Author: Dilip Hiro
Publisher: Roli Books
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 513
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8174362444
Description
"The first war of the twenty-first century" - that is how President George W Bush described the start of a war against terror signaled by the catastrophic terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. on September 11. In reality, though, this conflict began during the presidency of Bill Clinton in August 1998 when the US responded to the Islamist terrorists' bombing of American embassies in Nairobi and Dar as Salaam.
This book provides the historical and political context to explain these acts of terror and the West's response. After providing a brief history of Islam as a religion and as a socio-political ideology, Dilip Hiro outlines the Islamist movements that have thrived in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, and their changing relationship with America. It is within this framework that he describes the rising menace of Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaida network.
Hero examines the Pentagon's amazingly swift victory over the Taliban in Afghanistan. He then discusses the implication of the Bush Doctrine, encapsulated in his declaration, " So long as anybody is terrorizing established governments, there needs to be a war' - a recipe for war without end.
Contents
Illustrations
Maps
Prologue
Preface
Part I
ISLAM
The Rise of Islam: Sunnis and Shies
Orthodox Islam and Sufism
Islam in modern times
Part II
ISLAMIC IDEOLOGIES and FUNDAMENTALIST STATES
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and its offshoots
Saudi Arabia: the oldest fundamentalist state
Afghanistan: fundamentalism victorious, with American backing
Part III
ISLAMIST TERRORISM and GLOBAL RESPONASE
Bombing of US embassies: a wake-up call
Eighty minutes that shook the world and global response
Ongoing war against terror: an uncharted territory
Summary and conclusions
Epilogue
Notes
Abbreviations
Glossary of foreign terms
Appendix I: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368
Appendix II: United Nationals Security Council Resolution 1373
Select Bibliography
Index