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Willful Blindness: A Memoir of the Jihad
Andrew C. McCarthy takes readers back to the real beginning of the war on terror--not the atrocities of September 11, but the first bombing of the World Trade Center in February 1993 when radical Islamists effectively declared war on the United States. From his perch as a government prosecutor of the blind sheik and other jihadists responsible for the bombing, Andrew McCarthy takes readers inside the twisted world of Islamic terror.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published March 24, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 10, 2021
The most important insight that Andy McCarthy reveals in his book is law enforcement's inadequacy to handle terrorism told from his insider perspective. He details the us versus them dynamic between FBI and CIA and intelligence versus law enforcement in a broader context. He writes that "to the CIA, the specter of briefing people who didn't absolutely need to know the subject matter - people who might even take notes, for God's sake - spawned visions of precious intelligence and confidential relationships not only being exposed but actually handed directly to the nation's enemies - who, thanks to our prosecution, were not 'defendants' vested with an extraordinary array of due process rights."
And the legal system had terrible weaknesses that counterintuitively penalized investigators for foiling plots. He continues, "the criminal code contained no specific provisions for bombing conspiracy. Therefore, if a group plotted a bombing but was interrupted by effective law enforcement, the plotters had to be charged under the catch-all federal conspiracy statute with a maximum five-year penalty."
And finally, in discussing whether Islam as a whole is ideologically disposed towards radicalism, he concludes that it is irrelevant. "Millions of Muslims believe it to be true." Whether the Qur'an and Hadith command violence is a debate to be had within Muslim culture but "terror victims are not any less dead if those Muslims are mistaken" and "national security is not a theology exam."
And the legal system had terrible weaknesses that counterintuitively penalized investigators for foiling plots. He continues, "the criminal code contained no specific provisions for bombing conspiracy. Therefore, if a group plotted a bombing but was interrupted by effective law enforcement, the plotters had to be charged under the catch-all federal conspiracy statute with a maximum five-year penalty."
And finally, in discussing whether Islam as a whole is ideologically disposed towards radicalism, he concludes that it is irrelevant. "Millions of Muslims believe it to be true." Whether the Qur'an and Hadith command violence is a debate to be had within Muslim culture but "terror victims are not any less dead if those Muslims are mistaken" and "national security is not a theology exam."
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August 4, 2011As someone who knew about Osama, the blind sheik, Ramzi Youssef, etc. long before 9-11 let me say I was very interested in buying and reading this book! After all, I own and have read the trial transcripts from the first Trade Center bombing that the author prosecuted. Most people either are unaware or have forgotten that the World Trade Center was bombed BEFORE 9-11 by the same group/loose association of similar extremists. Or that they vowed to try again. Or have forgotten about the Bojinka plot, etc.
The book takes a long time to get to the meat of the actual story about that trial and what we learned/ignored in the in-between years. Anyone who is widely read knows this history pretty well or can learn it just as fast by reading it himself in the various books footnoted and referred to inside this book's pages.
I have to say, I felt a little cheated by the brevity of the actual accounts the author knows best. Is another book in the works? Yes, it all gets worked out in the pages but I wished for more. There are a lot of value judgements here as well akin to a more right-wing or neo-conservative 'forever war' against Islam. while I think there is some truth to what the author is saying, potential readers should be aware of the bias. Still, I would heartily recommend this book. It is another 'essential' text among many form the actual experts and those in charge of various agencies, etc. who have written on the origin of the first terror attacks against the US.
Another easy read that the book didn't reference within the text is "The New Jackals" by Simon Reeve.
The book takes a long time to get to the meat of the actual story about that trial and what we learned/ignored in the in-between years. Anyone who is widely read knows this history pretty well or can learn it just as fast by reading it himself in the various books footnoted and referred to inside this book's pages.
