How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War

by James F. Hoge Jr. and Gideon Rose

Book Overview

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack on September 11, one question has been on everyone's mind: "How did this happen?" This book seeks to answer this question in all its critical aspects -- the motives and actions of the terrorists, the status of the U.S. military, the context of the Middle East, bioterrorism, airport security, diplomatic pressures -- and to provide readers with perspective, information, and sound interpretation. The editors of...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586481304
• ISBN13: 9781586481308
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

An Invaluable Frame of Reference

For those who wish to understand both "how" and "why" events on September 11th occurred, I think this is the best single-source of information and analysis. Hoge and Rose have assembled and edited 23 essays written by a commendably diverse number of authorities on separate but related subjects which include an "anatomy of the terrorist attack" (Brian M. Jenkins). "Islam through history" (Karen Armstrong), "prevention, deterrence, defense" (William J. Perry), "the economic repercussions" (Martin N. Bailey), and "what September 11th hath wrought" (Fareed Zakaria). Obviously, all of us (including these and other authorities) are still sorting through and correlating new information as it becomes available. Definitive "answers" to the questions we now ask may not be determined for years and perhaps not for decades. Obviously, the events which occurred on September 11th did not occur in a vacuum. Moreover, the implications and consequences of those events continue to reveal themselves. For me, this anthology's greatest value lies in the frame of reference which the essayists create. Hoge and Rose conclude their Introduction as follows: "As we mourn the dead, we must also absorb the lessons, some of which are grim. Additional terrorist attacks on America are likely. Chemical and biological weapons may be used. September 11, an outrage and a tragedy for us, is an inspiration for terrorists. Only preparedness, determination, and ultimately, self-confidence can offset the forebodings. The moral that Winston Churchill chose for his towering history of the previous global conflict is as apt now as it was then: In War: Resolution In Defeat: Defiance In Victory: Magnanimity In Peace: GoodwillThose who carefully read this book will also be better prepared to understand what has yet to occur, not only in the United States but throughout the world.

It answers the question it asks.

Hoge and Rose are the editor and managing editor, respectively, of Foreign Affairs. The title asks the question, referring to 9/11, and the various essays in the book collectively answer it. There are 23 essays in the book that approach 9/11 from a wide variety of angles. The authors, each a recognized expert in his/her field, are a bunch of very smart, experienced people giving their take on what happened, why it happened, and what it means. No matter what your particular area of interest is - geopolitics, military, sociology, etc. - there's something in this book for you. Take, for example, the essay "Was It Inevitable ~ Islam Through History," by Karen Armstrong. She admires the virtues of Islam and views the current (last few decades) spate of terrorism in an Islamic fundamentalist historical context. It is an attempt at reform (islah) and renewal (tajdid). "This type of reform, which tried to go back to the fundamentals, became known as the Salafiyya because it looked back to al-Salaf al-Salih, 'the venerable forefathers'" (pg. 65). One of the most famous of these reform movements was Wahhabi, which is the brand of Islam practiced today in Saudi Arabia and in which Osama bin Laden was born.Contrast this with Walter Laquer (in his essay "Left, Right, and Beyond ~ The Changing Face of Terror"). He puts it in the context of a more general history of terrorism and explains (pg. 76) the rise of Islamist radicalism (terrorism) as the result of a decline of political doctrines and the emergence of a spiritual and intellectual vacuum, albeit the connection is not always straightforward (pg. 77).Other examples of the plentitude of ideas abound. Milton Beardon ("Graveyard of Empires ~ Afghanistan's Treacherous Peaks") provides a brief, but excellent background on the rise of the Taliban and its Arab influence (the so called Afghan Arabs). Richard K. Betts ("Intelligence Test ~ The Limits of Prevention") provides an outstanding thumbnail analysis of the problems facing the intelligence community in the post-Cold War world. "The All-to-Friendly Skies ~ Security as an Afterthought", by Gregg Easterbrook is alarming, even in retrospect. It provides valuable insight into commercial operations, such as (pg. 179) the point at which commercial airplane pilots actually take command of a given flight and why some pilots want an earlier assumption of that command. "The Unguarded Homeland ~ A Study in Malign Neglect" by Stephen E. Flynn describes how the nature of our economic infrastructure, with its interconnectedness, lack of redundancy, and heavy reliance on private security, increases our vulnerability to attack (i.e., to critical interdiction). He also describes the strain on the US Customs Service, the Coast Guard, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and other government agencies.The list goes on. The essays provide not only a description of the social and political environment in which 9/11 occurred, but also offer policy options (such as in "The

What we may have thought we knew, we didn't.

Many would and do say that it is easy to see how this could happen, meaning the attacks were in fact low down and low tech, hitting us at our vulnerable spot, our freedom. The book does in fact have evidense of being put together to quickly here and there, but for the most part there is new information and up to date background info on the terrorists I did not know. The book is not just how did this happen, there is considerable info here from various trusted sources that has been upgraded from their past writes. Another book similar not only mentions "how this" but predicted it would happen and goes into detail, even predicting precise accounts. I strongly recommend Karl Mark Maddox, a surprising paper back titled SB 1 or God.

Highly recommended

For an instant book this is a very solid piece of work, certainly the best single place to start trying to understand September 11. My major criticism is that it does not contain suggestions for further reading.

The one thing you have to read to understand what's going on

I have no idea how they managed to pull this together so quickly, but it's a fantastic collection of pieces by top experts on just about every conceivable aspect of the crisis--from what motivated the terrorists, to the geopolitical background of the attacks, to homeland defense problems, to what the larger significance of all this is and where things go from here. You get the sense that the authors really know what they're talking about, but it's written very accessibly too. The perfect Christmas present for anybody who can't stop watching the news...