Was ist Al-Qaida wirklich? Für die meisten Menschen des Westens ist Al-Qaida der Inbegriff des Terrors: eine todbringende, perfekt durchorganisierte Gruppe von Fanatikern unter Führung von Osama bin Laden. Aber das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit. Anhand von Ereignissen im Irak und in Afghanistan, die er selbst miterlebte, anhand geheimer Dokumente und erstaunlicher Interviews mit Nachrichtendienstmitarbeitern, Militanten, Mudschaheddin-Anfürern rekonstruiert Burke die Geschichte. Er zeigt: Al-Qaida ist eher eine Taktik als eine organisierte Gruppe und ein viel breiter gefächertes Phänomen als bisher angenommen, das tief in politischen, gesellschaftlichen, historischen Bedingungen des Islam verwurzelt ist. Erst wenn wir den wahren komplexen Charakter von Al-Qaida verstehen, so Burke, können wir die Gefahren des Terrors wirksamer bekämpfen.§Eine bestechend klare Analyse, hervorragend recherchiert durch den langjährigen Chefreporter des Observer im Nahen Osten.
Jason Burke Bücher






The 9/11 Wars
- 752 Seiten
- 27 Lesestunden
Throughout the 1990s a vast conflict was brewing. The storm broke on September 11th 2001. Since then much of the world has seen invasions, bombings, battles and riots. Hundreds of thousands of people have died. Jason Burke, a first hand witness of many of the conflict's key moments, has written the definitive account of its course. At once investigation, reportage and contemporary history, it is based on hundreds of interviews with participants including desperate refugees and senior intelligence officials, ministers and foot-soldiers, active militants and their victims. Burke reveals the true nature of contemporary Islamic militancy and the inside story of the fight against it. He cuts through the myth and propaganda of all sides to reveal the reality behind well-known - and lesser known - episodes, and brings characters, voices and a sense of place to a gripping narrative. The 9/11 Wars is an essential book for understanding the dangerous and unstable twenty-first century. Whether reporting on the riots in France or the killing of Bin Laden, suicide bombers in Iraq or British troops fighting in Helmand, Jason Burke tells the story of a world that changed forever when the hijacked planes flew out of the brilliant blue sky above Manhattan on September 11th 2001.
The New Threat From Islamic Militancy
- 320 Seiten
- 12 Lesestunden
From Syria to Somalia, from Libya to Indonesia, from Yemen to the capitals of Europe, Islamic militancy appears stronger, more widespread and more threatening than ever. ISIS and groups such as Boko Haram, together command significant military power, rule millions and control extensive territories. This is a guide to Islamic militancy today.
A daring reporter's quest through the "living history" of Islam amid the War on Terrorism. In 1991, a British university student spent his summer break fighting alongside Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq. Now a prize-winning reporter and author of a book on al Qaeda, Jason Burke travels from the Sahara to the Himalayas and meets with refugees, mujahideen, and government ministers in a probing search to understand Islam, and Islamic radicalism, in the context of the "War on Terrorism." Praised by London's Daily Mail as "intensely personal and accessible," this is the gripping story of a search for answers to some of the most urgent questions of our What drives Islamic fundamentalism, and how should the West respond? Are we so fundamentally different that we can't coexist? Although much of his book concerns war and violence, Burke reaches the optimistic conclusion that extremist violence alienates its populations and so is doomed fail and wither away.
Set in the 1970s, the narrative explores a group of radical extremists who instigated fear through plane hijackings and hostage situations. Key figures include the striking Leila Khaled, known for her grenade ring jewelry, and the notorious Carlos the Jackal, whose flamboyant style matched his ruthless tactics. The Baader-Meinhof Gang also plays a significant role, as these groups aimed to liberate Palestinians and challenge Western imperialism with their dramatic and violent actions, captivating global audiences and putting governments under pressure.