Details how Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda fighters slipped out of Afghanistan during the battles of Tora Bora and Operation Anaconda. The author also charges that Western media outlets, eager to satisfy their audience's thirst for revenge, lost their grasp on journalistic objectivity while covering bin Laden's pursuit. Blinding patriotism and reliance on Pentagon press releases led them to portray events not reflecting reality on the ground. He contends that to satisfy the press and the public's need for vengeance, the Bush administration pushed to achieve early, highly visible successes...

This kaleidoscopic tour behind the frontlines of the war of ideas assesses US efforts to persuade Muslims that Americans respect their rights and interests, while we fight wars and promote our interests. The author draws on his extensive travels in the Muslim world and interviews with a cross-section of the population including students, intellectuals, insurgents and politicians. For an American perspective, the author conducted candid interviews with US military officers, diplomats, and regional experts.
Smucker describes turmoil within the Islamic realm and our efforts to project "soft...