{"product_id":"the-black-banners-declassified-how-torture-derailed-the-war-on-terror-after-911-9780393343496","title":"The Black Banners (Declassified): How Torture Derailed the War on Terror After 9\/11","description":"\u003cp\u003eWidely heralded on publication as a \"must-read\" (\u003cem\u003eMilitary Review\u003c\/em\u003e) and \"important window on America's battle with al-Qaeda\" (\u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e), Ali Soufan's revelatory account of the war on terror as seen from its front lines changed the way we understand al-Qaeda and how the United States prosecuted the war--and led to hard questions being asked of our leaders.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen \u003cem\u003eThe Black Banners\u003c\/em\u003e was published in 2011, significant portions of the text were redacted. After subsequent review by the Central Intelligence Agency, those redactions have been lifted. Their removal corrects the record on how vital intelligence was obtained from al-Qaeda suspects and brings forth important new details on the controversial use of enhanced interrogation techniques (torture) to extract information from terror suspects. For many years, proponents of the use of these techniques have argued that they produced actionable intelligence in the war on terror. This edition of \u003cem\u003eThe Black Banners\u003c\/em\u003e explodes this myth; it shows Soufan at work using guile and intelligent questioning--not force or violence--to extract some of the most important confessions in the war, and it vividly recounts the failures of the government's torture program. Drawing on Soufan's experiences as a lead operative for the FBI and declassified government records, \u003cem\u003eThe Black Banners (Declassified)\u003c\/em\u003e documents the intelligence failures that lead to the tragic attacks on New York and Washington, DC, and subsequently how torture derailed the fight against al-Qaeda. With this edition, eighteen years on from the first sanctioned enhanced interrogation technique, the public can finally read the complete story of what happened in their name after the events of 9\/11.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe Black Banners (Declassified)\u003c\/em\u003e includes a new foreword from Ali Soufan that addresses the significance of the CIA's decision to lift the redactions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ali Soufan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e W. W. Norton \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/08\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 640\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.55lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.40w x 1.40d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780393343496\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e2nd Declassified Edition\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"W. W. Norton \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42709225111689,"sku":"9780393343496","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0636\/9240\/6921\/files\/img_ae7e2d2e-5136-4dd4-bdb0-5398dd246c8d.jpg?v=1719512547","url":"https:\/\/sonsanddaughtersbooks.com\/products\/the-black-banners-declassified-how-torture-derailed-the-war-on-terror-after-911-9780393343496","provider":"Sons and Daughters Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}