Crush the Cell: How to Defeat Terrorism Without Terrorizing Ourselves

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Crush the Cell: How to Defeat Terrorism Without Terrorizing Ourselves

by Michael A. Sheehan

3.53 · rating details · 19 ratings · 9 reviews

Written by a man who is arguably the country’s most authoritative voice on counterterrorism, Crush the Cell demolishes, with simple logic, the edifice of false “terror punditry” that has been laid, brick by brick, since 9/11. A veteran of special ops, international diplomacy, and bruising clashes with federal law enforcement agencies, Michael Sheehan delivers in this book ...moreWritten by a man who is arguably the country’s most authoritative voice on counterterrorism, Crush the Cell demolishes, with simple logic, the edifice of false “terror punditry” that has been laid, brick by brick, since 9/11. A veteran of special ops, international diplomacy, and bruising clashes with federal law enforcement agencies, Michael Sheehan delivers in this book a two-part message: First, that we’ve wasted–and are continuing to waste–billions of dollars on the wrong protective measures, and second, that knowing the bad guys’ next move is paramount.

Somewhere in America, Sheehan maintains, are a number of terrorist cells, their members’ heads filled with schemes of mayhem and destruction. Motivated not, as some believe, by feelings of disenfranchisement, disdain for freedom, or economic envy but by a compelling ideological hatred, these individuals plot not just terror but paralyzing terror–the kind that can shut down a country.

Unwittingly aiding and abetting them are many (but not all) “terror experts” and members of the media who, for reasons that are partly self- serving, rate the bad guys’ capabilities far higher than they are, playing into terrorists’ hands with their hype. Spurred by the pundits’ inflated assessments, legislation follows that drains billions from taxpayers’ pockets and pours money into a bloated Washington bureaucracy championing needless programs.

Here, Sheehan shows why defensive fortresses don’t work, but offensive operational intelligence does. He also peels back the mystery surrounding terrorist cells, portraying them as, typically, a group of bumblers searching for a charismatic leader who has what it takes to conduct a complex symphony of violence. Sharing time in the narrative spotlight are not just agents of al Qaeda, but also frighteningly destructive lone wolves, cults, and radical movements.

In his career, Sheehan has operated in the mountain jungles of Central America, the back alleys of Mogadishu, and the teeming streets of New York City–but he has also participated at the highest levels of policy making at the White House, the State Department, and the United Nations. It’s his time protecting America’s most populous city as its counterterrorism czar, however, that yields this book’s most fascinating insights. As Sheehan reveals thwarted threats to New York’s bridges, subways, and landmarks, and recounts extraordinary simulations staged to gauge terrorists’ true abilities, we gain perhaps the clearest picture yet of what modern terror-fighting is all about.

From the Hardcover edition.(less)

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published May 6th 2008 by Crown (first published May 1st 2008)

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Dec 27, 2008

Tom Sulcer rated it

Crush the Cell has practical suggestions by an experienced insider with an impressive resume which, surprisingly, he shares at the back of his book. His analysis of past terrorism incidents focuses on the past fifteen years and is enriched with candid assessments of what worked, what our weaknesses are, what the terrorists' weaknesses are, plus it offers his shrewd assessments at possible dangers. The key to fight terrorism is intelligence, critical for infiltrating terrorist cells and crushing ...moreCrush the Cell has practical suggestions by an experienced insider with an impressive resume which, surprisingly, he shares at the back of his book. His analysis of past terrorism incidents focuses on the past fifteen years and is enriched with candid assessments of what worked, what our weaknesses are, what the terrorists' weaknesses are, plus it offers his shrewd assessments at possible dangers. The key to fight terrorism is intelligence, critical for infiltrating terrorist cells and crushing them; Sheehan thinks huge cash outlays for defensive projects are mostly wasted along with overly protective limousine convoys for Washington officials who are not really at risk (a "perk of office" he argues.) Knowing the bad guys next move is paramount. He criticizes inter-agency conflicts, such as between NYPD and FBI and sides with the NYPD, and thinks the Department of Homeland Security is bloated and lacks focus. Agency acronyms abound (WMD, CBRN, JTTF) but there's a helpful glossary in an appendix.

Sheehan relates how terrorism threats can affect voting -- elevating a threat level can give candidates a "security bounce." He criticizes "fear mongering" noting that it's "good business for terrorism consultants." He thinks the threat from Al Qaeda was under-estimated before 9/11, over-estimated afterwards, and notes that there have been no significant attacks in America since 9/11. America's frequent over-reaction to incidents as well as threats often plays into the terrorists' hands; rather, the US should learn from Israel and Britain how to return to business as normal soon after an attack.

There's a subtext here which isn't immediately apparent until one realizes many sentences begin with "I did this..." and "I did that..." Sheehan has been hard at work, kept us safe, and wants appreciation (perhaps this need explains his resume?) Still, I think it's deserved. I think all counter-terrorism officials deserve sincere thanks since there haven't been any major attacks on American soil since 9/11. Sheehan's caring and dedication shine through despite his rather obvious agenda to promote the NYPD as well as his own career.

Does nuclear terrorism remain a threat? Sheehan agrees. But he admits to focusing on "less devastating but more likely scenarios" such as dirty bombs, chemical attacks, biological attacks.

But that's my problem with this book. It doesn't prevent serious terrorism. America, despite the sincere efforts of hard-working operatives like Mr. Sheehan, is still vulnerable.

