The Finish
by Bowden, Mark
2012From Mark Bowden, the preeminent chronicler of our military and special forces, comes The Finish, a gripping account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. With access to key sources, Bowden takes us inside the rooms where decisions were made and on the ground where the action unfolded.After masterminding the attacks of September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden managed to vanish. Over the next ten years, as Bowden
shows, America found that its war with al Qaeda—a scattered group of
individuals who were almost impossible to track—demanded an innovative
approach. Step by step, Bowden describes
the development of a new tactical strategy to fight this war—the fusion
of intel from various agencies and on-the-ground special ops. After
thousands of special forces missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the right
weapon to go after bin Laden had finally evolved. By Spring 2011,
intelligence pointed to a compound in Abbottabad; it was estimated that
there was a 50/50 chance that Osama was there. Bowden
shows how three strategies were mooted: a drone strike, a precision
bombing, or an assault by Navy SEALs. In the end, the President had to
make the final decision. It was time for the finish.
shows, America found that its war with al Qaeda—a scattered group of
individuals who were almost impossible to track—demanded an innovative
approach. Step by step, Bowden describes
the development of a new tactical strategy to fight this war—the fusion
of intel from various agencies and on-the-ground special ops. After
thousands of special forces missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the right
weapon to go after bin Laden had finally evolved. By Spring 2011,
intelligence pointed to a compound in Abbottabad; it was estimated that
there was a 50/50 chance that Osama was there. Bowden
shows how three strategies were mooted: a drone strike, a precision
bombing, or an assault by Navy SEALs. In the end, the President had to
make the final decision. It was time for the finish.