Rating: 
Summary: An Important Book That Every American Should Read
Review: As a detailed, carefully documented exposé of ignorance, complacency, shortsightedness and negligence, WHY AMERICA SLEPT is perhaps the most important of the recent books addressing various aspects of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.A similar case could be made for James Bovard's TERRORISM AND TYRANNY, which examines not causes but effects, specifically the government's response to 9/11, which has consisted largely of an unprecedented assault on the Bill of Rights, especially in the areas of privacy and due process. It is a vastly important book that every American ought to read. Gerald Posner's concern, however, is with life-and-death issues, primarily the question of why the intelligence community failed to discover the al-Qaeda plot to hijack civilian airliners and crash them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Although Posner's approach is generally detached and restrained, he has conceded that he was "infuriated" by some of his discoveries and "disgusted" in particular by President Clinton's failure to neutralize the threat posed by the al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden. Posner provides details of opportunities to capture bin Laden, opportunities that he says Clinton either ignored or rejected. Moreover, he says, Clinton declined offers by both Sudan and Qatar to arrest bin Laden and deliver him to the United States. Perhaps for purposes of comic relief, Posner also quotes Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, as saying that as early as 1996 the administration was "trying to get bin Laden with everything we had." In this carnival of boneheadedness and floundering incompetence, Posner recounts one outrage after another. Among the worst, in terms of consequences, was the unwillingness of the FBI and CIA to cooperate and share information. Each had information of vital importance to the other, but the rules of their long-standing rivalry prohibited mature behavior. An FBI agent who asked the CIA for information about Zacarias Moussaoui received an official reprimand for doing so. Moussaoui was one of those aviation students who wanted to learn how to steer large airliners but had no interest in learning how to take off or land. The FBI agent was Coleen Rowley, one of the very few figures in this bleak history who behaved intelligently and honorably. WHY AMERICA SLEPT is filled with evidentiary specifics that attest to the thoroughness of Posner's research, and one suspects that this former Wall Street lawyer might have been happier as a prosecutor. But having turned to investigative reporting --- he is now the author or co-author of ten books --- Posner apparently finds sufficient satisfaction in fulfilling the imperative of the people's right to know, and in this book, most decisively, the people's need to know. He has pinpointed individual anomalies and systemic weaknesses that made America vulnerable to attack. This much and no more lies within the bounds of investigative reporting; readers have a shared responsibility to press for the necessary corrections to the problems he has identified. --- Reviewed by Harold V. Cordry
Rating:
Summary: Posner's Masterpiece
Review: "Why America Slept" by William Posner is an excellent report of the failures of law enforcement, policy makers, and American intelligence that culminated in the awful tragedy of 9/11. This book is written in a clean style and is packed with valuable information. Posner details both the political and legal responses to Islamic-based terrorism and the numerous mistakes that were made all along the way. However, the book does not place total blame, or make any one agency or administration "the" fall man. Rather, he details the mistakes so that we are able to learn from them. This book documents al-Qaeda's attacks on US soil as well as American citizens throughout the world. It also documents the history of this declared war on the US and how each attack was handled by the FBI, the CIA, the INS and other administrations. Also, the reader can see multiple missed opportunities the US had to capture bin Laden and stop al-Qaeda long before 9/11. Posner demonstrates how weak responses to terrorism emboldened these terrorists. The book is a gripping read and culminates in the fascinating interrogation of Abu Zubaydah. Prior to reading the book, I read of denials from foreign authorities that the things discussed in this chapter ever took place. However, when you actually read this book, you will believe that this did happen. "Why America Slept" lays to rest two years of assumptions about what led up to the worst terror attacks in America's history. This book presents a completely different angle on the attacks and demonstrates how misplaced priorities and incompetence made America an easy target for terrorists.
Rating: 
Summary: Superb! The truth finally revealed!
Review: Gerald Posner brings forth some compelling stories behind the tragedy of 9/11 and the United States' failure to properly inform and protect its citizens. Not only does he give numerous accounts of government neglect towards foreign affairs and information, he also reveals detrimental flaws that still impair America today. His exquisite description and amazing detail present a "must-read" book for all of those who question not only the law, but also the United States' ability to remain a super power throughout the world. "Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11,"calls out to those who wish to save America as we know it, indicating the aid we need for survival. Posner shares with the reader the identity of countries that had previous knowledge of the attacks: locations and dates. Terrorists were aplenty throughout the years leading up to 9/11, including captured leaders, whom our government released due to limited knowledge and delayed specifics of terrorist involvement. This work of art is extremely successful in reviving patriotic emotions as Posner reveals secrets between Saudi Arabia and Osama bin Laden, along with evidence of terrorist informants sheltered by German intelligence. If the United States is so strong, how come foreign powers wish to bring our nation to its knees? How can the CIA track, then lose hijackers as they enter the country just months before the predicted attacks? A masterpiece has been created and the stage has been set for consideration of reasonable suspicions behind our government's potential inability to fend for itself. The memory of these terrorist attacks will live forever, along with Gerald Posner's dramatic narrative "Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11."
