Serendi: Inside Somalia

One of the world's foremost experts on countering the threat of violent extremism, Michael Taarnby spent three years in war-torn Somalia living among defectors from one of the most notorious terrorist groups - al-Shabaab. For the first time here, Taarnby tells the inside story of his efforts to reha [...]
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One of the world's foremost experts on countering the threat of violent extremism, Michael Taarnby spent three years in war-torn Somalia living among defectors from one of the most notorious terrorist groups - al-Shabaab. For the first time here, Taarnby tells the inside story of his efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate these former terrorists into society, and the many unexpected perils and emergencies he and his team encountered along the way. For the team was soon to learn that in Somalia, hundreds of former terrorists are likely to be the least of your problems while working in a failed state. By many perceived to be the project from hell that no one wanted, the Danish team accepted the challenge and ran with it, and this narrative details what it took - no holds barred. Taarnby is uniquely positioned to tell the story as experienced from a compound in Mogadishu, in all of its chaos, corruption and violence where the unexpected and surreal becomes tedious routine. He paints a riveting picture of a society running on a ticking clock to save it from itself. And as fragile as Somali society may be, he exposes with an honest and unsparing eye how the international community struggle with Somali realities, and often come up short. "A wonderfully engaging, highly readable and fast paced account of the Somali defector program that carries many broader lessons on how to provide effective international assistance to fragile states." Ricard Barrett, former MI6 Director of Global Counter Terrorism Operations and founder of the UN Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force "Serendi is a compelling, thought-provoking and inspiring account of setting up a terrorism rehabilitation program in one of the most dangerous countries on earth. With verve and lashings of dark humor, it tells the captivating story of how against all odds Taarnby's small team produced such extraordinary results that they became a strategic threat to al-Shabaab and a top target for the terrorist group. This book is essential reading for anybody who wants to understand Somalia and the challenges ahead in confronting the global jihadi threat. For all the frustrations the author encountered in Somalia, his book also tells a profound truth which many involved in counter-terrorism efforts have yet to grasp: the global battle for hearts and minds can be decisively won, but only if local communities are empowered to do so." Paul Cruickshank, Editor in Chief, CTC Sentinel and co-author of "Nine Lives: My Time as MI6's Top Spy Inside al-Qaeda." "There has been no shortage of books and academic papers in the field of terrorism studies, but there is also a recognition that most lack primary data from field research. This book does not fit the regular mold. Danish social anthropologist Michael Taarnby has written a tour de force on his time managing the al-Shabaab terrorist rehabilitation program. Not only does he get unprecedented access, but his writing style comes across as a riveting adventure story of a Western scholar in a war zone. Those interested in terrorism, its effects on society and the tragedy that is modern Somalia will love this book" Phil Gurski, former Canadian intelligence analyst and President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting