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His Own Words: Translation and Analysis of the Writings of Dr. Ayman Al Zawahiri: A Translation of the Writings of Dr. Ayman Al Zawahiri
Al Qaeda second in command Dr. Ayman Zawahiri is often referred to as the "brains of Al Qaeda." This book translates into English the writings of Zawahiri, as well as the post-September 11 communiques of the Egyptian physician turned terrorist. It includes a complete translation of his December 2001 book "Knights Under the Prophet's Banner." If you want to know what makes this Al Qaeda leader tick, this is the book to read.
362 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2006
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September 11, 2007
It was said by many that if world leaders in the thirties had read Mein Kamph and taken it seriously then much of World War II could have been averted.
While this translation of Zawahiris writing is not as predictive of his intentions as Mein Kamph was for Hitler, it does give the reader insight into the mindset of someone intent on the destruction of your society.
Some surprising things that this book reveals:
--Zawahiris writing style is not as childish and ridiculous as most Jihadis. Largely lacking all the "we will bring the rain of blood down on your houses of filth" nonsense, he writes in somewhat clearheaded style albeit all over the place.
--He has a soft spot for children and civilian casualties. As ironic as this is from one of the architects of 9/11, he has several passages lamenting children getting killed in early Egyptian Brotherhood operations. Also in his letter to Zarqawi (which alone is worth the price of the book) he discourages the killing of civilians in barbaric ways.
--He mentions 9/11 very little choosing to focus on the politics of the middle east and its relation to historical events.
Overall a good glimpse of the mindset of one of the leaders of Al Aqueda, translated extremely well but a little long.
I still want to put a bullet in this guys brain but understanding how it works doesnt hurt either.
While this translation of Zawahiris writing is not as predictive of his intentions as Mein Kamph was for Hitler, it does give the reader insight into the mindset of someone intent on the destruction of your society.
Some surprising things that this book reveals:
--Zawahiris writing style is not as childish and ridiculous as most Jihadis. Largely lacking all the "we will bring the rain of blood down on your houses of filth" nonsense, he writes in somewhat clearheaded style albeit all over the place.
--He has a soft spot for children and civilian casualties. As ironic as this is from one of the architects of 9/11, he has several passages lamenting children getting killed in early Egyptian Brotherhood operations. Also in his letter to Zarqawi (which alone is worth the price of the book) he discourages the killing of civilians in barbaric ways.
--He mentions 9/11 very little choosing to focus on the politics of the middle east and its relation to historical events.
Overall a good glimpse of the mindset of one of the leaders of Al Aqueda, translated extremely well but a little long.
I still want to put a bullet in this guys brain but understanding how it works doesnt hurt either.
Displaying 1 of 1 review