended because it's the most thorough history of the FBI's pursuit of Al-Qaeda both before and after 9/11. The author is a former FBI interrogator, who gained valuable intelligence from detainees by "getting into their heads" based on carefully researched personal histories. Also a sobering story of the turf wars between the FBI and CIA, and that if communication between the two had been better perhaps 9/11 could have been prevented.
Oct 10, 2011
Don
rated it:
Outstanding!
Behind the scenes story of the FBI's involvement in tracking down and conducting interrogations (no illegal use of waterboarding was used willingly by the FBI) of captured al-Qaeda high level members. Sadly there are a number of pages Blacked-Out by order of the CIA.
Well written and very informative (up to that certain point as previously mentioned which still leaves me wondering).
A must-read for everyone interested in this part of modern history.
More...
Behind the scenes story of the FBI's involvement in tracking down and conducting interrogations (no illegal use of waterboarding was used willingly by the FBI) of captured al-Qaeda high level members. Sadly there are a number of pages Blacked-Out by order of the CIA.
Well written and very informative (up to that certain point as previously mentioned which still leaves me wondering).
A must-read for everyone interested in this part of modern history.
More...
Oct 08, 2011
Brian
rated it:
While the book is longer than it needs to be and isn't as well written as you'd think it'd be based on the co/ghost-author, it's an interesting read and an important book that shows how wrong the first eight years of the war on terror was and how poorly the Bush administration handled counterterrorism, detainees, and interrogation methods. While it sometimes reads a bit too memoir-y and the author clearly has some personal issues with the CIA (most of which are based on legitimate professional r
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Jan 06, 2012
Lou
rated it:
The author describes the events that led up to 9/11. It details the players involved. Some of the "good guys" are just selfish and are willing to sacrifice lives and risk additional attacks from terrorists to prove that their approach to obtaining information is the right one.
The main takeaway from this book is that torture achieves nothing. It does not provide information. All the claims of the Bush whitehouse that rendition and extraordinary interrogation techniques (tort More...
The main takeaway from this book is that torture achieves nothing. It does not provide information. All the claims of the Bush whitehouse that rendition and extraordinary interrogation techniques (tort More...
Dec 02, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
One of the best books about Al-Qaeda and the FBI's investigation of them post-9/11 and onward that I've ever read. Ali H. Soufan's story is an essential one for anyone who wants to understand how we could have prevented such a tragedy in 2001; it is also a startling portrait of multi-level incompetence in the U.S. intelligence agency. You'll also read about John O'Neill, Soufan's mentor and best friend, who saw Al-Qaeda's attack on U.S. coming but whose warnings were dutifully ignored by his sup
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Dec 05, 2011
John
rated it:
Written by former FBI Agent Ali H. Soufan. One of the best books on the inside story of 9/11. Check out his 60 minutes interview, very powerful. What our government missed by the CIA not sharing info with the FBI. A real crime and tragedy. Getting through the Middle Eastern names is a challenge.
Oct 23, 2011
Tori
rated it:
This book was fascinating, and well written. I couldn't put it down. It's kind of hard to believe that many of the claims made by Soufan are true, although he gives plenty of support for them, I don't want to believe that the FBI could have prevented attacks if the CIA had shared a few tidbits of information. Definitely a must-read if you're interested in al-Qaeda and the story behind 9/11.
Nov 29, 2011
Christian
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Oct 12, 2011
saw on Rachel Maddow. Author sounds like he knows what he is talking about.
Nov 03, 2011
charlene
rated it:
great book again confirming how dysfunctional the government can be and how many lies are reported to us
Thanks to Mr Soufan for sharing this information.
Thanks to Mr Soufan for sharing this information.
Jan 11, 2012
Wendy
rated it:
I couldn't finished it. Too disjointed because of the redacted parts. Re-edit and maybe I'll try again.
Oct 14, 2011
Thomas
rated it:
Eye-opening. I never imagined that scenarios from 24 had any validity!
Dec 08, 2011
Sherri
rated it:
I can hardly put this book down. Ali Soufan tells a fantastic story, and I've learned more than I could ever imagine about al-Qaeda.
