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American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us
Leading the second wave of post 9/11 terrorist books, American Jihad reveals that America is rampant with Islamic terrorist networks and sleeper cells and Emerson, the expert on them, explains just how close they are to each of us.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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May 18, 2024
A CONTROVERSIAL JOURNALIST FINDS TERRORISTS IN OUR OWN COUNTRY
Journalist and author Steven Emerson wrote in the Introduction to this 2002 book, “The dream of a world under Islam has engendered Muslim dissidents everywhere in the world over the last two decades. Almost every Islamic country has its militant faction, often two or three… In the past twelve years, however, these groups have achieved a new level of coordination, owing to their exploitation of the civil liberties of the United States. None of these small national groups was ever able to coordinate its worldwide efforts with the other until they came to the United States. Operating in out open society, with freedom of speech and assembly and with only casual oversight from the FBI, CIA, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the worldwide network of militant Islamic organizations has finally been able to coordinate… This book offers a twelve-year-long story of the arrival and flourishing of terrorists in the United States, explaining where they are, how they interconnect, how they recruit, how they raise money, and how they use our legal system, and how they use our legal system as a cover. Call it… the American Jihad.”
In the first chapter, he recounts, “in 1993 I left CNN to work full-time as an investigator or terrorist networks in the United States. I founded The Investigative Project… What we discovered is that, indeed, international terrorist organizations of all sorts had set up shop here in America. They often took advantage of religious, civic, or charitable organizations. Usually this was more than enough to fool the public, the police, and especially naïve leaders of religious or educational institutions, who were more than willing to encourage and sponsor these groups in the name of ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘diversity.’ Meanwhile, U.S.-based terrorists have been able to use these organizations to ferry equipment to Middle Eastern terror groups, to offer financial support to the families of suicide bombers, to coordinate efforts with other terrorist networks around the world, and ultimately plan and support terrorist acts in the United States.” (Pg. 9-10)
He outlines, “Overall, the terrorists’ activities can be divided into four categories: recruitment, fund-raising and/or money-laundering, networking, and direct organizing… Foreign terrorist organizations have utilized solo operators in America as well as groups. Some of their representatives and supporters have entered the country illegally, using visa fraud; they have also actively recruited individuals who are able to use American passports to travel freely around the world… Representatives of charities dedicated to serving ‘widows and orphans’ of the Middle East conflict make pious appeals; they generally don’t admit that they are sending money to the widows of suicide bombers… By far the most important tactic utilized by terrorist groups in America has been to use nonprofit organizations to establish a zone of legitimacy within which fund-raising, recruitment, and even outright planning can occur… Often, the organizations are perfectly legitimate, but… how much responsibility must they bear for the contrary behaviors of individual members or guest speakers?... Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network took control of a network of offices dedicated to supporting Afghan mujahideen and refugees, located in over thirty American cities including such major urban centers as New York, Boston, and Tucson.” (Pg. 30-31, 35, 37, 38)
He notes, “The vast majority of American mosques are funded with Saudi Arabian money, and most of the funders subscribe to the Saudi doctrine of Wahhabism, and eighteenth-century ideology of extreme purity that supports the spread of Islam through violence. Local imams can be appointed by anyone who chooses to fund a mosque: hence, the influence of this minority ideology is well entrenched among American clerics.” (Pg. 40-41)
He says of the ‘new generation of jihadists’: “First, its aims are broad: the jihadists hate the United States… they also detest secular or moderate regimes within the Islamic world. Second… the terror networks are highly decentralized. Any two points can be connected or disconnected fairly easily… Finally, the networks are interconnected in many overlapping ways, which means that a few key nodes can lead experts to many points of potential threats.” (Pg. 54-55)
He explains, “Hamas is world famous as the main Islamist organization in the Palestinian territories. Yet it is a relatively recent organization, formed immediately after the intifada of 1987. Hamas not only opposed the Middle East peace process, it seeks Israel’s destruction. It has a political and a military wing… Graduates from its political wing earn the right to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli targets. Of all the Islamic militant groups, Hamas has developed the most sophisticated American infrastructure.” (Pg. 80)
He points out, “Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s strong connection to the University of South Florida serves notice to law enforcement officials, universities, and the media. A major terrorist group, associating itself with a tax-exempt entity and a mainstream religious group, was able to shield itself from scrutiny for at least five years… That Sami al-Arian continues to draw his salary as a tenured professor is a tribute to the strength of academic freedom in this country. After all, he has never bene charged with any crime, much less convicted of one. With liberties like these, why wouldn’t the international jihad movement want to settle here?” (Pg. 124-125) [Sami al-Arian is no longer employed at USF, and he was deported in 2015/]
