Manufacturing Terrorism: When Governments Use Fear to Justify Foreign Wars and Control Society

Review\n“Manufacturing Terrorism is as terrifying as it is compelling. T. J. Coles argues that most terrorist attacks would never happen in the first place if not for overzealous, misguided, and just plain malevolent intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the West. He’s right. And he has the research and documentation to back it up. This book should be required reading, not just in colleges and universities, but also in every organization in the international intelligence and law enforcement communities.” -- John Kiriakou, former CIA counterterrorism officer and former senior investigator, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations\nWhat if your own government deliberately creates terrorists? What if their short-term aims―deposing regimes that no longer serve Western interests, justifying invasions of sovereign nations and expanding the security state at home―have long-term consequences for us all? What if most of the horrific bombings, stabbings, and vehicle attacks of recent years are connected―indirectly and sometimes directly―to British, French, and American intelligence? T. J. Coles poses these and other hard-hitting questions in this disturbing survey of secret political maneuvering and covert manipulation. Welcome to the world of manufactured terrorism...
Backed by a wealth of documentation, including court records, parliamentary inquiries, and little-known but official publications, the author exposes the role of the “deep state” in brutal acts of terror. Exploring Operation Gladio, Northern Irish terror, and (predominantly) Islamist jihad, he argues that the intelligence agencies, military, and governments employ six key methods to manufacture terrorism: Blowback―attacking other countries and provoking violent responses. Proxies―creating terrorists (including members of al-Qaeda) and using them against enemies. Provocateurs―provoking individuals from minorities into committing terrorist acts. Green-lighting―allowing terrorists to commit attacks to justify certain policies. False flags―committing terrorism and blaming it on designated enemies. Simulations―holding drills and exercises as covers for apparent terrorist acts.
Contrary to claims that terrorism is caused by those who simply “hate our way of life”―in contrast to the simplistic narrative of conspiracy websites and talk shows―Coles asserts that each case of terrorism needs to be evaluated individually. Manufacturing Terrorism presents a complex picture that distinguishes among cases of blowback, proxies, false-flags, simulations, and so on. It offers an indispensable briefing to help readers make sense of our chaotic and dangerous world.