By the time of bin Laden's death in 2011, al- Qaeda had been transformed from a "close knit, intensely hierarchical battalion into something like an umbrella organization, with a central staff overseeing a number of more or less autonomous franchises across the Muslim world".
The young men who have been and continue to be the foot-soldiers of these franchises come from societies totally bereft of hope and possibilities. The average Arab has six years of education, never reads a book, and as many as 100 million of them are illiterate. "The striking absence of educational and economic opportunity, compounded by the lack of political accountability and a hopelessly distorted sense of history, has made Arab countries fertile ground for extremists."
The successor to bin-Laden was an Egyptian physician, Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Pakistani Taliban, AQAP and AQIM all swore immediate fealty to Zawahiri. The Arab Spring followed and it was surmised in many quarters that the unfolding of democracy would lead to freedom and the end of terrorist organizations. Instead, the Arab Spring was quickly reversed and al-Qaeda affiliates prospered in Yemen, Libya, Iraq and Syria. ISIS was supported by Saudi Arabia and Turkey as a proxy against the Iranian supported Syrian government. Most of the soldiers of ISIS were Sunnis from Saddam's army. Ironically, many of the leaders of ISIS planned for the future while in US imprisonment at Camp Bucca. "By June 15, 2014, ISIS controlled most of Iraq's Sunni-majority provinces and ruled over a population of up to eight million luckless souls." The Caliphate had been established and with it, the imposition of medieval Sharia law. However, within two years, a combination of Russian, Iranian and Syrian military action had reduced its territory to about half its initial size. Today, it is being pounded by the US and its allies. Although ISIS cannot hold onto its territory, its philosophies and successes have fostered attacks around the world, and thirty-four militant groups from the Philippines to Algeria have sworn fealty. Al-Qaeda has forsworn ISIS and condemned its methods of extreme violence.
Today, al-Qaeda is planning a comeback and touting the leadership qualities of bin-Laden's son Hamza. It is playing a long game and will survive long after the failure of ISIS. The author, a Lebanese- born Muslim and former FBI agent, fears they will continue to attack the West, its institutions and people. The way to counter the breeders of terror is information and education. "The Taliban knows that the biggest long-term threat to its existence is neither planes nor tanks but teachers and books."
This has been a trying book. I understand that one cannot start in the middle of a story, but the author does not move to the post-bin-Laden era until page 199 of 304. And even then, he bounces all over the place. Nonetheless, I have learned a great deal here and have come to a depressing conclusion. Regardless of the source of blame or responsibility for the mess that is today's Middle East-the collapse of the Ottomans-the Sykes-Picot Agreement-Arab nationalism-Arab dictators-petro-states-the Cold War-the state of Israel-Black September- ignorance-poverty-totalitarianism-Salafism-Wahabism-bin-Laden-our invasion of Iraq-our botched occupation of Iraq- the meddling of Iran-Shia v. Sunni sectarianism, this Rubik's cube of violence, hatred and revenge will be with us all for a very long time.
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