He reports, “Sudan was governed by the national Islamic Front party under Dr. Hassan al-Turabi, who seized power through a military coup in 1989... Al-Turabi … imposed a fundamentalist regime… and he opened up Sudan to worldwide terrorists… Sudan was not alone in sponsoring al Qaeda… Hezzbollah officials arranged special advance weapons and explosives training for Mujahideen in Lebanon. Among the items on the curriculum were instructions on how to blow up large buildings. Soon Sudan was hosting an entire spectrum of radical Islamic groups… Sudan-based terrorists found it easier to export death and destruction worldwide, including to the most technically advanced nations.” (Pg. 138-139)
He clarifies, “But the important thing is this. There are many, many sides to the Islamic religion, and the existence of a strong element of militant fundamentalists is a threat not only to American institutions and lives, but also to moderate Muslims… Some of the struggles between the fundamentalists and moderates have been well publicized.” (Pg. 165-166)
He concludes, “I can only hope Muslims everywhere will eventually recognize the self-destructive path that fundamentalism represents and will return to the highest ideals of their true religion. But in the end… we must not blind ourselves to the bitter reality that militant Islamic fundamentalism holds the far more powerful upper hand in the intra-religious debate within Islam… The horrific casualties of September 11 showed that … Militant Islam, in its various incarnations, will continue to be a fixed feature on our political landscape for many years to come.” (Pg. 174-175)
This book (as well as Emerson’s films ‘Terrorists Among Us’ and ‘Jihad in America: The Grand Deception’) will be of great interest to those studying purported ‘Islamic’ terrorism; but his views (including some of the ‘connections’ he purports to find) will be extremely repellent to others.
Journalist and author Steven Emerson wrote in the Introduction to this 2002 book, “The dream of a world under Islam has engendered Muslim dissidents everywhere in the world over the last two decades. Almost every Islamic country has its militant faction, often two or three… In the past twelve years, however, these groups have achieved a new level of coordination, owing to their exploitation of the civil liberties of the United States. None of these small national groups was ever able to coordinate its worldwide efforts with the other until they came to the United States. Operating in out open society, with freedom of speech and assembly and with only casual oversight from the FBI, CIA, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the worldwide network of militant Islamic organizations has finally been able to coordinate… This book offers a twelve-year-long story of the arrival and flourishing of terrorists in the United States, explaining where they are, how they interconnect, how they recruit, how they raise money, and how they use our legal system, and how they use our legal system as a cover. Call it… the American Jihad.”
In the first chapter, he recounts, “in 1993 I left CNN to work full-time as an investigator or terrorist networks in the United States. I founded The Investigative Project… What we discovered is that, indeed, international terrorist organizations of all sorts had set up shop here in America. They often took advantage of religious, civic, or charitable organizations. Usually this was more than enough to fool the public, the police, and especially naïve leaders of religious or educational institutions, who were more than willing to encourage and sponsor these groups in the name of ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘diversity.’ Meanwhile, U.S.-based terrorists have been able to use these organizations to ferry equipment to Middle Eastern terror groups, to offer financial support to the families of suicide bombers, to coordinate efforts with other terrorist networks around the world, and ultimately plan and support terrorist acts in the United States.” (Pg. 9-10)
He outlines, “Overall, the terrorists’ activities can be divided into four categories: recruitment, fund-raising and/or money-laundering, networking, and direct organizing… Foreign terrorist organizations have utilized solo operators in America as well as groups. Some of their representatives and supporters have entered the country illegally, using visa fraud; they have also actively recruited individuals who are able to use American passports to travel freely around the world… Representatives of charities dedicated to serving ‘widows and orphans’ of the Middle East conflict make pious appeals; they generally don’t admit that they are sending money to the widows of suicide bombers… By far the most important tactic utilized by terrorist groups in America has been to use nonprofit organizations to establish a zone of legitimacy within which fund-raising, recruitment, and even outright planning can occur… Often, the organizations are perfectly legitimate, but… how much responsibility must they bear for the contrary behaviors of individual members or guest speakers?... Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network took control of a network of offices dedicated to supporting Afghan mujahideen and refugees, located in over thirty American cities including such major urban centers as New York, Boston, and Tucson.” (Pg. 30-31, 35, 37, 38)
He notes, “The vast majority of American mosques are funded with Saudi Arabian money, and most of the funders subscribe to the Saudi doctrine of Wahhabism, and eighteenth-century ideology of extreme purity that supports the spread of Islam through violence. Local imams can be appointed by anyone who chooses to fund a mosque: hence, the influence of this minority ideology is well entrenched among American clerics.” (Pg. 40-41)
