'The True Story Of Radical Islam'
What's the book about?
The book is an attempt to describe what I see to be the reality of radical Islamic militancy today and Al-Qaida's position in it.
Why did you write the book?
I wrote the book because after many years on the ground in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Middle East more generally, I became very concerned about what I saw to be misconceptions about the nature of Al-Qaeda and its position in and among other Islamic radical groups.
Was it hard to write the book?
Any book is hard to write. It was difficult because at the time the thesis I was expounding was a fairly radical one, that many people saw as being very left-field. In fact, it has now happily become more established as a conventional wisdom.
How do you get information for your books?
Most of my information comes from reporting on the ground. It's fairly old fashioned. It's going places and interviewing people. I was lucky in that, before 2001, I had spent a few years on the ground in Pakistan and Afghanistan talking to the Taliban, talking to the militants, and having astonishing access at that period to militancy. Subsequently that's become more difficult and sources are more difficult to come by.
Is your life in danger after writing books on Al-Qaeda?
I doubt it. I'm not really the person to ask. I don't think so.
Has writing the book brought you attention from security services?
Writing the book has brought me attention from the security services not in terms of wanting to know where I am or what I'm doing or who I'm meeting or maybe it has, I just don't know, but in terms of trying to engage with me as they see, to inform the public better. Others might see it as trying to influence the public as I now have a higher profile in terms of an analyst, in terms of a pundit on Al-Qaeda. I have been approached by people looking to help me on my analysis. Obviously, you can take that with a pinch of salt.