Rating:
Summary: A MUST Read!!!!
Review: I have been reading many books on Bin Laden, Al Quada, Muslim extremist and also on the above in relation to law enforcement (CIA, FBI, INS, NSA, etc.), Our Presidential Administrations and to Congress (law makers) as it all relates to 9-11. Those books include Catastrophe by Chris Ruddy and Carl Linbacher, Jr., Breakdown by Bill Gurtz, The Sword Of the prophet by Serge Trifkovic, American Jihad by Steve Emerson, among others; and I must say this book; Why America Slept by Gerald Posner, is one of the best. It is completely documented and thoroughly sourced. It centers on the History of major terrorists attacks on the USA, and our allies in relation to the response of our intelligence agency's, State department, and the all our presidential Administration's dating from the Carter years (1976-80) to Now (2003). In Why America Slept by Gerald Posner, He details both the Political and Law enforcement's responses to Islamic based terrorism and what mistakes were made all along the way. the book does not make wild charges but details the mistakes so that we can learn from them. This book documents all of Al Quada's attacks on the US and American citizens all over the world; Documents the History of this declared war on US; and How each attack was handled my the FBI, CIA, INS And by the administrations. He shows how weak responses to terrorism emboldened the terrorists and He also documents some of the missed opportunities to get Bin Laden and Stop his organization long before 9-11. There is also a great chapter on the capture and interrogation of Abu Zubaydah which is must reading. Yes, the Book is critical; but not in any political way, there is no ax to grind hear, against any one individual or administration, its sober and reflective and is a must read for anyone and everyone who wants to know how 9-11 happened.
Rating:
Summary: Concise and Energetic Reporting - Valuable Read
Review: "Why America Slept" is excellent and vital reporting of the isolated, but mutually contributing failures of management, policy, regulation, politics, will, and luck that culminated in the awful tragedy of 9/11. It is concisely told in a clean style with energy to spare. Posner starts the book with a seemingly minor event (the murder of Emir Shalabi) that turns out to have major implications in the power shift among the participants in the extreme elements in the Islamist war against the West. We also get interesting information about the events around the trial of the Blind Sheikh Omar Rahman, the assassination of Rabbi Meir Kahane, the '93 bombing of the World Trade Center, the embassy bombings, the attack on the Cole, the lessons the terrorists took from our cutting and running from Somalia, and so many more of the preliminary incidents and battles in the War on Terror. More sad than the events themselves is our collective delusion at the time that these were isolated incidents (such as the shooting on the Empire State Building Observation Deck). The author reports these events clearly and with just enough intelligent analysis and insight to show us how all these flow into the same river of violence without ever letting the narrative getting bogged down. Posner doesn't play the easy blame game of trying to make any one person or any one agency or administration THE fall guy. There are so many failures leading up to the towers crashing to the ground that each and every one of us can take at least a cupful of blame. Yes, some of our public servants and political leaders deserve barrelfuls or even a lake full of blame, but when you and I paid more attention to the OJ Simpson trial or to the circus around the murder of JonBenét Ramsey than the trial of Sheikh Rahman, well; none of us can really claim innocence because we were telling our leaders we weren't serious about this issue. We can't hide saying we weren't told. There were voices in the wilderness warning us, but we at least have to be honest enough to admit that, at the time, we really didn't want to know. We wanted to continue believing everything would be OK. We wanted to believe that the first bombing of the WTC was done by some crazy dolts who couldn't get it right. We wanted to believe everything was somehow under control. This book helps us understand the consequences of such willful ignornace. Posner gives us the facts behind the scandals that led to the Congressional attacks on the FBI and CIA that put them on a short leash and gave what amounted to aid-and-comfort to our enemies. But there were (are) also inter-agency rivalries and deep-seated distrust that kept (keeps) vital information filed away and away from where it would do good. We learn about Presidential tough talk that carefully avoided tough action because of the possible political fallout. And when a decision to get real is finally made, the bureaucracy around the President moves too slowly until the horror finally hits home. The book is a gripping read and culminates in the fascinating interrogation of Abu Zubaydah. You will never forget this chapter because it reads as if it should be in a novel or a big budget movie. As this book has been promoted I have heard weaselly denials from certain foreign authorities that the things discussed in this chapter ever took place. However, when you actually read this book you will believe that this stuff did happened. Especially when you read what actually followed right on the heels of this interrogation this chapter rings as true as a huge and beautiful church bell. This is a book I wish everyone would read, but watch your blood pressure. This book is just right for our times and will help you make better judgments about what we should be focusing on as a country to deal with the very real threats we continue to face.
Rating:
Summary: A worthwhile read, concise and jaw dropping information
Review: Why America Slept, although quite a slow start in the first few chapters, caught my attention as I started to fully understand all the appalling information displayed in front of me. Posner's book is not completely loaded with tons of details on every page, but is more just a map of explaining the how's and why's of 9/11. It may infuriate you and also make you want to discuss the facts given with anyone and everyone. You believe every fact and detail on each page because of how heavily annotated and thoroughly researched this book is.
