At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA - Hardcover

A no-holds-barred chronicle and inside story of the war on terror by the former CIA director.

In the whirlwind of accusations and recriminations that emerged in the wake of 9/11 and the Iraq war, one man's vital testimony has been conspicuously absent. Candid and gripping, ‘At the Centre of the Storm’ is George Tenet's time at the Central Intelligence Agency, a revelatory look at the inner workings of the most important intelligence organization in the world during the most challenging times in recent history. With unparalleled access to both the highest echelons of government and raw intelligence from the field, Tenet illuminates CIA's painstaking attempts to prepare the country against new and deadly threats, disentangling the interlocking events that led to 9/11, and offering explosive new information on the deliberations and strategies that culminated in the US invasion of Iraq.

Beginning with his appointment as Director of Central Intelligence in 1997, Tenet unfolds the events that led to 9/11 as he experienced them including his declaration of war on al Qa’ida; the worldwide operational plan to fight terrorists; and the plan for a coordinated and devastating counterattack against al Qa’ida laid down just six days after the attacks. He then turns to the war in Iraq as he provides dramatic insight and background on the run-up to the invasion, including the CIA's critical role in an administration predisposed to take the country to war. In doing so, he sets the record straight about CIA operations and shows readers that the truth is more complex than suggested in other versions of recent history offered thus far.

Through it all, Tenet paints an unflinching self-portrait of a man caught between the warring forces of the administration's decision-making process and his own conscience. Drawing on his experience within the wilderness of mirrors of intelligence collection and analysis and providing crucial information previously undisclosed, ‘At the Centre of the Storm’ is a moving and revelatory profile of both a man and a nation in times of crisis.

"When Al-Qa'ida comes back, it will come back in spectacular fashion. Remember, the airplanes of 9/11 weren't just commercial jets; they were the first weapons of mass destruction to be used in the war we are now fighting against the terrorists. That war is not over, not by a long shot, and it's not going to end any time soon."

In the whirlwind of accusations and recriminations that emerged in the wake of 9/11 and the Iraq war, one man's vital testimony has been conspicuously absent. Candid and gripping, At the Center of the Storm, is George Tenet's time at the Central Intelligence Agency, a revelatory look at the inner workings of the most important intelligence organization in the world during the most challenging times in recent history. With unparalleled access to both the highest echelons of government and raw intelligence from the field, Tenet illuminates CIA's painstaking attempts to prepare the country against new and deadly threats, disentangles the interlocking events that led to 9/11, and offers explosive new information on the deliberations and strategies that culminated in the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Beginning with his appointment as Director of Central Intelligence in 1997, Tenet unfolds the momentous events that led to 9/11 as he saw and experienced them: his declaration of war on al Qa'ida; CIA's covert operations inside Afghanistan; the worldwide operational plan to fight terrorists; his warnings of an imminent attack on American soil to White House officials in the spring and summer of 2001; and the plan for a coordinated and devastating counterattack against al Qa'ida laid down just six days after the attacks.

Tenet's compelling narrative then turns to the war in Iraq as he provides dramatic insight and background on the run-up to the invasion, including: a first-hand account of the fallout from the inclusion of "sixteen words" in the President's 2003 State of the Union address claiming Saddam Hussein had sought to purchase uranium from Africa; the true context of Tenet's own now-famous "slam-dunk" comment regarding Saddam's WMD program; and CIA's critical role in an administration predisposed to take the country to war. In doing so, he sets the record straight about CIA operations and shows readers that the truth is more complex than suggested in other versions of recent history offered thus far.

Through it all, Tenet paints an unflinching self-portrait of a man caught between the warring forces of the administration's decision-making process, the reams of frightening intelligence pouring in from around the world, and his own conscience. Drawing on his unmatched experience within the wilderness of mirrors of intelligence collection and analysis and providing crucial information previously undisclosed, At the Center of the Storm is a moving and revelatory profile of both a man and a nation in times of crisis.