Experts like Mr. Sheehan see terrorism as essentially a government and military and police problem, and I think that's a mistake. I think the problem of terrorism is bigger -- it's a citizens' problem. We're the ones who suffer when it happens. So citizens need to prevent it. And citizens have wider latitude to act than government officials since we can change the framework in which law enforcement works.

And I disagree about what terrorism is. Sheehan sees terrorism narrowly as politically motivated violence; I think it's broader, namely "violence against individual rights". Begin with my definition and a solution will follow. One can suppose there are three types of terrorists -- criminals (neighbors who violate our rights), tyrants (our own government officials who violate our rights) and foreign terrorists (powerful individuals abroad or heads of state.) All three types of terrorism must be prevented, in my view. It's not enough for government by itself to try to fight terrorism, because in trying to fight terrorism, government may become a terrorist towards its own people. It's a multi-faceted problem, larger but solvable, in my view. We can't try to fight one form of terrorism by exacerbating another. But this happens routinely in airports: to prevent airline hijackings (crime) security guards frisk every passenger without cause (a form of tyranny that passengers put up with despite being treated like criminals.) In his book, Sheehan only touched on issues such as wire-tapping and espionnage on civilians, almost as if it was a nuisance requirement, but this is clearly the mindset of counter-terrorism operatives who pay only lip service to citizens' privacy.

My book "Common Sense II: How to Prevent the Three Types of Terrorism" (Amazon & Kindle, 184 pages) spells out how to prevent each type of terrorism by applying light (information, exposure, awareness.) For example, to prevent crime, we must identify all movement in public while strengthening privacy. For this to happen, citizens must agree to such monitoring, and for this to happen, people must become real citizens, not merely apathetic consumers and shoppers which characterize most Americans today. Citizenship should be a contract between individual and state with specific responsibilities and privileges. It's possible to prevent every instance of home-grown terrorism using this method. The rest of my book shows how one can apply the concept of light to exposing the other types. For example, I think the architecture of government requires an overhaul so that America can make steady long-term foreign policy, consistently rewarding friends and punishing enemies; but today it can't do this because administrations change every eight years, sometimes after only four. I propose a revised architecture based on lessons from history and political philosophy. My strategy will prevent all types of terrorism, including smuggled nuclear bombs. My strategy is brief, rational, non-religious, written by a citizen for citizens, non-technical. Be prepared: there are some controversial ideas (one expert found it "bracing"). But my book can protect America. It's plain logic from one citizen to another, while Mr. Sheehan's book is an expert trying to educate the public about what officials are doing in the war on terror, as well as a not-so-subtle advertisement for the NYPD as well as himself.

Overall, this is an excellent book by a counter-terrorism insider which has fresh, frank observations about the war on terror, including apt political comments, but it doesn't prevent terrorism.
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Mar 11, 2009

Stefan rated it

Shelves: history-and-politics

A wealth of practical insight is expressed and explained in this volume by one of America's foremost counter-terrorist experts (who was also a former diplomat, intelligence officer, and a member of the special forces.) I gained insight into why 9-11 was able to occur, and how massive million dollar programs do not secure the safety of America. As well as why fully understanding and becoming knowledgeable about terrorists and the threat they cause, in conjunction, with innovation, flexibility, an...more

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Mar 21, 2010

Jeannine rated it

Anyone who picks up this sort of book must have some kind of expectation. I was hoping it might provide a little insight regarding our country's current situation/presence in the world.

And I couldn't have asked for more. With the exception of some necessary history lessons, it was a real page-turner. I am not a big non-fiction reader, but this book answered my questions, provided a good refresher/crash course in Islamic history, and actually offered some REAL solutions! Wow, solution...more

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Dec 24, 2008

Ox rated it

Shelves: counterterrorism, current-affairs, law-enforcement, national-security

This book gets off to a great start, that by focusing on the terrorist cells, we could reduce the threat terrorism poses to national security. The author goes off-message about half-way through the book, though, when he begins to tell his own story of working with the New York City police. I think this book is on to something, but the argument isn't made as strongly as it could have been. There's no denying that the author, a seasoned counterterrorist expert, has the knowledge to help our lea...more

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Oct 02, 2011

Joel rated it

Very good book. While many other authors cover the ground of the longer-term "soft power" efforts that are needed to tackle the root causes of terrorism, this book covers the nuts and bolts of the counterterrorism policies and operations that are needed to keep us safe while those long-term efforts are implemented as well as any.

· see review

May 03, 2011

Ray rated it

· review of another edition

Sheehan,an experienced counter-terrorism expert, provides a good summary and analysis of the terror issues facing our country, and thoughts on dealing with and minimizing the affects of any potential future attacks.

· see review

Oct 02, 2008

Lorri rated it

Shelves: nonfiction

wow!! so far very interesting. I am learning a lot about what drives these people to kill us as well as themselves. I cannot wait to finish this book but of course I have to work at this book since non fiction does not come easily to me. I am reading it out loud to my husband while we travel and it makes great conversation as well so it will take a while to get through.
I got about half way through. It is good, but just does not hold my attention.

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Feb 23, 2009

Karl rated it

This book takes a good look back at terrorist acts to understand the strengths and weaknesses of terrorist groups.

Unfortunately, the author does not look at the state sponsorship of the attacks on 9/11 as expressed by Laurie Mylroie.

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Dec 25, 2008

Craig Cottingham rated it

#48 for 2008.

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Shelves: non-fiction

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Shelves: politics

Dec 01, 2010

Bob rated it

Shelves: 2008, non-fiction

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Feb 19, 2010

Read It Forward added it · review of another edition

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