"The definitive account of an FBI special agent's al-Qaeda story, unredacted for the first time. In the fight against al-Qaeda, former FBI special agent Ali H. Soufan became a legend on the basis of his deft questioning of prisoners, which often short-circuited al-Qaeda plots in the pipeline. Physical or mental violence played no part in this success. He never laid a hand on the suspected terrorists. Other U.S. intelligence agencies took orders directly from the Oval Office, using other methods. Terrorists who had already given Soufan crucial intelligence were subsequently water-boarded repeatedly. The CIA's decision to employ "enhanced interrogation techniques" backfired, says Soufan. It made the job of defending the United States more difficult and dangerous. The original edition of this book was heavily redacted by the CIA, preventing the public from reading Soufan's full story. Now Soufan's extraordinary account can be set forth in its entirety for the first time"-- Provided by publisher.

"Previously published as The black banners: the inside story of 9/11 and the war against al-Qaeda"--Title page verso.

The early years. The Fatwa and the bet ; Osama Air ; The Northern group -- Declaration of war. The al-Qaeda switchboard ; Operation challenge and the Manchester manual ; "You'll be singing like a canary" ; Millennium plot -- USS Cole. A naval destroyer in Yemen? ; The hall of death ; "We're stubborn, but we're not crazy" ; The human polygraph machine ; "What is al-Qaeda doing in Malaysia?" ; Bin Laden's errand boy -- The attack that changed the world. The Binalshibh riddle ; "What dots?" ; The father of death -- A new world order. Bin Laden's escape ; DocEx ; Black magic -- The first high-value detainee. Abu Zubaydah ; The contractors take over ; "We don't do that" -- Final missions. Leaving the FBI ; Undercover.