The Audacious Ascetic : What the Bin Laden Tapes Reveal About Al-Qa'ida

In Late 2002, Over 1500 Audiotapes Were Discovered In Kandahar, Afghanistan, In A House Once Occupied By Osama Bin Laden. The Audacious Ascetic Is The First Book To Explore This Extraordinary Archive. It Details How Islamic Cultural, Legal, Theological And Linguistic Vocabularies Shaped Militants' Understandings Of Al-qa'ida, And, More Controversially, Challenges The Notion That The Group's Original Adversary Was America And The 'far Enemy'. Miller Argues That Western Security Agencies' 'management' Of Bin Laden's Growing Reputation Went Awry. When Magnified Through Global Media Coverage, Narratives Of Al-qa'ida's Coherence Were Exploited By Osama And His Militant Supporters For Their Own Ends. Focusing On Over A Dozen Previously Unpublished Speeches By Bin Laden As Well As On Discussions By Top Al-qa'ida Leaders And Arab- Afghans, Miller Chronicles The Saudi Radical's Evolving Relationship With A Host Of Muslim Insurgencies That Found His Stripe Of Asceticism (zuhd) Tactically Useful, Especially When Circulated Via Audiotape. These Recordings Also Reveal Militants' Disenchantment When Bin Laden, Marginalized Through The '90s, Began Pandering To Western Television Networks In His Attempt To Direct Heterodox Islamist Armed Struggles Against America. Such Audio Evidence Exposes Al-qa'ida's Lack Of Coordination Before 9-11 And Invites Scrutiny Of Dominant Narratives Of Western Law Enforcement, Intelligence And Terrorism Analysts. -- Publisher. Introduction -- The Message (al-risala) -- Heart Pains -- Remembering The Lion's Den -- The Genie And The Bottle: On Authority And Revelation Through Audiotapes -- Our Present Reality (waqi Una Al'mu'asir) -- Dangers And Hopes (makhatir W-amal) -- Taking Gandhi To Jerusalem Through Oslo, Norway -- Dawn Anthems (anashid Al-fajr) -- I Have Scorned Those Who Rebuked Me -- New Bases Near An Ancient House -- An Intimate Conversation (jalasa) -- A Pragmatic Base (al-qa'ida) -- Listen, Plan, And Carry Out Al-qa'ida -- 'umar's Wedding. Flagg Miller. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 429-441) And Index. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 13 1. The Message (Al-Risala) 29 2. Heart Pains 53 3. Remembering the Lion’s Den 85 4. The Genie and the Bottle: On Authority and Revelation through Audiotapes 107 5. Our Present Reality (Waqi‘una al-Mu‘asir) 135 6. Dangers and Hopes (Makhatir w-Amal) 165 7. Taking Gandhi to Jerusalem through Oslo, Norway 191 8. Dawn Anthems (Anashid al-Fajr) 217 9. I Have Scorned Those Who Rebuked Me 245 10. New Bases Near an Ancient House 279 11. An Intimate Conversation (jalasa) 295 12. A Pragmatic Base (al-qa‘ida) 319 13. Listen, Plan, and Carry Out “al-Qa‘ida” 339 14. ‘Umar’s Wedding 357 Epilogue 381 Appendix A 389 Notes 391 Sources Cited 441 Index 455