Synopses & Reviews
Israel's Mossad is thought by many to be one of the most powerful intelligence agencies in the world. In
Man in the Shadows, Efraim Halevy--a Mossad officer since 1961 and its chief between 1998 and 2002--provides an unprecedented portrait of the Middle East crisis. Having served as the secret envoy of prime ministers Rabin, Shamir, Netanyahu, Barak, and Sharon, Halevy was privy to many of the top-level negotiations that determined the progress of the region's struggle for peace during the years when the threat of Islamic terror became increasingly powerful. Informed by his extraordinary access, he writes candidly about the workings of the Mossad, the prime ministers he served under, and the other major players on the international stage: Yasir Arafat, Saddam Hussein, Hafiz al-Assad, Mu'amar Gadhafi, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. From the vantage point of a chief in charge of a large organization, he frankly describes the difficulty of running an intelligence agency in a time when heads of state are immersed, as never before, in using intelligence to protect their nations while, at the same time, acting to protect themselves politically. Most important, he writes fiercely and without hesitation about how the world might achieve peace in the face of the growing threat from Islamic terrorist organizations.
In this gripping inside look, Halevy opens his private dossier on events past and present: the assassination attempt by the Mossad on the life of Khaled Mashal, now the leader of Khammas; the negotiations surrounding the Israeli-Jordan Peace Accord and its importance for the stability of the region; figures in the CIA, like Jim Angleton and George Tenet, with whom he worked (Halevy even shares his feelings about Tenet's abrupt resignation). He tells the truth about what the Mossad really knew before 9/11. He writes candidly about assessing the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the region and beyond, and what this spells for the future of international stability and survival. He touches on the increasing visibility of the CIA in the Middle East and openly shares his misgivings about both the report of the 9/11 Commission and the Middle East road map to peace that was pressed on all sides of the conflict by the U.S. government. He looks at the terrorist attacks in Madrid and London and their far-reaching effects, and states the unthinkable: We have yet to see the worst of what the radical Islamic terrorists are capable of.
Sure to be one of the year's most talked-about books, this fierce and intelligent account of will be a must-read for those looking to hear from a man who wielded his influence, in the shadows, to save the Middle East and the world from a never-ending cycle of violence and destruction.
Review
“By filtering events through the unfamiliar lens of the spymaster, Mr. Halevy gives a fresh twist to the story...”—The Economist
“Spotlights the most pressing and controversial areas where foreign and defense policy making, intelligence gathering, and political ambitions collide….”—The New York Sun
“At a time when we face unprecedented demands on intelligence, Halevys insights…should be required reading.”
—Dennis Ross, former American envoy to the Middle East
Synopsis
Israels Mossad is one of the worlds most powerful intelligence agencies. Having served as its director, Efraim Halevy has witnessed the Middle East crisis from the inside-out. As the secret envoy to prime ministers ranging from Yitzhak Rabin to Ariel Sharon, Halevy was privy to many of the top-level negotiations that changed the landscape of the region—and, in turn, the rest of the modern world. In Man in the Shadows, he provides a fascinating, deeply informed look at the secret workings and global repercussions of Mossads fight against Islamic terror, and writes with passion and authority about such topics as:
• September 11, 2001: What the Mossad knew before and after the attacks; his critique of the 9/11 report; and his assertion that we havent seen the worst of radical Islam
• His candid thoughts about the Bush Administration; George Tenet and his dismissal; the assassination attempt of Hamas leader Khaled Mashal; and other key players in the war on terror
• Iraq: From Operation Desert Storm to the WMD crisis to the war of the present day, Halevy offers a modern history of the region, as well as an action-plan for the future
…and more. By turns a powerful history lesson and a roadmap to world peace, Man in the Shadows is a must-read for the twenty-first century.
About the Author
Efraim Halevy, the Mossads director from 1998-2002 and Israels ambassador to the E.U. from 1996-1998, is now the Head of the Center for Strategic and Policy Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.