I have to say, I felt a little cheated by the brevity of the actual accounts the author knows best. Is another book in the works? Yes, it all gets worked out in the pages but I wished for more. There are a lot of value judgements here as well akin to a more right-wing or neo-conservative 'forever war' against Islam. while I think there is some truth to what the author is saying, potential readers should be aware of the bias. Still, I would heartily recommend this book. It is another 'essential' text among many form the actual experts and those in charge of various agencies, etc. who have written on the origin of the first terror attacks against the US.
Another easy read that the book didn't reference within the text is "The New Jackals" by Simon Reeve.
July 26, 2012
Andrew McCarthy was a very talented prosecutor with an investigators mind and indefatigable energy drive. I have highly recommended this book to everyone and hold it is a book all Americans should read. Americans seem to be coddled by our media and corralled into an arena of political correctness and afraid to look at the events leading up to the prosecution for fear of being branded racist or intolerant.
The sad reality is that we are facing an insidious enemy hell bent on destroying our way of life and converting all in the name of Allah, who is the same God we all believe. They use a different play book.
Interestingly with the Arab Spring recently deposing Mubarak as the leader of Egypt, we now have the Muslim Brotherhood in control of Egypt. These are the same people who supported the Blind Sheik in his goals to destroy the infidels, us.
This is a very well written book by an alumnus from the same Law School I graduated from. As an aside, when I was an Inspector with the FBI I handled the "leak" investigation involving the leak of investigative information to the New York Times on the first bombing of the World Trade Center in NYC. While the culprit was never identified, I had a strong suspect in mind after interviewing under oath The US Attorney, several of her assistants, The Police Commissioner of the. NYPD, all of the assistant directors and leaders of the FBI in New York City and Newark and the Director of the FBI under oath in sworn signed statements.
Like many of these leak investigations, a prosecutable case was never made.
The sad reality is that we are facing an insidious enemy hell bent on destroying our way of life and converting all in the name of Allah, who is the same God we all believe. They use a different play book.
Interestingly with the Arab Spring recently deposing Mubarak as the leader of Egypt, we now have the Muslim Brotherhood in control of Egypt. These are the same people who supported the Blind Sheik in his goals to destroy the infidels, us.
This is a very well written book by an alumnus from the same Law School I graduated from. As an aside, when I was an Inspector with the FBI I handled the "leak" investigation involving the leak of investigative information to the New York Times on the first bombing of the World Trade Center in NYC. While the culprit was never identified, I had a strong suspect in mind after interviewing under oath The US Attorney, several of her assistants, The Police Commissioner of the. NYPD, all of the assistant directors and leaders of the FBI in New York City and Newark and the Director of the FBI under oath in sworn signed statements.
Like many of these leak investigations, a prosecutable case was never made.
April 29, 2016
A story of the first bombing of the World Trade Center and the legal aftermath.
June 10, 2010
An eye opening account of the events that lead to 1993 World Trade Center bombing, 9/11 other attacks along with that ways that the US government could have and should have prevented them.
A federal prosecutor who worked the criminal trial of the Blind Sheik- ring leader of the attacks- McCarthy didn't hold any punches about our and his shortcomings. Criminal trials aren't suited for international terrorists. The CIA funded and supported the Afghan mujahideen's jihad against the Soviets, left them to their own devices and they eventually turned on us. We helped build this monster and had many opportunities to stop these attacks, but red tape, lack of communication, PC and generally dropping the ball completely undermined our national security. McCarthy covers and these things and much more.
In this book, McCarthy wants us to understand what went wrong, but more importantly, I think he wants us to understand that no much has changed. In fact, I think he makes it well known that bringing these terrorists to justice is even harder today.
A federal prosecutor who worked the criminal trial of the Blind Sheik- ring leader of the attacks- McCarthy didn't hold any punches about our and his shortcomings. Criminal trials aren't suited for international terrorists. The CIA funded and supported the Afghan mujahideen's jihad against the Soviets, left them to their own devices and they eventually turned on us. We helped build this monster and had many opportunities to stop these attacks, but red tape, lack of communication, PC and generally dropping the ball completely undermined our national security. McCarthy covers and these things and much more.
