Free Republic

From the beginning, the War on Terror has been characterized by intelligence failures. From the surprise attack on 9-11, to the inability to find Osama Bin Laden, to the politically disastrous misjudgement about Iraq’s WMDs, American intelligence has repeatedly come up a day late and a dollar short. One frequently made suggestion for fixing the problem is better human intelligence - in other words better spies. What would it take to accomplish this? For a partial answer to this question read Inside the Jihad. Omar Nasiri (Not his real name), is an Algerian who, in 1994, was recruited into a...

It is rare to get an insider's perspective on the emergence of al-Qaeda. It is also rare to get a glimpse of the world of spies and agents. To provide both is incredibly unusual. Omar Nasiri - not his real name but one chosen to protect his identity - says he spent seven years working as an agent for European intelligence services and as an al-Qaeda operative, part of the time in the UK. He provides a unique insight into how al-Qaeda was far more organised, coherent and determined in the 1990s than was appreciated at the time. Nasiri's story...

London, Asharq Al-Awsat- In his new book entitled, ‘Inside the Jihad: My Life with Al Qaeda: A Spy’s Story,’ former member of Al Qaeda, Omar Nasiri, a pseudonym, tells readers how he served the French, British and German intelligence services whilst funneling messages from Al Qaeda leaders to European-based radical clerics. The ex-jihadist operative, now based in Germany relates his story on terrorism and intelligence in his new book that has recently gone on sale in the US. “My name is not really Omar Nasiri. Members of my family in Morocco would be in danger if my real identity were...