First published 2010
Marc Thiessen argues that CIA interrogation methods after 9/11 were both effective and legal. The former White House speechwriter gained access to classified intelligence when writing President Bush's 2006 speech on the CIA program. Thiessen contends these techniques prevented terrorist attacks, penetrated al-Qaeda leadership, and provided crucial military intelligence. He maintains that enhanced interrogation did not constitute torture under legal or moral standards. The author claims this information could not have been obtained through other means. Thiessen criticizes President Obama's decision to end the CIA program and release classified documents, arguing these actions weakened American security. The book details how close terrorists came to launching new attacks and how interrogation intelligence disrupted their plans. Thiessen warns that dismantling the CIA program invites future disasters for America.
Genres: history, american, crime, biography-memoir, 21st-century, current-affairs, academic, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: America, Al-Qaeda
Period: 9/11, 2006
376 pages · Hardcover · Regnery Publishing