Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of Al Qaeda Strategist Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri (Columbia/Hurst) - Tapa dura

Brynjar Lia's book is an innovative, well-sourced, and thorough account of the life and work of Abu Mus'ab al-Suri. Lia's book digs behind the myths and public speculation around al-Suri and gives a comprehensive picture of the man and his works. It is crucial to an understanding of international jihadi ideology and needs to be widely studied. -- Jeevan Deol, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London Brynjar Lia's masterfully-researched work remains the only known contribution to the terrorism studies field that parses the history and thought of al-Suri, a formidable ideologue by virtue of his pragmatism, rational approach to history, and realistic, 'egalitarian' view of the future of jihad. Far beyond its utility as an historical analysis, Lia's work is extraordinarily timely as he extracts the finer points of al-Suri's now widely-circulated theories that may have informed the conduct of the London and Madrid attacks. -- Jeffrey Cozzens, Intelligence and Terrorism Analysis Group at Applied Marine Technology, Inc. A genuinely important and path-breaking book. -- Peter Hart Globe & Mail 1/26/08 An authoritative volume on a man who is possibly the most important jihadi theoretician alive. -- Steven Brooke The American Interest May / June Illuminating. -- Ahmed Rashid New York Review of Books 6/12/08 A fascinating study. -- Malise Ruthven New York Review of Books 5/29/08 A brilliant, well-researched work. -- Lester W. Grau The Journal of Military History Vol 72, No 4 Lia's book should be essential reading. -- Marisa Urgo Political Studies Review 1/1/2009 This valuable biography of Abu Mus'ab al-Suri... contributes to the understanding of jihadi strategic thought, an area where incisive and thorough scholarship has been lacking. -- Daveed Gartenstein-Ross Middle East Quarterly Summer 2010

Despite his alleged capture in Pakistan in late 2005, Abu Mus'ab al-Suri, a Syrian originally known as Mustafa Sethmarian Nasar, remains a potent political and ideological figure. One of the foremost theoreticians of the global jihadist movement, al-Suri trained a generation of young jihadis at al-Qaeda's Afghan camps and helped to establish the organization's vast European networks. Having gained extensive military experience fighting in the Syrian Islamist insurgency of the early 1980s, he helped to shape al-Qaeda's global strategy in a series of writings, including his influential Global Islamic Call. In that 1,600 page book, al-Suri outlined a broad strategy for al-Qaeda's younger generation to follow and described practical ways to implement the theories and tactics of jihadi guerrilla warfare. Architect of Global Jihad is a biography of this powerful, charismatic, and prophetic individual. Examining not only the life of Al-Suri but also the world that gave rise to him, Brynjar Lia reveals al-Suri's skill for maximizing the political impact of jihadi violence. Lia provides the first and only English translation of two key chapters from al-Suri's Global Islamic Call and exposes his methods for building successful, autonomous cells for "individualized terrorism." Al-Suri's words have inspired thousands of today's militants, making Lia's carefully researched, detailed portrait required reading for students and specialists of Islamist movements and the study of contemporary forms of terrorism.