Michael Scheuer, onetime head of the CIA's Osama bin Laden unit, originally published this book anonymously, at least in part, it was said, because some of his CIA colleagues believed this account came too close to portraying bin Laden as a man of character and principle. Scheuer, however, argues that this kind of in-depth examination of bin Laden's Al Qaeda and other radical Islamic groups is needed in order to convince Americans of the severity of the challenge they pose to the West. The only way to understand these groups, he says is to perceive – from their point of view – why they see their cause as righteous.
