Inside the Covert War Agains Terrorism Money Masters
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Considering I wrote this review f
Harpoon is an interesting accept on a little-known aspect of the endless Middle Eastern terrorist wars, ane in which the battle cry is "follow the money" and banks are the battleground. Yous'll learn a lot well-nigh the financial underpinnings of terrorism and run into how killing an accountant can have more than bear on than taking out a whole battalion of gunmen. Accept the dust-jacket copy with a few grains of Dead Sea salt and you'll go a pretty good read. Three and a half shekels.Considering I wrote this review for Criminal Chemical element, I tin't post it all here. Read the entire review -- and a lot of other good stuff -- here.
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Harpoon might exist better read from the back first, starting with the acknowledgments. At that place were ii authors involved with Israeli lawyer and first-fourth dimension writer Nitsana Darshan-Leitner in the lead, and Samuel Katz as co-author. At that place were tons of others involved, including censors over at that place, as noted in suspicion before hither on Goodreads. Plenty of eyes, which paid off in o Yous recollect you know someone when y'all sleep with them, and sometimes y'all larn you don't. Books can be like, and different.
Harpoon might be improve read from the back start, starting with the acknowledgments. At that place were ii authors involved with Israeli lawyer and starting time-time author Nitsana Darshan-Leitner in the lead, and Samuel Katz as co-author. There were tons of others involved, including censors over there, as noted in suspicion earlier here on Goodreads. Plenty of eyes, which paid off in ane of the best-edited books I've read in years. Peradventure ever, and there were 308 pages.
It'southward all nearly fighting your battles in the banks and financial institutions. A few might lose their jobs, but bloodletting is drastically curtailed that way. No money, no bombs. Harpoon, named for a special financial warfare wing of Israel'southward Mossad under Meir Dagan worked to reduce the suicide bombings of the 1980s and '90s.
I saw an firsthand relationship between old England's privateer Sir Francis Drake, and the other Seadogs robbing treasure and gilt from Espana to Harpoon.
I personally favor global peace, regardless of who wins or loses whichever disharmonize. I've been to the Middle East once, but I wish I could be around for such a day when information technology's a bit more similar Europe in that respect. I spent a few days in Lebanese republic, but I dream of being able to tour Turkey, State of israel, Arab republic of egypt, Syria, and Iran like I might France, Frg, or Austria. I know, I'm dreaming. Not in this lifetime, simply, if I live a few hundred more years, mayhap.
The content moved nicely, in that location was merely a small-scale handful of anything that could exist called an error. Information technology was a pleasance to read, and overnice to wake upwardly next to.
Information technology was a bargain, as well. Listed on the cover at $27, I got it for $1 at a dollar store. I need to become back there.
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The book shed calorie-free on the potent ties between terrorism and other illegal activities, such as drugs, and on how the DEA'due south war on drugs is really also a state of war on terrorism.
Because how much of the success of the CIA & Mossad seems to be directly connected to bankrupting terrorist organizations and/or cut them off from conventional financial systems, the advent of crypto-currency is worrisome. ...more
Harpoon primal premise is to follow the money and eliminate the sources/conduits as much as possible. Meir Dagan was the genius behind it (I admired the legend & without Harpoon, Israel would lose a lot more unnecessary lives as victims of terrorism & economic fallout).
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner is a genius in taking the boxing of terrorism to the courts.
Overall, Harpoon main accomplishment Piece of cake to read and well-written book; you don't take to be a political science scholar to appreciate the nuances.
Harpoon cardinal premise is to follow the money and eliminate the sources/conduits as much as possible. Meir Dagan was the genius behind information technology (I admired the fable & without Harpoon, Israel would lose a lot more unnecessary lives as victims of terrorism & economic fallout).
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner is a genius in taking the battle of terrorism to the courts.
Overall, Harpoon chief accomplishment is irresolute the banking practices--safeguards to avoid facilitating any known terrorist entities or known individuals with their terrorist activities.
Agree on the new battlefield of terrorism: social media.
Yet, I would argue that propaganda machinery also gives oxygen to terrorism & this is trickier to deal with. ...more
But i of the Mossad's greatest successes occurred not with guns, spies or international intrigue. Rather via poli
For those that want to know about the cloak and dagger exploits of the Mossad, books such as Gideon'due south Spies: The Surreptitious History of the Mossad and Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Clandestine Service are fascinating reads. These books item the spellbinding story of the Mossad, and how they've ensured Israel'south security, in improver to that of other countries around the globe.Simply i of the Mossad's greatest successes occurred not with guns, spies or international intrigue. Rather via politicians, lawyers, bankers, CPA'south, and a few spies likewise.