In this book, McCarthy wants us to understand what went wrong, but more importantly, I think he wants us to understand that no much has changed. In fact, I think he makes it well known that bringing these terrorists to justice is even harder today.
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August 5, 2011The book is interesting - McCarthy presents more information on the Jihadist underpinnings of our terrorist enemies that is ignored - willfully or not - even today, and also an illustration in depth of the real limitations of the law enforcement approach to national security. It works as it must for the home-grown individual or group -- it fails inevitably when faced with an exterior, organized, well funded and mission-oriented threat, for a number of reasons that are abundantly evident in the telling of McCarthy's story. There is an immutable difference between that which is necessary to punish crimes against society, and that which is necessary to deal with threats to the very existence of that society. One is crime and punishment, the other is national security - and each requires its own policies, strategies and tactics. Both are necessary - they must be coordinated - but it is vital that our leaders also understand and recognize when one must hold sway over the other.
Want to read
August 8, 2012The author was a prosecutor for the US Department of Justice who prosecuted jihadists for the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Their leader was Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, known as the Blind Sheikh. Attorney Lynne Stewart helped the imprisoned Abdel Rahman communicate with Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya (also known as the Islamic Group). The Islamic Group was a spinoff of the Muslim Brotherhood. It supported itself by robbing Coptic Christians. It was responsible for the 1997 of tourists at Hatshepsut’s Temple near Luxor. When we hold a jihadist leader in custody, his friends on the outside often will kidnap hostages and threaten to kill them if their leader is not released. A good argument for the death penalty. Listening, Israel?
Many of the leaders of jihad have advanced degrees in sharia from prominent Islamic universities. Terrorism may recruit its soldiers from the poor, but its root cause originates in academia.
Many of the leaders of jihad have advanced degrees in sharia from prominent Islamic universities. Terrorism may recruit its soldiers from the poor, but its root cause originates in academia.
December 24, 2011
This is an important, engaging, and expertly-written memoir. Its main points are crystal clear because Andrew McCarthy, as a former federal prosecutor, knows how to build a narrative. Nevertheless, it's also one of the few books in recent memory that occasionally challenged the limits of my own vocabulary. It's not that McCarthy shows off with words; it's that his vocabulary is formidable because even out of government service, he retains his lawyerly instinct for precision. The book is not about jihad per se, but McCarthy has several valuable insights into that Islamic duty -- and yes, it is a duty.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in current events, and anyone who thinks the American legal system is versatile enough to fight international terrorism effectively (McCarthy will disabuse you of that notion, but not in a polemical or annoying way).
Highly recommended for anyone interested in current events, and anyone who thinks the American legal system is versatile enough to fight international terrorism effectively (McCarthy will disabuse you of that notion, but not in a polemical or annoying way).
October 10, 2012
A good book that describes the radical interpretation of Islam and why US politically correct views of the world and use of our Judiciary actually enables those who want to kill us. Terrorists need to be treated as enemies who are at war with us not as tax evaders, auto thieves or even murderers who enjoy both the assumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial. The anti-terrorist intelligence we gather is too little, too important and too vital to share at trial.
November 4, 2008
Written by a former federal prosecutor and describes how terrorists were fighting a war but until 9/11 we considered their war a matter to be delt with in the courtroom.
Read
June 26, 2009Scary book about how we pretend as a nation that the Muslim Jihad is benign. According to McCarthy Muslims hate Americans ("infidels") and would kill us all if they could. Kinda scary.
February 1, 2011
This is a super informative book written by the federal prosecutor of the "Blind Sheik". Andrew McCarthy is one of the smartest guys around on this subject.
Currently reading
May 11, 2011The author called me and I'm supposedly "in the book"....
She sent a copy, so I need to read it.
She sent a copy, so I need to read it.
October 13, 2012
An excellent study of why I don't believe that the American criminal justice system is adequate to deal with terrorism. New law is needed.
January 31, 2013
Former NY assistant US attorney
July 7, 2014
An excellent work of non-fiction that reads like a thriller! I recommend this to anyone interested in United States foreign policy and recent historical events.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews