Williams, Paul L. Al Qaeda: Brotherhood of Terror. Alpha Books, 2002.

Date: 3 January 2002

This book provides an well-organized overview of the history, players, and relationships relating to Al Qaeda. Williams devotes chapters to painting an historical background of religious and social factors in the Middle East (up to 1980s) followed by a rendering of modern fundamentalist leaders, and the means, methods, and mindset of today's terror networks.

Williams attempts to provide the reader with a broad understanding of how and why an organization such as Al Qaeda has come to be, but also provides specific descriptions of Al Qaeda's individuals and activities around the world. Williams also described the teachings and influence of Al Qaeda, which I found chilling.

Of particular note was a short biography of Mohamed Atta, who was born 19 days before me in Egypt to a wealthy family. He graduated from Cairo University the same time I graduated from Eckerd College, and enrolled at the Technical University of Hamburg about the same time I started graduate school at Clemson. Williams quotes witnesses who described Atta in college as a modest but reasonably laid-back guy… not a fundamental Muslim. During a 1995 (or shortly thereafter) research trip to Syria, Atta met Mamoun Darkazanli (who was connected with Osama bin Ladin). This meeting apparently marked a transformation of Atta, after which he became reclusive and devout in his religious studies, and began to recruit coconspirators for the 911 attacks.

I was also chilled by Osama bin Ladin's fatwa to kill any Americans, anytime, anywhere.

J. Sprigg