BOOK REVIEWS for the utility of digital expression made are far broader and go The Looming Tower: is thorough and has signifi cant to the heart of the university Al-Qaeda and the road merit. In seizing the power of system—online or off. Despite to 9/11 images as well as words, it is likely the tenuous link to the topic by Lawrence Wright that mechanisms such as ‘kinetic of his book, this chapter was text’ have the potential to convey particularly satisfying, with a Allen Lane meaning more effectively, and structured, convincing argument. London, 2006 restore a sense of ‘stuff’ to the Lanham probably overestimates 480pp, £20 ‘fl uff’ of communication. the potential for online courses to ISBN 9780713999730 Lanham overestimates the solve the problems raised, but his flexibility of such modes of criticisms are valid. expression, however, failing to One of the most compelling acknowledge limitations such critiques is of the assumption in awrence Wright’s background as lack of uniformity, restricted many universities that the faculty Lis a unique mix of journalism, accessibility and larger space should be employed full-time in academia and screenwriting. He requirements. It is telling that the the sequestered environment of a was one of the co-writers of the website Lanham directs readers learning institution and that the movie The Siege and he draws to, in order to see animations of administration exists to protect on this eclectic background certain fi gures that are featured in the faculty from the real world. to produce an engaging, well the book, is in the form that the This attitude is deeply frustrating researched and analytical book. author repeatedly criticises—static for any student wanting to learn The Looming Tower weaves two reproduction of text with no from a passionate and realistic stories into the one book. The added value beyond the motion teacher who conducts their work fi rst is a defi nitive work on the of the fi gures. professionally and gives insight origins, development, motivations In contrast to the early into the practical implications and theology of Al Qaeda, and substantive chapters, those of the high-level theory they are the second is an analysis of the following the matrix exposition struggling to grasp. failings of US intelligence with largely consolidate the thesis and That one of the most stimulating a distinct focus on personality allow the author to indulge in elements of the book is this chapter and institutional conflicts. venting some strong opinions. An criticising university bureaucracy Wright’s contribution is the most instance of the latter is the chapter is telling of the book as a whole— informative and signifi cant in the addressing the inadequacies of Al Qaeda analysis. university bureaucracy. Ostensibly, entertaining and interesting, but not Wright immediately establishes Lanham proposes to engage in an necessarily connected to other parts the framework for his analysis of Al ‘audit of virtuality’ on mainstream of the book or the thesis overall. public tertiary institutions. He This is most likely explicable by Qaeda and the incompatibility of its purports that such audits are Lanham’s evident preference for goals and theology with modernity universally applicable, consisting of discursive rhetoric over analytical in citing the thoughts of Sayyid a consideration of how effi ciently an economics. Credit must be given Qutb. Qutb was the American- entity participates in the ‘attention for having the bravery to tackle educated Egyptian who became the economy’. However, Lanham’s economics in this manner, but the role model for the ideological father example of an audit of universities strength of the book is its argument of Al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri. descends into a tirade against the for more effective communication Despite having the benefi t of an institutional bureaucracy, and utilising digital techniques, not the American education, ‘he intended to the limitations of the traditional case it makes for a new ‘attention show that Islam and modernity were approach to tertiary education. economy’. This is a book that follows completely incompatible.’ The story While online university courses its own thesis, gaining attention for of Qutb, a man educated but fearful and their digital communication some intriguing ideas by presenting of the impact of Western education, methods provide the contrasting them in a novel context—a triumph westernised but radicalised, quiet case to challenge many of the of style over substance. in public but privately hostile to assumptions of this traditional American women, is disturbingly framework, many of the points Reviewed by Nikki Macor similar to the profi les of many of 58 Vol. 23 No. 1 • Autumn 2007 • POLICY AAutumn_Policy_07-1.inddutumn_Policy_07-1.indd 5858 99/03/2007/03/2007 11:08:2511:08:25 AMAM BOOK REVIEWS the 9/11 hijackers. freedom of expression and job, ironically in charge of security Wright highlights that despite movement. On the issue of the at the WTC Centre less than Al Qaeda’s hatred of modernity, abuse of western liberality by three weeks before 9/11. The they focused their efforts on terrorist organisations throughout unanswered question one draws perfecting the use of so many of the 1990s, Wright cites examples from Wright’s systematic critique the tools of modernity. In one from Canada, the UK, the of clashing personalities, clashing revealing passage, which dispels US and Germany where these FBI and CIA prerogatives, the notion of the pious young organisations openly set-up shop mismatched skills-sets and the jihadist studying the Quran before and raised funds under the eyes of treatment of John O’Neill is: attacking the infi del, Wright notes authorities. Perhaps the inherent how can fundamentally flawed that ‘At night they would often self-defeating logic of this approach organisations of such size seriously watch Hollywood thrillers, is best summarised by hope to reform and change their looking for tips. The movies ways as quickly as is required? the German example of Arnold Schwarzenegger There are two main criticisms where terrorist groups were particular favourites.’ of this book. First of all, the The Al Qaeda training could recruit and raise ending is a signifi cant letdown to book known as Military money ‘but only if they the point one feels that Wright Studies in the Jihad Against were foreign terrorists has switched to his screenwriting the Tyrants was distinctly not domestic.’ Through persona at the wrong moment, Maoist not Islamist, these examples, Wright with an eye to possible future supporting ‘the diplomacy of the highlights Western governments’ book deals. Instead of ending the cannon and the machine gun.’ inability to cut through book with a revelatory statement Their values may be seventh political correctness and look or even a recap of the highlights, he chooses to end with an account century, but their methodology is unapologetically after the interests of Al Qaeda men on horseback in distinctly twentieth century. of their citizens. Pakistan. Wright spends considerable While much of the ground time de-mythologising bin Laden Secondly, Wright sidesteps key that Wright covers in his second and Al Qaeda. He highlights issues around decisions made, or story around the failure of US that bin Laden is shorter than not made, by both President Bush portrayed in the media; that his intelligence is well-known, he and Clinton. As a result, one is left forays in Afghanistan with Arab makes well covered ground highly with the impression that President jihadists were often so hopeless readable due to his focus on Special Clinton completely outsourced any substantive decision making to that the Afghans asked him to Agent John O’Neill. O’Neill is those around him. There are only leave; how Pakistani mujahid one of the few fi gures to emerge three cursory references made to thought he shook hands like ‘a with his reputation enhanced in President Bush, so no conclusions girl’; how he squandered all his this book. In his critique of the can even be made in this respect. wealth in poor investments in national intelligence infrastructure Wright seems to be going out Sudan and that even allies thought of the United States, Wright has of his way to avoid offending that ‘his IQ was not that great.’ cast O’Neill in the role of observer, both men, which is very much Wright’s de-mythologising of bin documenter and ultimately victim at odds with the honest appraisal Laden however only serves to of the systemic failings of the most of the book undertakes in reinforce the question of how a system. John O’Neill, who died relation to both Al Qaeda and group of societal misfi ts managed on 9/11, is a truly tragic fi gure. US intelligence failings. However, to beat the national intelligence Wright depicts him as a character despite the sheer volume of books and security infrastructure of the with numerous personal flaws available on Al Qaeda and 9/11, world’s sole superpower. this one stands out for its detail, but who refuses to give in to the Perhaps the greatest irony readability and analysis of why surrounding the rise of Al Qaeda mediocrity and complacency that Al Qaeda represents much more is how such a markedly anti- surrounds him in the national than simply another terrorist modernist organisation ultimately intelligence infrastructure. organisation. benefited so significantly from O’Neill ultimately decides to modernist values such as liberality, leave the FBI for a more lucrative Reviewed by Matt Marks POLICY • Vol. 23 No. 1 • Autumn 2007 59 AAutumn_Policy_07-1.inddutumn_Policy_07-1.indd 5959 99/03/2007/03/2007 11:08:2511:08:25 AMAM.