Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent

Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent [Fred Burton] on leondumoulin.nl * FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. For decades, Fred Burton, a key figure in.
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  1. Fred Burton (security expert) - Wikipedia;
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  5. Going Underground?

When you join the Dark World, you must become unpredictable. We must strip away all the conventions of our old lives and fade into the background. Today, I begin my life as a ghost. These morning runs will be my one tip to the old life I'm leaving behind. I love these morning runs with Tyler. She is a remarkable animal, my familiar, a canine that intuits more about loyalty and honor than most of the people I encountered as a police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland.

She pads along, tongue lolling, breathing steady. She could run marathons of her own. My footfalls echo across the empty Bethesda neighborhood. The tidy brick houses and apartments are dark. In my new life, I'll be spending a lot of time in darkness. I've learned to be paranoid. I've learned to look around corners and watch my back.

Our instructors warned us that the KGB opens a file on every one of us new agents as soon as we graduate. Then they probe our lives and backgrounds in search of weaknesses, skeletons, or any sort of leverage by which to exploit or co-opt us. Sooner or later, they will make contact with an offer. I glance behind me, half expecting to see some Eastern Bloc thug in a trench coat shadowing me. But all I see is a thin layer of fog and an empty suburban block. Fred is by no means a professional author so he's entitled to some mistakes. Although I'll admit the plot became a bit foggy at points, I seemed to understand it well.

I think the person most likely to enjoy this book would be anyone who is involved in or interested in politics or government.

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In this book you can really understand the bureaucracy behind clandestine operations. I think the strong point in the novel is the human touch on Fred and his life. He was not just a faceless pawn on the clandestine checkerboard, he had a life and a story. The most touching part of the book however, was the end when he talked of the death of his father and his best friend. In his eyes, this was a wake up call. Fred pursued his dreams and gave a better life for his family; a life his best friend never could have.

He ties everything together by ending with the deaths he avenged, the lives that were lost, and the families that felt the impact of losing a loved one. Fred Burton's book gives clandestine operations a human face and really touches the reader. Jan 20, Gary rated it really liked it. Written by one of the founding agents of the U. Fred Burton provides a window into the working life of a professional field agent attempting to navigate these turbulent waters from their success taking down the first World Trade Centre bomber, or th Written by one of the founding agents of the U. Fred Burton provides a window into the working life of a professional field agent attempting to navigate these turbulent waters from their success taking down the first World Trade Centre bomber, or the frustration he felt as the division tried to locate the Beirut hostages that would eventually culminate in the Iran-contra affair.

However more revealing were his allegations that the airplane crash which killed Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in was a parting gift from the KGB as the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan, and just how close Pakistan and India came to a nuclear exchange believing the assassination a precursor to an Indian invasion. Reads almost like a spy novel at points, certainly worth picking up.

Dec 26, Shannon rated it liked it. The information presented is interesting and Burton has worked some major cases, which is the only reason I scored the book it as highly as I did. However, Burton is not a good writer. He is a self-congratulatory cowboy who uses cutesy nicknames "The Dark World" for anything spy-related, for example that make it hard to take him seriously. He doesn't try to present a nuanced view of terrorism. The terrorists are all bad, he is ostensibly all good, and that's the end of it as far as he's concer The information presented is interesting and Burton has worked some major cases, which is the only reason I scored the book it as highly as I did.

The terrorists are all bad, he is ostensibly all good, and that's the end of it as far as he's concerned. But terrorism doesn't just happen in a vacuum or spring up out of nowhere. There's a context, but Burton either doesn't care enough to present it or just doesn't grasp it.

For a guy who has presumably seen the worst of the worst, that attitude makes him come across as clueless and naive.


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It sounds like he had left the CT unit by that time, presenting a clear timeline of events is not one of the book's strengths, either but I couldn't believe that he didn't even do a basic analysis and conclusion about such a major event so directly relevant to his book's subject matter.

Sep 02, Zach Vaughn rated it liked it Shelves: Fred Burton was a counterterrorism agent for the Diplomatic Security Service and was involved in investigating some of the worst acts of terrorism in U. In Ghost, he recounts three specific investigations: However, even as we become more developed in our response, more problems arise. One thing has not changed: Every nation has made its own deals with these devils.

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All too often, terror is a blunt but effective political weapon. Jul 21, Lisa Carlson rated it it was amazing Recommended to Lisa by: The pieces of Ghost make sense if you've read anything about the dysfunction in the Middle East and the bombings in Beirut in These events foreshadowed America's future attacks and the average American you and I had no idea what was coming.

