The Far Enemy
The Far Enemy
Fawaz Gerges' book on al Qaeda and the jihadist movement has become a classic in the field since it was published in 2005. In the intervening years, with the advance of the 'War on Terror' and the invasion of Iraq, much has changed and, just as Gerges showed, al Qaeda's fortunes have taken a significant downturn. Revisiting The Far Enemy in this edition, Gerges demonstrates that not only have the jihadists split ranks, but that voices from within the ultra-religious right, those that previously supported al Qaeda, are condemning its tactics as violent, unethical, and out of accord with the true meaning of jihad. In fact, millions of Muslims worldwide have rejected al-Qaeda's ideology and strategies and blame Osama bin Laden and his cohorts for the havoc the organisation has wreaked on their communities. Al-Qaeda is now in the wilderness suffering massive erosion of authority and legitimacy in Muslim eyes and facing a fierce revolt from within. As Gerges warns, the next US administration would do well to use political and socio-economic strategies rather than military means to ensure that it stays there.
- Gerges, seasoned commentator and scholar of the Middle East, explains why al-Qaeda took its war to the West
- Through personal encounters and interviews with front-line operators, Gerges uncovers deep divides in the jihadist movement and challenges al-Qaeda's monopoly and durability
- Articulate, penetrating, informed, Gerges' book is the story from the inside, the jihadis account of 9/11
Product details
June 2009Hardback
9780521519359
402 pages
235 × 160 × 26 mm
0.76kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction: the road to September 11 and after
- 1. Religious nationalists and the near enemy
- 2. The Afghan war: sowing the seeds of transnational Jihad
- 3. The rise of transnationalist Jihadis and the far enemy
- 4. Splitting up of Jihadis
- 5. The aftermath: the war within
- 6. The Iraq war: planting the seeds of Al Qaeda's second generation?
