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FBI Files: Uncovering a Terrorist: Agent Ryan Dwyer and the Case of the Portland Bomb Plot
Uncovering a Terrorist is the story of the FBI's investigation of Mohamed Mohamud led by Agent Ryan Dwyer, the agent who helped bring him to justice, creating room for the conversation surrounding religious terrorism and its effects around the world.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud was an American citizen, a college student at Oregon State University, and a wannabe terrorist. His dream was to go to Yemen, train with al-Qaeda, and travel to Afghanistan to kill U.S. soldiers. But first, he plotted to detonate a massive bomb at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in downtown Portland.
Agent Ryan Dwyer ran the sting operation to see how serious Mohamed was. He and an Arabic-speaking partner, joined by FBI personnel—including two undercover operatives posing as al-Qaeda terrorists—worked month after month to get to know him and keep the people of Portland safe.
Go behind the scences of some of the FBI's most interesting cases in award-winning journalist Bryan Denson's FBI Files series, featuring the investigations of the Unabomber, Russian spy Rick Ames, and Michael Young's diamong theft ring. Each book includes photographs, a glossary, a note from the author, and other detailed backmatter on the subject of the investigation.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud was an American citizen, a college student at Oregon State University, and a wannabe terrorist. His dream was to go to Yemen, train with al-Qaeda, and travel to Afghanistan to kill U.S. soldiers. But first, he plotted to detonate a massive bomb at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in downtown Portland.
Agent Ryan Dwyer ran the sting operation to see how serious Mohamed was. He and an Arabic-speaking partner, joined by FBI personnel—including two undercover operatives posing as al-Qaeda terrorists—worked month after month to get to know him and keep the people of Portland safe.
Go behind the scences of some of the FBI's most interesting cases in award-winning journalist Bryan Denson's FBI Files series, featuring the investigations of the Unabomber, Russian spy Rick Ames, and Michael Young's diamong theft ring. Each book includes photographs, a glossary, a note from the author, and other detailed backmatter on the subject of the investigation.
- GenresNonfiction
176 pages, Paperback
Published June 23, 2020
3 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Denson
10 books35 followersBryan Denson is the author of "The Spy's Son: The True Story of the Highest-Ranking CIA Officer Ever Convicted of Espionage and the Son He Trained to Spy for Russia."
The book is available for purchase now, but hits bookstores in the USA and Canada May 5, 2015. The Spy's Son also will be published in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand in June 2015. Rights also have sold in Poland and Estonia.
Movie rights to the book were sold to Paramount Pictures. The studio has attached Robert De Niro and Shia LaBeouf to play the father-son spy duo. The film is to be directed by D.J. Caruso. The screenplay was written by Kario Salem, a guy with a genius understanding of narrative.
Denson is a veteran journalist who has worked on the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the United States at five daily newspapers. He currently works for The Oregonian newspaper and OregonLive, where he covers the federal courts.
The book is available for purchase now, but hits bookstores in the USA and Canada May 5, 2015. The Spy's Son also will be published in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand in June 2015. Rights also have sold in Poland and Estonia.
Movie rights to the book were sold to Paramount Pictures. The studio has attached Robert De Niro and Shia LaBeouf to play the father-son spy duo. The film is to be directed by D.J. Caruso. The screenplay was written by Kario Salem, a guy with a genius understanding of narrative.
Denson is a veteran journalist who has worked on the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the United States at five daily newspapers. He currently works for The Oregonian newspaper and OregonLive, where he covers the federal courts.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 1, 2020
I know this story well. I live in the Portland area, and to know that something sinister was going on behind closed doors is terrifying. This book really walks you through the events that lead up to the Christmas tree lighting in Portland, Oregon and how the bombing was thwarted. It sends a shiver up my spine to think that I could have lost someone I loved that night if the bombing had gone forward as planned. I enjoyed this read. It helped me to understand the stakes and the mind set behind the bomber himself.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
June 3, 2020
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and #NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital ARC of Uncovering a Terrorist: Agent Ryan Dwyer and the Case of the Portland Bomb Plot by Bryan Denson. This book will be released on June 22, 2020. All opinions are my own.
This book covers the FBI investigation of Mohamed Mohamud that was led by Agent Ryan Dwyer. The investigation uncovered that Mohamud was a wannabe terrorist who plotted and attempted to carry out a terrorism attack at the Portland Christmas Tree Lighting on November 26, 2010. The book details Dwyer's investigation as well as the criminal proceedings.
I wanted to read this book because I have lived in Oregon my entire life and was in college, in the Portland area, in 2010, so I found the topic to hit close to home. I think that Denson did a good job of giving insight into the sting operation and that his book allows for discussions on religious terrorism and its effects around the world. The book is very well researched and I liked that it included a photos, a timeline, a glossary, a list of research used, and a section where Denson explains how he wrote the book. I also like that there is a big emphasis on the fact that any individual regardless of their religion can be radicalized and be a terrorist. It emphasizes multiple times that being Muslim does not make you a terrorist and that the version of the religion that Mohamud followed was a radicalized one and that his actions and beliefs do not reflect those of the majority. I think this is an important distinction and conversation to have with younger readers who don't always see gray areas. This was a very engaging text and it is fairly short at around 176 pages. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to students. I do think that they need to be of a certain maturity level for this book and that teachers and parents should also talk with their students about the topics in the book to help them develop a better understanding of them.
This book covers the FBI investigation of Mohamed Mohamud that was led by Agent Ryan Dwyer. The investigation uncovered that Mohamud was a wannabe terrorist who plotted and attempted to carry out a terrorism attack at the Portland Christmas Tree Lighting on November 26, 2010. The book details Dwyer's investigation as well as the criminal proceedings.
I wanted to read this book because I have lived in Oregon my entire life and was in college, in the Portland area, in 2010, so I found the topic to hit close to home. I think that Denson did a good job of giving insight into the sting operation and that his book allows for discussions on religious terrorism and its effects around the world. The book is very well researched and I liked that it included a photos, a timeline, a glossary, a list of research used, and a section where Denson explains how he wrote the book. I also like that there is a big emphasis on the fact that any individual regardless of their religion can be radicalized and be a terrorist. It emphasizes multiple times that being Muslim does not make you a terrorist and that the version of the religion that Mohamud followed was a radicalized one and that his actions and beliefs do not reflect those of the majority. I think this is an important distinction and conversation to have with younger readers who don't always see gray areas. This was a very engaging text and it is fairly short at around 176 pages. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to students. I do think that they need to be of a certain maturity level for this book and that teachers and parents should also talk with their students about the topics in the book to help them develop a better understanding of them.
July 12, 2020
A fascinating story detailing the efforts of the FBI to (a) determine accurately whether a person of interest was an actual threat or just posturing without influencing his thinking or inclinations (“entrapping” him) and (b) build a solid, prosecutable case against him once he demonstrated his desire and willingness - eagerness - to kill.
The rating I gave is reduced because the book simply becomes bloated in the last third with retelling and restating (albeit in a different format) the tale that had just been told. The story is truly interesting and frightening ... but I was left with the feeling that the author had undertaken to deliver X pages ... and so he did.
The rating I gave is reduced because the book simply becomes bloated in the last third with retelling and restating (albeit in a different format) the tale that had just been told. The story is truly interesting and frightening ... but I was left with the feeling that the author had undertaken to deliver X pages ... and so he did.
January 29, 2022
Highly readable, well researched, and it reads like a novel. It's especially good for reluctant readers, and I appreciate the positive view of the FBI.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews