Blood Year

Blood Year is an unsparingly honest, self-critical analysis of the collapse of western counterterrorism strategy, by one of its original architects. As a counterterrorism officer, then Chief Strategist in the US State Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism, David Kilcullen was one of the key designers of British and US counterterrorism policy. His insights helped to shape the strategy, known as "Disaggregation", which crippled Al Qaeda and prevented a follow up to the 9/11 attacks, and he found himself in harm's way in Southeast Asia, Libya, Somalia, Pakistan, Iraq and Afghani--stan. So Kilcullen's frank assessment-that the strategy he helped design has failed, has not made us safer, and has contributed to new threats, in--cluding ISIS-makes this short book mandatory reading for anyone interested in how terrorism is confronted. The most startling part of Kilcul--len's analysis is when he suggests there may be far worse adversaries than ISIS incubating in various parts of the world, preparing for the next stage of their unending struggle. His prescription for change, for a thorough reimagining of the threat, and for an open public debate on how to deal with it, will be a massive challenge. But if western democracies are to avoid more years of blood, it will be essential.