In Harpoon: Within the Covert State of war Against Terrorism's Money Masters (Hachette Books 978-0316399050) authors Nitsana Darshan-Leitner and Samuel M. Katz tell the fascinating story of how the Mossad was able to stop the cyberbanking networks that were used to finance terrorism. The Mossad (in improver to the U.s. Government), saw that it could be more effective to striking the terrorists in their wallets, rather than with bullets.
The father of Functioning Harpoon was Meir Dagan, former State of israel Defense Forces Major General and Mossad Manager. Dagan had the revelation that information technology would exist easier and safer for Israel to try to disarm its enemies non past engaging them in battle, only by cutting off their funds so they could not launch terror attacks in the offset place.
The post 9/11 global state of war on terror focused on firepower, dropping soldiers and bombs into enemy territory and more. But the toll in that approach was not only massive financially, many lives were lost in the process.
The Harpoon task force was established in 2001, as Dagan knew quite well that large terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas had money as their lifeblood. Dagan saw that if the cash did not flow, there would be a halt in their terror efforts. Dagan knew if he could stop the money pipelines by via force per unit area on the fiscal institutions from serving them; it would be a potent method in the war on terror.
In The New Terrorism: Myths and Reality, author Thomas Mockaitis notes that suicide bombers were idea to exist a poor man's cruise missile. But Dagan understood how beguiling that notion was. Every suicide bomber or terrorist needed a large network of suppliers, handlers, scouts, smugglers, bomb makers, safe houses, and more for them to achieve their stop-goals. The suicide bombing network campaigns were quite expensive and required a abiding flow of greenbacks. That network was as well highly dependent on money to go along its supply line going. If Israel and the Usa could cease those supply chains, they could stop the suicide bombers and other terrorist attacks.
Harpoon revolutionized the concept of lawfare, a form of asymmetric warfare that consists of using the legal arrangement confronting an enemy. In this example, it was a concerted effort of the Mossad and diverse attorneys. As founder of the Shurat HaDin Israeli Constabulary Center, co-author Nitsana Darshan-Leitner brings a start-mitt account of her legal fight against terror financing to every chapter in this compelling book.
Before Functioning Harpoon, the banks were delighted to profit off terror. One time the lawsuits started, the banks realized that the legal fees, extended and expensive litigation, in addition to the negative PR fabricated information technology no longer assisting to be the terrorist's bank of choice.
Since the terrorists killed Americans also, many of these lawsuits were filed in the United States. This in addition to the fact that the U.s.a. legal system has much more than at its power to ensure the financial institutions actually stop.
While the book is nearly how the Mossad stopped the finance networks, the authors don't bargain that in depth and information technology is quite light in that area. Forensic accountants, CPA, investigators and others looking to use those techniques won't find the answers here.
The book besides goes into details in an expanse I had no idea about; that many of these terrorist's groups, both in the Mideast, Democratic people's republic of korea and more; are heavily involved in the drug merchandise. It's non just the Columbians that are involved in worldwide cocaine trade. T
The novel idea of Harpoon was that it was a non-lethal way to stop the terrorist network. Choke off the money, and the mortality volition end.
Harpoon has had many successes and has undoubtable saved countless lives. Terrorist networks are often changing their methods of attack. In In Harpoon: Inside the Covert War Confronting Terrorism'southward Money Masters, Darshan-Leitner and Katz accept written a fascinating account that shows that when governments are motivated and created; they tin beat the terrorist in their tracks. No matter how frequently they change them.
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Stop the money terminate the terrorists. For an idea that is then elementary and makes so much sense (to me), I was surprised to learn how much resistance there was in its adoption. State of israel's leadership is ex-military heavy and I guess tracing money wires and tracking bankers is pretty unsexy. *shrug*
I really enjoyed learning nearly the raids and virtually the legal battles brought to U.S. court to try and necktie upwards terrorist money in litigations.
My biggest criticism
3.5 stars (one.5 thumbs upward in my bookclub rating)Stop the money terminate the terrorists. For an idea that is so simple and makes and so much sense (to me), I was surprised to learn how much resistance there was in its adoption. Israel'south leadership is ex-military machine heavy and I judge tracing coin wires and tracking bankers is pretty unsexy. *shrug*
I actually enjoyed learning nigh the raids and about the legal battles brought to U.S. court to try and tie up terrorist money in litigations.
