America's Covert War in East Africa

'America's Covert War in East Africa is a breath of fresh air-a positive anomaly in the crowded counterterrorism literature.' -- Parameters 'Clara Usiskin is a leading member of that surprisingly small band of lawyers, researchers, journalists and law-makers who painstakingly forced into the open some of the most disturbing secrets of the so-called war on terror. In this book she sheds new light on one of the major battlefields of that war. This is an invaluable contribution to the history of a very dark time.' 'This book is a must-read to understand how the misguided US and British security policies in East Africa destabilise the region, from someone who has put in the long hours there.' 'If you want to understand how US renditions and secret detentions work in Africa and how allies of Washington such as the UK have supported these Counter-Terrorism efforts -- buy this book. A really sobering and important book to read.' -- Alex Vines 'America's Covert War in East Africa is the harrowing and ongoing story of how a fundamentally misguided security policy -- surveillance, rendition, assassination -- has warped and destabilized the politics of a region and devastated countless innocent lives.' -- New Internationalist 'Usiskin skilfully combines eye-witness accounts, personal testimony and excerpts from official documentation to construct a chilling portrayal of a sinister apparatus of illegality and terror.' -- Counterfire 'Usikin writes clearly and emotes very effectively ... This is an informative read for anyone interested in the East African experiences during the almost two-decade-long global 'War on Terror'.' -- LSE Review of Books 'A harrowing firsthand account of the US war on terror... Usiskin goes deep into the belly of the beast to bring us some of the most heart-wrenching accounts of torture against detainees accused of masterminding acts of terror against America and its allies in East Africa... This book is unique in several ways, particularly in its combination of a refined legal investigation and extremely cautious investigative journalism.' -- Jok Madut Jok 'A highly disturbing but essential book... Usiskin's kaleidoscopic accounts of renditions, secret detentions and extrajudicial killings highlight the incredible reach of American and British power into African polities, as well as the eagerness of east African governments to use the 'War on Terror' to justify increased surveillance of everyday citizens, torture of political opponents, attacks on national judiciaries and violence against minority populations.' -- Dr Phil Clark 'Clara Usiskin takes the reader on a journey through Britain's colonial past and Al Qaeda's attacks in the 1990s to the modern cyber confrontation in the region. A book full of fascinating insight and episodes, revealing the troubling and enduring nature of terrorism in the region.' -- Professor Michael Goodman