First published 2005
James Bamford examines the intelligence breakdowns that allowed the September 11 attacks to succeed and the subsequent manipulation of intelligence data by the Bush administration. The author leverages his exceptional access to high-level intelligence sources to construct his case. Bamford documents the structural problems within America's intelligence apparatus that prevented detection of the terrorist plot. He then traces how the administration twisted intelligence findings to justify preemptive military action to the public. The book uncovers new information about secret government locations and identifies the real influences shaping American policy in the Middle East. Bamford offers readers a detailed analysis of how intelligence systems failed the country twice: first by missing critical threats, then by being weaponized for political purposes.
Genres: history, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: America, Middle East
Period: 21st Century
480 pages · Paperback · Anchor