Disruption - by Aki J Peritz

About the Book

Disruption tells the story of the conspiracy to simultaneously destroy several passenger jets over the Atlantic Ocean in 2006, and the desperate efforts by the British, Americans, and Pakistanis to crush the conspiracy before the bombs went off in the largest counterterrorism investigation in history.

Book Synopsis

Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Year
Neave Book Prize shortlist

Al-Qaeda did not stop after 9/11. Its reign of terror continued with bombings and mayhem across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. But its frustration grew as the group failed to fundamentally undermine America and its allies.

Five years later the time was ripe for another spectacular mega-plot. Fresh from masterminding the London Underground carnage, one veteran operative set in motion a new operation to destroy passenger aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean--and kill thousands of people in the process. Disruption tells the story of that conspiracy and the heroic efforts by the intelligence services of the United States, Great Britain, and Pakistan to uncover and crush it. From the streets of London to the training camps of Pakistan to the corridors of power in Washington DC, the story unfolds with murders, double-crosses, probes, jailbreaks, and explosions. Former counterterrorism analyst Aki J. Peritz brings the story to life with vivid imagery, interviews with top intelligence officials, and never-before-seen declassified documents. Disruption is the not-to-be-missed account of the race to stop a terrorist conspiracy that would have remade our world--forever.

Review Quotes

"Disruption is a deeply researched and reported examination of a plot by largely Britain-based al Qa'ida supporters who hoped to put suicide bombers on at least a half dozen tarns-Atlantic flights in 2006. . . . The best part of the story is the extraordinary detail [Peritz] provides on what the U.K. dubbed 'Operation Overt.' . . . Disruption is full of hard to believe (but true) stories."--Bill Harlow, The Cipher Brief

"[A] gripping account of a complex and ultimately successful counterterrorism investigation."--Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs

"Disruption is an engrossing page-turner."--David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express-- (1/6/2022 12:00:00 AM)

"A fascinating read. There are secrets in this book even I didn't know."--Gen. Michael V. Hayden, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency

"An outstanding contribution to the literature of terrorism and counterterrorism. "--Kirkus Reviews, starred

"In the summer of 2006, the British security services, with the assistance of the CIA, foiled what would have been the most devastating terrorist attack since 9/11: an al-Qaida plot to detonate bombs on seven transatlantic commercial flights, which would have resulted in over 3,000 deaths. Disruption is Peritz's meticulous, fascinating history of this plot, from the radicalization of the perpetrators to their sentencing in a British courtroom."--Christian Science Monitor-- (12/7/2021 12:00:00 AM)

"Readers will gain new appreciation for what it takes to stop the next terrorist attack."--Publishers Weekly-- (9/28/2021 12:00:00 AM)

"Some of the measures put in place since 9/11, as inconvenient as they may be, have undoubtedly saved lives. We might still debate their usefulness and legality, but we should do so with a full understanding of their results. Disruption is a valuable contribution to that understanding."--Samuel Sweeney, Wall Street Journal-- (1/10/2022 12:00:00 AM)

"This operation remains the gold standard for how America and Great Britain came together to crush the greatest conspiracy since 9/11. Disruption knocks it out of the park."--Fran Townsend, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism

About the Author

Aki J. Peritz is the coauthor of Find, Fix, Finish: Inside the Counterterrorism Campaigns That Killed Bin Laden and Devastated Al-Qaeda. He is a frequent commentator on national security issues for CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and NPR and has published in the Atlantic, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Foreign Policy, and Politico.