My biggest criticism of the volume:
Harpoon was written similar an all over the identify jumpy spy thriller with too many info dumps sandwiching the operations. I wish the book had followed a chronological order of storytelling. It was at points unclear when and why things were happening when they were. Though I did learn a lot almost Hezbollah, I wonder if someone with a little less familiarity with the region "politics" would bask this every bit much.
I loved that the DEA worked (works?) with Harpoon to try and cease drug trafficking from Venezuela to Syria. I didn't know that drug (and prostitution) money funded terrorism.
I idea the Ponzi scheme that "took down" Hezbollah was very smart, but I felt for the poor people that then became destitute considering of it. If annihilation, this showed that trying to take down only the terrorists and those that fund them is actually difficult... Just like the banking company raid in Ramallah. Regular citizens were there and affected too.
Also, the book should exist chosen "We dearest Meir Dagan", imo.
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The championship of the book "Harpoon" comes from the name of the organization in Israel's intelligence community that's specific mission is to get afterward terrorist finance. This piece of work doesn't just talk well-nigh Israel'due south attempt on terrorism simply likewise the means of finance for terrorist organizations. Information technology also paints a sad motion picture of the corruption of Palestinian authorities which I have read from newspaper before but didn't sympathize its extent. For instance the book mentioned that at one point xl three percent of the budge for the Palestine Say-so was unaccounted for. Some of these went on to fund terrorist networks and operations. It become and so bad that eventually The states President Bush-league severed ties to the PA.
The full general readers volition exist surprised to learn that the writer debunked the myth that suicide bombing is a inexpensive way to fight against Israel; this is a myth you hear from Western media that often paints a narrative of information technology existence a simple way of Palestinians beingness the David fighting the Goliath of Israel. Just it does not stand up upward to scrutiny. The author explain the logistics for suicide bombing and the vast networks of people behind one attack from those trained in explosives fitting the bomber, the ones housing the bomber and making sure he doesn't quit the last moment, the trainers for the bombers, the media saavy individuals who produce slick videos interviewing the bombers for propaganda purposes to the financial handlers who advantage large compensations to the families of the suicide bombers. The people involved in these network receive salaries. All told in that location'due south a lot of expense for even 1 terrorist attack; sadly the author pointed out that the cheapest role of a suicide bombing performance is the bomber'south own life. To fund these elaborate suicide bombing missions groups such as Hamas used international charities as a front to smuggle cash and even merchandise that are then sold to finance these terrorist activities. These groups often use the same ways of finance as other organized crime such every bit drug cartels, money launderers, sexual practice trafficking networks, etc. In fact as the book goes on to show these terrorists organizations who at times accept an Islamic religious dimension hypocritically appoint in these sinful activities of trafficking drugs, people and other vices themselves. Israel's ingenuity is to go subsequently the terrorists' means of finance since money is the oxygen that allows terrorism to happen. The volume gives various accounts of what State of israel's financial war to asphyxiate out the financial resources of terrorist entities such equally Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. At times Harpoon is not only a financial intelligence performance; sometimes it involves others such as war machine commandoes every bit in Operation Green Lantern. This book probably gave the most detailed public account of that performance. Other times Israel'south war on finances involves other partnership with other countries such as the United States and even Arab states who secretly cooperates. Fascinating as well is the book's description of nongovernment human relationship of Harpoon such equally families of terrorists victims and artistic lawyers targeting terrorist group in the legal arena with litigations against terrorist organizations, their financial supporters, governments and fifty-fifty the banks that serve terrorist organizations but willingly cull to expect the other way.
A big office of the book is also well-nigh the people who fought the financial war against terrorism. Among them is the book's extensive discussion about Meir Dagan who created Harpoon and who eventually became the director of Israel intelligence agency known every bit Mossad. Dagan'southward creativity and thoughtfulness is described in the book just readers come across that it is non merely nigh him but the various regime officials and agencies cooperating and sometimes the coalition consists of unlikely agencies. Of course there's discussion of the political turf battles between organizations and agencies only it is also incredible to run into the eventual cooperation between the agencies.
Is Israel's financial war on terrorism successful? While terrorists volition always invent new means to be stray notwithstanding I recall the author persuasively made the case that it is. Towards the cease of the book you read more and more of Israel'due south operation against terrorists and countries supporting terrorism. I thought the story of how during diverse military conflict in which the IDF was forced to respond militarily Harpoon was as well working to cripple the enemy financially; in fact the call for truce by their enemies is frequently a response to Israel'south disruption of their enemies' finance and where the Palestinian themselves including terrorist rank and file members complain that the terrorist organization is unable to pay up and causes other financial hardship to the country. I honey the story of Israel's intelligence and armed services performance against Hamas trying to become coin to come in to their territory to pay their terrorists that ended upward with an Israeli cobra bravado a Hamas coin man. Right later that Hamas called for a ceasefire.
I appreciated the book'south look at the international dimension of the state of war on terrorists' financing. The book discusses Operation Pegasus in which Israel worked with the Canadian authorities legally against the questionable Lebanese Canadian Bank. At that place's also a word of the US' "Johnny Come Lately" own effort after ix/xi such as the Terrorist finance tracking program.
The volume also talks well-nigh recent Israeli's assuming covert activity operation such as the Dubai operation that assassinated a Hamas leader heading to liaison with Iran and as well some anonymous shadowy targeting of Iranian nuclear project.
This is a fun read, it reads like a real life Tom Clancy novel.
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Information technology was interesting to read about how focusing on the financial Harpoon author Nitsana Darshan-Leitner is manager of Tel Aviv based arrangement Shurat HaDin, which works with lawyers, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies to fight State of israel's enemies. A key tool used by Shurat HaDin is to "follow the money", using a variety of means to identify and dry up sources of funding for terrorist groups and activities. And it's those activities, direct and indirect, which is the subject of this volume.
Information technology was interesting to read about how focusing on the financial side of terrorism activities gained in prominence over the retribution and punishing individuals or terrorist leaders.
This is an Israeli book written from an Israeli perspective, and the author spends a lot of time detailing a number of Palestinian attacks against the Jewish State, which to me got repetitive, overly detailed, and a distraction from the chief signal of the book. However, the broad-ranging techniques identified in the book can be and are being used by other nations against terrorist organizations of all stripes. And the effectiveness of those techniques are being shown to be of import and effective in that regard. ...more than
I did learn about the connection between the terrorists and the South American drug cartels and the creation of the American operation that ultimately supersede Harpoo As an Accountant I was very interested in the financial war the Israelis waged against Hamas and Hezbollah. The details of how Harpoon was able to notice and trace electronic transfers of money would have been a fascinating story. Instead we get a few stories about Israeli scams ans swindles and lots of stories well-nigh terrorist attacks.
I did acquire nearly the connection betwixt the terrorists and the Southward American drug cartels and the creation of the American operation that ultimately replace Harpoon as the bureau that tracked terror money effectually the earth. The agency was created by George Bush (the second) after the assault on Sept xi and subsequently expanded and maintained by Obama during his administrations. The fact that we were tracking money moving around the earth explains why Obama gave Islamic republic of iran millions in untraceable greenbacks. The book doesn't mention the payment, I suspect not enough time has passed for that story to be told.
It is an interesting book, it only doesn't alive up to the promise on the outside cover. ...more
Because this book seeks to provide a more than focused report on Mossad tactics and strategy in FINANCIAL terms, it is inherently express; that'south why it's strange that information technology repeats so much of Rise and Kill Showtime, which seeks to be comprehensive.
All the same, this is a VERY intere
I read this on the heels of Rise and Impale Get-go. Then, much of this book really detailed things I'd just read there. It's difficult to say how I would have responded to this book had I not read the onetime. In that location's no going back!Because this book seeks to provide a more focused report on Mossad tactics and strategy in FINANCIAL terms, it is inherently limited; that'south why it's strange that it repeats so much of Ascent and Kill Outset, which seeks to exist comprehensive.
Nonetheless, this is a VERY interesting look into Meir Sagan's revolutionary leadership of Mossad and his directives to target terrorist groups financially.
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The lesser line in fighting terrorism is 'Follow the Money'. Comprehensive yet the final affiliate is missing. Non one word most Obama gifting Irans with billions of dollars.
The lesser lineThe bottom line in fighting terrorism is 'Follow the Coin'. Comprehensive nonetheless the final chapter is missing. Non ane word about Obama gifting Irans with billions of dollars.
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It was very interesting, but I was listening to it in preparation for a word group, and I'thou not in the mood to read it now, and the word has been postponed. So for now, it's off my shelf.
Did not finish.It was very interesting, but I was listening to information technology in preparation for a discussion grouping, and I'm not in the mood to read information technology at present, and the discussion has been postponed. Then for now, information technology's off my shelf.
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