He says of the ‘new generation of jihadists’: “First, its aims are broad: the jihadists hate the United States… they also detest secular or moderate regimes within the Islamic world. Second… the terror networks are highly decentralized. Any two points can be connected or disconnected fairly easily… Finally, the networks are interconnected in many overlapping ways, which means that a few key nodes can lead experts to many points of potential threats.” (Pg. 54-55)
He explains, “Hamas is world famous as the main Islamist organization in the Palestinian territories. Yet it is a relatively recent organization, formed immediately after the intifada of 1987. Hamas not only opposed the Middle East peace process, it seeks Israel’s destruction. It has a political and a military wing… Graduates from its political wing earn the right to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli targets. Of all the Islamic militant groups, Hamas has developed the most sophisticated American infrastructure.” (Pg. 80)
He points out, “Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s strong connection to the University of South Florida serves notice to law enforcement officials, universities, and the media. A major terrorist group, associating itself with a tax-exempt entity and a mainstream religious group, was able to shield itself from scrutiny for at least five years… That Sami al-Arian continues to draw his salary as a tenured professor is a tribute to the strength of academic freedom in this country. After all, he has never bene charged with any crime, much less convicted of one. With liberties like these, why wouldn’t the international jihad movement want to settle here?” (Pg. 124-125) [Sami al-Arian is no longer employed at USF, and he was deported in 2015/]
He reports, “Sudan was governed by the national Islamic Front party under Dr. Hassan al-Turabi, who seized power through a military coup in 1989... Al-Turabi … imposed a fundamentalist regime… and he opened up Sudan to worldwide terrorists… Sudan was not alone in sponsoring al Qaeda… Hezzbollah officials arranged special advance weapons and explosives training for Mujahideen in Lebanon. Among the items on the curriculum were instructions on how to blow up large buildings. Soon Sudan was hosting an entire spectrum of radical Islamic groups… Sudan-based terrorists found it easier to export death and destruction worldwide, including to the most technically advanced nations.” (Pg. 138-139)
He clarifies, “But the important thing is this. There are many, many sides to the Islamic religion, and the existence of a strong element of militant fundamentalists is a threat not only to American institutions and lives, but also to moderate Muslims… Some of the struggles between the fundamentalists and moderates have been well publicized.” (Pg. 165-166)
He concludes, “I can only hope Muslims everywhere will eventually recognize the self-destructive path that fundamentalism represents and will return to the highest ideals of their true religion. But in the end… we must not blind ourselves to the bitter reality that militant Islamic fundamentalism holds the far more powerful upper hand in the intra-religious debate within Islam… The horrific casualties of September 11 showed that … Militant Islam, in its various incarnations, will continue to be a fixed feature on our political landscape for many years to come.” (Pg. 174-175)
This book (as well as Emerson’s films ‘Terrorists Among Us’ and ‘Jihad in America: The Grand Deception’) will be of great interest to those studying purported ‘Islamic’ terrorism; but his views (including some of the ‘connections’ he purports to find) will be extremely repellent to others.
June 13, 2008
This is a very informative and helpful book. Its title is a bit misleading, though. Rarely does Emerson point to specific terrorists and the American town they live in. Instead, Emerson offers an overview of American-based organizations that sponsor conferences for terrorist speakers, recruit for terrorist organizations, provide funds to terrorist organizations, and spread the propaganda of terrorist organizations.
Emerson acknowledges that these groups have done nothing illegal, but they have supported illegal terrorist groups. As a result, several terrorist organizations like Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and even Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda are firmly entrenched in this country.
Terrorists come to the U.S. all the time and give speeches that incite hatred and violence toward America and Jews. These terrorists actually call for violence against the U.S. It's very ironic, because they are using freedoms in this country they would deny to others.
Remember the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six and wounded hundreds? The terrorists who did that were connected to a U.S. network of other terrorists, some of whom were American.
Who are these American organizations? They include:
* American Muslim Council (AMC)
* Muslim Arab Youth Association (MAYA)
* Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
* Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
* Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
* American Muslim Alliance (AMA)
* Islamic Society of North America, the largest Muslim organization in the U.S.
Emerson presents in sometimes excruciating detail the ties these groups have with terrorists. But he also portrays a few brave moderate Muslims who speak out against these groups. People like Sheikh Kabbani, the late Seifeldin Ashmawy (he died in a car crash in 1998), and Emerson's friend Khalid Duran. These men have all suffered death threats and recrimination in condemning the violence and hatred of the fundamentalist Muslim terrorists. They should be applauded, encouraged, and supported, because even they concede they are losing the battle against the fundamentalists for the soul and future of Islam.
