Ghost; Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent
New York, NY: Random House, 2008. First edition [stated]. First printing [stated]. Hardcover. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. x, 276, [2] pages. Author's Note. DJ has slight wear and soiling. Inscribed and dated by author on title page. Inscription reads: "July 16, 2008 Dear Barbara, From one life member to another! Best Wishes, Fred Burton." Fred Burton is Stratfor's vice president for intelligence, and his publishers describe him as "one of the world's foremost experts on security, terrorists and terrorist organizations." Burton began his career in law enforcement as a police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland and later worked for the U.S. Secret Service. From 1985 to 1999, he was a special agent with the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). He eventually became the deputy chief of the DSS counterterrorism division. While with the DSS, Burton was appointed by Washington to assist in the investigation of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He also investigated the killing of Rabbi Meir Kahane; the al Qaeda New York City bombing plots before the September 11 attacks; and the Libyan-backed terrorist attacks against diplomats in Sana'a and Khartoum. Mr. Burton joined Stratfor, an Austin, Texas-based geopolitical forecasting and analysis company, in 2004. Derived from a Kirkus Review: The retired deputy chief of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service takes readers behind the scenes of investigations into some notable terrorist attacks of the 1980s and ’90s. In a fast-paced narrative Burton describes the methodology for cracking some tough cases. The author has a keen eye for detail and uses it when discussing incidents including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the crash of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland and the arrest of a man planning to assassinate then-Secretary of State George Shultz. Burton offers interesting factoids, such as why lace-up shoes are preferable to loafers, and more significant information on how to scope out a crowd for suspects. His passion for his work—and hatred of those who have harmed innocent people—is apparent throughout. The literary self-portrait he paints is of a typically hard-charging law-enforcement type who is frustrated by what he sees as obstacles to achieving vital objectives. His prose is descriptive, and he rarely wastes words. Burton is critical of officials in both political parties for not being sufficiently proactive. Thorough—a nice complement to policy-laden analyses of the war on terror. Condition: Very good / Very good.
Keywords: Counterterrorism, Espionage, Diplomatic Security Service, Hijacker, Hezbollah, Double Agent, Ramzi Yusef, Meir Kahane, Assassination, Stratfor, Spycraft, Pan Am Flight 103, George Shultz, Abu Nidal, World Trade Center, Yitzhak Ravin, Zia-ul-Haq, 9/11
ISBN: 9781400065691
[Book #81100]
Price: $50.00