Jihad Joe : Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam

They are Americans, and they are mujahideen. Hundreds of men from every imaginable background have walked away from the traditional American dream to volunteer for battle in the name of Islam. Some have taken part in foreign wars that aligned with U.S. interests, while others have carried out violence against Westerners abroad, fought against the U.S. military, and even plotted terrorist attacks on American soil. This story plays out over decades and continents: from the Americans who took part in the siege of Mecca in 1979 through conflicts in Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Bosnia, and continuing today in Afghanistan and Somalia. Investigative journalist J. M. Berger profiles numerous fighters, including some who joined al Qaeda and others who chose a different path. In these pages he portrays, among others, Abdullah Rashid, who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan; Mohammed Loay Bayazid, who was present at the founding of al Qaeda; Ismail Royer, who fought in Bosnia and Kashmir, then returned to run training camps in the United States; Adam Gadahn, a Jewish Californian who is now al Qaeda’s chief spokesman; and Anwar Awlaki, the Yemeni-American imam with links to 9/11 who is now considered one of the biggest threats to America’s security. They are Americans, and they are mujahideen. Hundreds of men from every imaginable background have walked away from the traditional American dream to volunteer for battle in the name of Islam. Some have taken part in foreign wars aligned with U.S. interests while others have carried out violence against Western interests abroad, fought the U.S. military, and even plotted terrorist attacks on American soil. "Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam" is the first comprehensive look at the phenomenon of American jihadists from the 1970s to the present, and looking ahead to the future, drawing on scores of interviews and thousands of pages of exclusive documents. Describes incidents of Americans volunteering to fight in the name of Islam, including Americans who participated in the 1979 siege of Mecca and conflicts in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Somalia, and profiling Abdullah Rashid, Mohammed Loay Bayazid, Ismail Royer, Adam Gadahn, and Anwar Awlaki The early years Al Qaeda's Americans The death dealers Project Bosnia Rebuilding the network War on America The rise of Anwar Awlaki Scenes from September 11 The descent of Anwar Awlaki A diverse threat The keyboard and the sword The future of American Jihad.