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 Just
short of a year after the horrendous 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade
Center in New York, many Americans not directly affected by the attack have
probably forgotten the details. But John Miller and Michael Stone’s book,
among many that have flooded the market in recent weeks, painfully brings them
to the surface again in an effort to understand the behind-the-scenes action
of America’s own al Qaeda terrorist cell.
Let’s face it, even Hyperion, the publisher of this book,
has more interest in the bottom line than in Americans’ right to know. Their
motive for publishing this book is one of money–pure and simple.
But the collaborative efforts of John Miller and Michael
Stone go far beyond the buck. They’re journalists– and good ones at that.
It’s their intense and deep reporting that makes this book one readers will
find hard to put down.
In today’s broadcast media-controlled world, it’s a real
challenge for journalists to report on any major event. Once the media gets
their hands in things, it’s often hard for journalists to seek out the
truth. But the further readers get into this book, the more they’ll realize
that what they’re reading is the truth and not entertainment.
This 336-page book is riveting, as full of excitement as any
adventure thriller or crime novel. The pieces of this vast puzzle slowly fall
into place as page after page reveals the pre-history of 9/11. It all started
with a few individuals who immigrated to the United States from various Middle
Eastern and Asian countries. These individuals form the core for a powerful
terrorist cell right in New York under the very noses of the police and FBI.
One of the most dangerous of these men was Ranzi Yousef, a
Pakistani with a hellish master plan, which included the successful bombing of
the World Trade Center in 1993. This surprised both the FBI and the New York
Police, who seemed to care more about protocol than preventing terrorist
attacks.
This story isn’t just about terrorists but also the petty
politics and territorial squabbling that prevent our law enforcement agencies
from doing their jobs. While most Americans feel safe knowing that we have an
effective police force and national agencies like the FBI, the truth based on
Miller and Stone’s findings is that we’re far from secure.
Our own basic freedoms provided by our Constitution also
allowed these terrorists to plan and execute their acts. The very thing that
our country has fought so hard to preserve–the basic rights of man–is what
helped to bring down the World Trade Center Towers. Nearly all the terrorists
involved immigrated to the U.S. and eventually married American women so that
they could become citizens legally. One of them was even in the U.S. Army.
The initial interview with Osama bin Laden is chilling to
say the least. The Cell shows just how moniacal this man really is. His own
country exiled him and renounced his citizenship. He uses the enthusiasm and
martyrdom of hundreds of Arab men to his advantage. Miller and Stone uncover
every detail to provide a broad picture of Arab terrorism and its effect on
the United States.
The shear amount of detail in this book is astounding. And
it’s the authors’ attention to detail that makes the collaboration so
successful and this book a winner.
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