Al-Qaeda's Revenge tells the full story behind the events of March 11, 2004, when an al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist cell bombed commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people and injuring more than 1,800. The book's detailed narrative runs from the development of an al-Qaeda conspiracy in Spain through the 2007 trial and conviction of the 3/11 bombers, concluding with the thwarting in 2008 of an al-Qaeda bomb plot in Barcelona. Fernando Reinares's account draws on privileged access to judicial and intelligence documents and personal interviews with officials in Spain and elsewhere. His analysis ultimately links the Madrid bombing to members of al-Qaeda's senior leadership and connects the planning of 9/11 to the acts of 3/11.
Al-Qaeda's Revenge is Spain's counterpart to The 9/11 Commission Report, a bestseller that has definitively showed al-Qaeda — and not, as initially suspected, the Basque separatist organization ETA — to be responsible for a horrific crime that fundamentally changed the way Spain and Europe have responded to the threat of modern terrorism.
Fernando Reinares detalla minuciosamente los cómo, quiénes y por qué de uno de los atentados terroristas más cruentos de nuestra historia. Siempre desde una perspectiva académica, Fernando desgrana con exactitud la concatenación de eventos que dieron lugar a la fatídica mañana del 11 de marzo de 2004, sus principales actores, fuentes de financiación y posteriores consecuencias.
Sin embargo, una de las cosas que me fallan es la posición del autor. Reinares sostiene que la preparación de los atentados se fija alrededor del año 2002, excluyendo así la responsabilidad de Aznar en la tan nombrada "Cumbre de las Azores". Más allá de esto, uno de los datos relevantes que ofrece el libro es que la fecha del 11 de marzo fue escogida mucho antes de la convocatoria de elecciones generales para el 14 de marzo de 2004, Reinares señala esto como una simple coincidencia.
Pese a todo, recomiendo encarecidamente su lectura. Probablemente esta será una de mis fuentes de bibliografía principales en alguno de mis dos próximos TFGs.
Magistral trabajo de investigación sobre la red terrorista que orquestó los atentados de Atocha en 2004, que incluye los motivos (muy poco conocidos) por los que realmente se gestaron.
He echado en falta, eso sí, una reconstrucción de los hechos del 11 de marzo para entender el papel sobre el terreno de cada uno de los implicados. Un mapa o diagrama que facilitase comprender sus relaciones interpersonales tampoco habría estado de más. Con todo, una lectura sesuda pero apasionante.
Una investigación exhaustiva basada en entrevistas y datos que expone que los atentados del 11M no fueron contra el gobierno por su envío de tropas a Irak.
This study of the '04 Madrid training bombings was written by the Director of the Program on Global Terrorism at the Elcano Royal Institute and professor of political science and security studies at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, both in Madrid. As his credentials would suggest, this is a thoroughly researched, detailed, and well-written study of the development and operation of the network that carried out the bombings.
The tale covers the reconstruction of a network following the disruption of an earlier network by security forces, the building of relationships through shared experiences and social ties, the integration (to varying degrees) of disparate elements necessary to support the operation, and the transnational influences, communications, and directives that moved it forward. Speaking to my old crowd, the book contains elements which not only make for good reading, but should definitely be integrated as case examples and studies into training on dark networks.
My only (minor) complaint is the paucity of illustrations. There are a few basic line maps at the front of the book, and a diagram of where the bombs were located on the trains, but where we really get short shrift is with the network. There is a really basic Venn diagram of the 3/11 network, but it just doesn't cut it. This book would really benefit from SNA charts integrated into each chapter as it describes the development of individual elements of the network, their contribution to the task, and then the overall network and its functioning. Anyway, it remains a strongly recommended read, and an absolute must on the shelf for anyone with a serious professional or personal interest in terrorism studies.