First published 2012
Jose Rodriguez ran CIA counterterrorism operations after September 11. He supervised enhanced interrogation techniques that extracted intelligence from captured terrorists. Rodriguez argues these methods disrupted plots and saved American lives. The book reveals classified operations from the Bush administration that had approval from government lawyers and congressional oversight committees. Rodriguez details his career from law student to undercover officer to America's top spy. He explains when harsh techniques were used, why they worked, and how they led to capturing major terrorists including Osama bin Laden. As public opinion shifted, the intelligence community lost support. The tools Rodriguez considered necessary were banned. Agents who followed orders faced investigations and second guessing. Rodriguez believes America disarmed itself in the war on terror. He makes his case for the controversial methods while describing the real challenges of collecting intelligence on terrorism.
Genres: biography, history, american, non-fiction, 21st-century, military-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: United States
Period: September 11, Bush Administration
288 pages · Hardcover · Threshold Editions
Content warnings: torture