Conversations with Terrorists: Middle East Leaders on Politics, Violence, and Empire

by Reese Erlich, Baer Robert

Overview

From Friday Prayers in Tehran to the Bombed-Out back streets of Afghanistan, veteran journalist Reese Erlich has covered U.S. foreign policy for decades. Now he brings readers face to face with six Middle Eastern leaders sometimes labeled as terrorists, offers each a chance to explain his or her positions, and subjects those explanations to critical scrutiny. Drawing on firsthand interviews and original research, he shows that yesterday's terrorist is often today's national leader-and that today's freedom fighter may become tomorrow's terrorist. By labeling virtually every opponent a terrorist, Erlich concludes, the United States makes fighting real terrorists all the more difficult.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780982417133
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/15/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	191
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Reese Erlich, Baer Robert

Table of Contents

Foreword: An Ex-CIA Perspective Robert Baer vii

1 Will the Real Terrorists Please Stand Up? 1

2 Hamas's Khaled Meshal: Middle East's Most Wanted 19

3 Geula Cohen: Jewish Terrorist? 41

4 Syria's President Bashar al-Assad: State Sponsor of Terrorism? 57

5 Lebanon's Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Fadlallah: CIA Victim 77

6 Mohsen Sazegara, Terrorist Governments, and Iran's Democracy Movement 93

7 Mohammad Nizami: The Taliban's Golden Voice 113

8 Media Distortions, Obama's Polices, and Ending the War on Terrorism 135

Afterword: Terrorism and Empire Noam Chomsky 151

Notes 155

Index 177

About the Author 185

Editorial Reviews

Erlich (coauthor of Target Iraq) questions how the U.S. has dealt with terrorist threats since 2001, suggesting that by "labeling all opponents as terrorists," the government has "from a practical perspective... rendered the term ‘terrorism' meaningless." Using decades of his personal reporting, personal interviews, and new research, Erlich emphasizes the stark differences between the nihilism of al-Qaeda and the political aspirations of organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah. He urges the U.S. to "recognize the difference between isolated fanatics and groups fighting for legitimate causes," concluding that such a policy shift would "do more to undermine groups such as al Qaeda than all U.S. invasions combined." Although the patchwork of interviews, analysis, background information, and policy prescriptives in such a slender book can be overwhelming, Erlich efficiently unearths some of the most problematic and overlooked narratives about terrorism. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Erlich efficiently unearths some of the most problematic and overlooked narratives about terrorism."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Conversations with Terrorists takes us inside the minds of people sometimes labeled as enemies by successive U.S. governments. Rather than relying on State Department or Pentagon sources, Erlich interviews key Middle East players and presents their unvarnished views. Some have acted despicably; none of them are described as ‘terrorists’ by U.S. officials. A must read for anyone who wants to understand the phony War on Terror.”
—Daniel Ellsberg, Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers

“Since I was present at two of these conversations with terrorists, I feel fully qualified to tell you that book you’re holding is true, accurate, thoughtful, and eminently readable. I would expect no less of a man who would walk up to Khalil Meschal, the head of Hamas, at a Syrian embassy reception and ask for an interview. He got it. I traveled with Reese from the Souks of Damascus to the killing grounds of Al Sukariya near Iraq, where we investigated a secret U.S. raid together. It was like traveling with a pit-bull who is trailing a truck of raw meat. Reese locks on to an objective and will not be deterred until he has unpacked and deconstructed it from at least seven angles.”
—Peter Coyote, Sleeping Where I Fall

“In an era when the Bush Administration has defined the world as good vs. evil, it’s great to read a book that reminds you things aren’t all black and white, but rather shades of grey. Conversations with Terrorists shows you that the term terrorist is subjective and that one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist.”
—Maz Jobrani, comedian/actor/American citizen

“One of the most courageous journalists I know.”
—Amiri Baraka (aka LeRoiJones), poet/playwright/political activist

“What is terror? A word. What is in that word terror? Reese Erlich introduces us to people whose names are associated with that word. He gives them the chance to speak. When we listen, we find ourselves provoked by unexpected insights and challenges to our stereotypes.”
—Stephen Kinzer, All the Shah’s Men

“Reese Erlich is an investigative reporter par excellence: fearless, dogged, and someone who can’t be snowed. Plus, he’s a great writer.”
—Matthew Rothschild, editor, The Progressive

From the Publisher