Emerson acknowledges that these groups have done nothing illegal, but they have supported illegal terrorist groups. As a result, several terrorist organizations like Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and even Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda are firmly entrenched in this country.
Terrorists come to the U.S. all the time and give speeches that incite hatred and violence toward America and Jews. These terrorists actually call for violence against the U.S. It's very ironic, because they are using freedoms in this country they would deny to others.
Remember the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six and wounded hundreds? The terrorists who did that were connected to a U.S. network of other terrorists, some of whom were American.
Who are these American organizations? They include:
* American Muslim Council (AMC)
* Muslim Arab Youth Association (MAYA)
* Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
* Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
* Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
* American Muslim Alliance (AMA)
* Islamic Society of North America, the largest Muslim organization in the U.S.
Emerson presents in sometimes excruciating detail the ties these groups have with terrorists. But he also portrays a few brave moderate Muslims who speak out against these groups. People like Sheikh Kabbani, the late Seifeldin Ashmawy (he died in a car crash in 1998), and Emerson's friend Khalid Duran. These men have all suffered death threats and recrimination in condemning the violence and hatred of the fundamentalist Muslim terrorists. They should be applauded, encouraged, and supported, because even they concede they are losing the battle against the fundamentalists for the soul and future of Islam.
February 27, 2012
My list of books to read has gotten so long, that some books have been on it for ten years. In the case of this book, the ten years of perspective is a good thing. American Jihad was probably very alarming when it first came out. Now it comes across as alarmist.
There will always be a tension between personal liberties and security. This book, to its credit, recognizes that. Steven Emerson uncovered a lot of groups making hateful speeches in our country. That is very sad, and very worrying. But history has shown that allowing people to voice their anger (no matter how wrong and unfounded) is a way to diffuse it. That has largely borne out for the last ten years.
But the author seems to take the position that America is in imminent danger. He ridicules cautious statements that the FBI has made to the press. He quotes vitriolic speeches of radical groups, and infers that immediate action is required. I can see how such a position would have resonated in the aftershock of a national tragedy. Today, it seems more like fear-mongering.
There will always be a tension between personal liberties and security. This book, to its credit, recognizes that. Steven Emerson uncovered a lot of groups making hateful speeches in our country. That is very sad, and very worrying. But history has shown that allowing people to voice their anger (no matter how wrong and unfounded) is a way to diffuse it. That has largely borne out for the last ten years.
But the author seems to take the position that America is in imminent danger. He ridicules cautious statements that the FBI has made to the press. He quotes vitriolic speeches of radical groups, and infers that immediate action is required. I can see how such a position would have resonated in the aftershock of a national tragedy. Today, it seems more like fear-mongering.
May 4, 2016
Fantastic book. Reading this book 14 years after its publication it validates the claims of the author. Must reading for anyone with an interest in the topic. Extremely well researched.
December 15, 2022
I read this not necessarily for the topic but for my own research on American interpretations of terrorism since the 1970s. Emerson doesn't come across as right wing, but he tended to publish in those sorts of journals/mags. His main spiel as a writer was unlocking webs of terrorist group influence in the United States, often groups that act through fronts, charities, etc or have influence in major groups like CAIR. He's quite able in this regard, although he's not great at putting these connections in the context of radical Islamism. He has a lot of interesting accounts of the kind of blowback he's received over his work on this topic, which has included death threats. He strongly overstates the interconnectedness of the radical transnational terrorist groups of the 90s and 2000s, following the Claire Sterling 'terror network" model. He does, however, avoid clash of civilizations type rhetoric, and he specifies (as most conservatives in that era did) that these radicals represented a minority in modern Islam.By this point I think this book has been eclipsed by other studies, but it's worth noting that he was influential in public discussions of terrorism in that time period, particularly on the right.
March 21, 2022
I read this as one of many supplemental books while earning my BA in Intelligence Studies. This book is a startling report about the individuals who have infiltrated our country and pretend to like America and lead 'normal' lives, while in the background, scheming diabolical attacks against US citizens. Fortunately, our intelligence agencies have become better and better at sniffing out these domestic terrorists, and our 'If you see something, say something' campaign has paid in dividends.
November 12, 2024
I felt like a lot of the points were reiterations and redundancies.
Lots of research and points that ultimately work for his views, but I didn't like the speculative aspects.
I think my issue was just that it wasn't current and a lot has happened since the writing, but that's not the fault of the author. It was interesting to read about the organizations in the pre social media era.
Lots of research and points that ultimately work for his views, but I didn't like the speculative aspects.
