The lesser jihad : recruits and the Al-Qaida network /

Mastors (Naval War College) and Deffenbaugh (ManTech International Corp.) have made an original contribution to an increasingly crowded and redundant field of research on transnational terrorism. The volume is divided into three parts. The first seeks to understand why al Qaeda is so focused on the US as a target--the answers are somewhat surprising. The second examines the murky question of recruiting in the al Qaeda network, including why, how, and where individuals get involved. The authors bring a fresh blend of academic seriousness and practical experience to their research. Mastors is a widely published political psychologist, and Deffenbaugh was an analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency before joining ManTech. The collaborative result is an eminently useful book that could help scholars better understand the al Qaeda network, and help intelligence professionals better thwart purveyors of violence worldwide. Indeed, the final part of the book suggests strategies for countering terrorist recruitment that are at once insightful and practicable, a notable achievement. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through practitioners. R. D. Stacey Regent University