It is mostly in chronological order starting with the feud between the Muslim and Jewish communities in New York. The formation of al Quaeda is explained, yet it is somewhat confusing. So many different people were all inter-connected through al Quaeda. I was astonished as to how al Quaeda got all their funding to follow through with the attacks...from America.
It was very surprising to me how the CIA and the FBI never worked interchangeably regarding all the information both had and how that put such a strain on the relations and security of the United States as a nation. So much of the information was known by one group and not by another. When reading, it seemed to me that they had so much valuable information and didn't act on anything, just pushing it aside, and that was one of the most frustrating things. I guess we learned though, didn't we?
This book would be a good read for anyone who is just slightly interested in the scandals that went on and are still persistent in our government today, much succeeding without recognition. This book is just right for the difficult times we are going through today and could possibly help change your opinion on what you feel we should be focusing on as a country with the real threats we have to face.
Rating:
Summary: Posner's Masterpiece
Review: "Why America Slept" by William Posner is an excellent report of the failures of law enforcement, policy makers, and American intelligence that culminated in the awful tragedy of 9/11. This book is written in a clean style and is packed with valuable information. Posner details both the political and legal responses to Islamic-based terrorism and the numerous mistakes that were made all along the way. However, the book does not place total blame, or make any one agency or administration "the" fall man. Rather, he details the mistakes so that we are able to learn from them. This book documents al-Qaeda's attacks on US soil as well as American citizens throughout the world. It also documents the history of this declared war on the US and how each attack was handled by the FBI, the CIA, the INS and other administrations. Also, the reader can see multiple missed opportunities the US had to capture bin Laden and stop al-Qaeda long before 9/11. Posner demonstrates how weak responses to terrorism emboldened these terrorists. The book is a gripping read and culminates in the fascinating interrogation of Abu Zubaydah. Prior to reading the book, I read of denials from foreign authorities that the things discussed in this chapter ever took place. However, when you actually read this book, you will believe that this did happen. "Why America Slept" lays to rest two years of assumptions about what led up to the worst terror attacks in America's history. This book presents a completely different angle on the attacks and demonstrates how misplaced priorities and incompetence made America an easy target for terrorists.
Rating:
Summary: A good source on September 11, but not enough
Review: To the growing literature on September 11, "Why America Slept" is a good addition, brining together much information on the background to September 11. Gerald Posner, former Wall Street lawyer and now journalist, traces neatly the two predominant forces that defined the decade prior to September 11: the rise of Islamic terrorism and the failure of America's counter-terrorism efforts. One of the book's strengths is that it summarizes much of the material found elsewhere; the book's brevity can also be seen as an asset. But the style is also a liability: some chapters are merely three to four pages long, others run to over 20 pages. This disproportionate emphasis on detail (too much detail somewhere, not enough elsewhere) distracts from the narrative and takes away from the book's continuity. The lack of a conclusion to summarize the book's various themes is also a bit frustrating. All in all, the book is a good overview of what went wrong in America's counterterrorism efforts throughout the 1990s. All the same, "Why America Slept" is unlikely to add more than a few details to those with a solid background on the topic; and those who wish to develop a solid background will find that they need to read more after finishing this book.
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading again
Review: I read this book in October of 2003, and found it fascinating and infuriating. I wanted to discuss it with everyone, and I suggested that everyone read it. With the 9/11 hearings taking place in Washington in April 2004, I want to read this book again! Much of what is reported from these hearings was documented in Mr. Posner's book: the failures to get UBL by the Clinton administration, the reports that were ignored, and the rivalry between the CIA and FBI. The nation is up in arms about these hearings, but readers of this book had already learned most of this. And we learned it from a source that is heavily annotated and thoroughly researched. I am quite sure that Mr. Posner's interviewees were more candid than the current testimony presented by the high-profile witnesses in the government's 9/11 hearings. Additionally, this book's release did not coincide with the political and presidential agendas surrounding these hearings and the release of Richard Clark's book. If I do re-read this book I would pay specific attention to what is attributed to Clark in this book, and compare that to what he is publicly saying now (April 2004).
Rating:
Summary: Logical and not detailed to death
Review: Posner's book should be read as a text for those who wish to understand the why's and how's of 9/11. Not only does Posner give a logical and objective lead-in to the attacks, but also gives practical solutions regarding where we should go from here. I have read this book several times and each time have found something new that I overlooked before. As the War on Terrorism is fluid, so is the perspective from Posner's book as things continue to occur daily in this war. Posner's book is not as detailed in history as some other books on this subject but I feel that is because that is not the purpose of this book. It's not a historical perspective but a study on policy, players, and where the U.S. fits into it all. This was one of the first books I read on this subject and while I have gone on in my pursuit of information on this subject, it's Posner's book I continually go back to. It outlines in basics the problems we have faced and are facing now as a result of terrorism and leaves the reader with intelligent and logical questions whose answers can be found elsewhere if the reader decides to look further.
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