I think my issue was just that it wasn't current and a lot has happened since the writing, but that's not the fault of the author. It was interesting to read about the organizations in the pre social media era.
December 11, 2020
This was a great book. Emerson opened the eyes of readers to the fact that anti-American jihadism is rampant in America. Our enemies gather their funding right here to fund their wars against us.
March 18, 2022
Interesting, but mistakenly alarmist. Twenty years on from 9-1-1, perspectives change.
November 17, 2011
I had high hopes for this book it caught my eye so i picked it up and although it had its moments I didn't like the writing. To be fair he had a lot of information to get across maybe because of this the writing became more a list of names than the story of American Jihad.
There are several damning portions that show just how blind and unwilling to see our government was to possible terrorist attacks on American soil before 9/11. He also talked about how ingrained the terrorist fundraising and networks were in the U.S. I wonder if this is still true today??
There are several damning portions that show just how blind and unwilling to see our government was to possible terrorist attacks on American soil before 9/11. He also talked about how ingrained the terrorist fundraising and networks were in the U.S. I wonder if this is still true today??
July 5, 2012
Interesting, insiteful, boring. Way way to many names and dates that jump all over the time spectrum. I'm totally freaked out about the number of radical Islamist's that are right hear in the USA. It is also amazing how deep they are in our own government, and how they enjoy our freedom of speech and our education system. They use all of this as their sword to strike down and "kill" as many Americans as possible. This book needs to be read by every American. It should be mandatory reading before high school graduation.
August 6, 2014
Difficult to digest that terrorists live amongst us!
Difficult to digest that terrorists live amongst us!
Steven Emerson has done a great job putting facts together about the terrorists living in America, protected by civil rights and political correctness. To read about how jihadists are teaching in our colleges, indoctrinating our young people to convert to Islam, trying to gain control through fear and lies is absolutely mind boggling. A must read to gain an understanding of what they are doing and how they are doing it in America.
Difficult to digest that terrorists live amongst us!
Steven Emerson has done a great job putting facts together about the terrorists living in America, protected by civil rights and political correctness. To read about how jihadists are teaching in our colleges, indoctrinating our young people to convert to Islam, trying to gain control through fear and lies is absolutely mind boggling. A must read to gain an understanding of what they are doing and how they are doing it in America.
March 19, 2009
This is an excellent synopsis on Islamic Fundamentalist beliefs and what led us to 9-11. It carries beyond that by exposing terrorist organizations within our nation, some of whom receive federal funding as non-profit organizations, even post 9-11. Steven Emerson is very well informed and his research has resulted in documentaries and contributions to news organizations. This is a good read for someone beginning a study of Islamic Fundamentalism.
March 14, 2015
A story that had to be told. I'd like to read an updated version, 10+ years later. What has changed, what hasn't? How has the Patriot Act affected the groups and individuals he discusses? If you are going to read this, be sure to read the chapter "Fighting Back," and of course, keep in mind that as with all religions, the extreme and militant fundamentalists are the tiny minority while often the most vocal, and destructive.
October 14, 2015
I was watching a documentary on 911 in September of this year, and I came across Steven Emerson on the show. I liked what he was saying so I wanted to read his book. I found his book very interesting seeing how many terrorist members an organizations were set up in the United States even before 911. This book made you think!!!!
November 11, 2007
Scary.
April 17, 2008
Political
-Demographics
-Demographics
July 23, 2008
Very frightening review of terrorist cells in the US. It examines mostly pre-9/11, but also current cells. A little anti-Islam, but still interesting.
July 10, 2008
Emerson is a brilliant man!
December 15, 2010
The author presents a clear case and shows that there are many terrorist organizations operating in America. I believe the book would be better if it was updated with some more current information.
Read
December 17, 2010Very good read author is very knowledgeable source.
July 24, 2011
True Story. This man attends secret meetings in the Untied States and listens to Jihadists' plans to attack America. Scary stuff, but a little slow and boring to read through.
May 8, 2013
Boring
June 7, 2013
Very general, not the kind of interesting case study style typical of this type of book. Decently written and quick to read.
November 17, 2013
This is an important book for Americans to read and understand.
August 4, 2015
It was a very insightful read.
August 20, 2015
Not enough meat, inflammatory stuff is being said, but how much is actually put into action?
December 26, 2015
Was a little slow, informative but otherwise interesting. Taught me a lot of stuff I was unaware of!
May 27, 2016
Parked for now; reading better books...
July 17, 2016
Jaw dropping book. Everyone should read to understand what is happening right under our noses and literally in our back yards.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews