Men in black

摘要

The most alarming conclusion to be drawn from two new books about al-Qaeda is how little we really know about it. Despite a year-long global hunt, it remains unclear how strong the organisation is, how far it extends and precisely how last September's plot was hatched and executed. Indeed, basic questions, such as how a multinational cell of conspirators in Hamburg joined up with a group of American-based Saudi muscle-men with "clean" backgrounds to launch attacks on New York and Washington still await answers. The failure to capture Osama bin Laden, or even to ascertain whether he is dead or alive, is a telling sign of general puzzlement. If western intelligence services know better than the rest of us, they are keeping their knowledge extremely quiet.