Burton's book reads at times like fiction as he describes his routine, where he began working and the attire of a DSS agent-the pins are my favorite. Typing messages on a standard office typewriter, sifting through pages of documents in a nondescript, bland office and carrying a black moleskin with names he can't ever forget Burton seems to personify the type of mysterious special agent we can all envision and may want to be.

As you might expect from a book of this caliber there are no pictures only acknowledgments and a brief bio of Burton. This book will either bore you or make you realize again sometimes our greatest fear is what we can't see coming. This is the first book i've read this summer, it's really interesting and it's a memoir by Fred Burton, who was recruited in the DSS and was assigned to it's counter-terrorism branch. Fred Burton at the time was surprised because counter-terrorism wasn't that big of a thing back then in the 70's but then as you read through the book you could see the growth of counter-terrorism and how the tactics used evolved.

And you can also see Fred's expertise increases. You will see how both Fred Burton an This is the first book i've read this summer, it's really interesting and it's a memoir by Fred Burton, who was recruited in the DSS and was assigned to it's counter-terrorism branch. Also Fred's memories and experiences during missions were great and were one of the reasons why i loved this book so much.

Even though this isn't like a james bond type of thing, it does give you some insight about the DSS, it's faults and triumphs, back in the day. I recommend this book to everyone but mostly to those who are interested in politics and how things work in government agencies and how they work with each other.

Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent

Oct 15, Nathan rated it really liked it. This book was fascinating. I never knew probably because I was a kid that Libya was such a threat to the US in the 80's. Very interesting to hear about the conflicts and attacks that continually popped up in the Middle East against the US. There was one chapter about India and Pakistan almost going to war when most of the Pakistani governing body died in a plane crash that I had never even heard about.

The book is well written and gives a good overview of the DSS. Special treat was near the e This book was fascinating. Special treat was near the end when my negative view on the bureaucratic BS of the FBI was confirmed.

Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent - Fred Burton - Google Книги

Maybe it was the deep voice of the narrator on the audiobook version sounding too much like Stacy Keach's narration of Mickey Spillane's audiobooks, but the author's constant and recurring musings on his black and white moral code and wanting to make the bad guy pay, really made me think the author was a bad imitation of Mike Hammer.

Despite that, he was a really good writer and the book was entertaining while it informed of a very complicated "Dark World. This book is similar in tone to another book I just completed: The Art of Intelligence by Henry Crumpton. Both authors see the world they live in in black and white terms. There are good people and there are evil, and it's up to them to stop the evil ones. Both men view politicians and bureaucrats as being more interested in prot This book is similar in tone to another book I just completed: Both men view politicians and bureaucrats as being more interested in protecting their jobs than protecting the country.

What both books have done for me is to wake me up and remind me of the threat that's still out there. Both books say that another major attack is inevitable, because they can't catch everyone, no matter how good they get. Feb 28, Brian Eshleman rated it liked it. Looking at this world through the author's eyes, I think this book is somewhat impacted by his stiff personality and at least slight trend toward self-aggrandizement. At least the occasional Kennedyesque self-deprecation that he took his job seriously and not himself would have gone a long way.

The section I most enjoyed was an abrupt departure from the rest of the book. Burton suddenly goes into a how-to sequence on the thinking process that goes into trailing a suspect and avoiding such attention. A whole book of this might've been much less interesting than Burton's memoir, but I did like the specific texture this section provided.

Dec 19, Jim rated it liked it Shelves: An interesting foray into the dark world of counterintelligence by a member of the DSS. They protect US diplomats and embassies, as wel as visiting dignitaries, and Burton was on the groundfloor of antiterrorist activities.

It scares you when you see how ill-equipped we were to handle the emerging terrorist threats. This book focuses mostly on the 80s and early 90s: I find these books fascinating, but frustrating as well. As a warning to modernize and strengthen our capabilities, I think it is a good thing; but doesn't he also give terrorists an insight into inner workings and policy as well?

I think he convinced me that the Soviets knocked off Zia. The former deputy of DSS, a counter-terrorism group in the State Department, provides an overview of his time as a spook. In the first part, he describes his first few months on the job at this new agency in the mid's; in the second part, he provides a veteran's view, having been on the job more that 7 years; and in the third part, after he has left government service, he considers how the job demanded it be his top priority over his family and friends , what triggered his leaving the DSS, The former deputy of DSS, a counter-terrorism group in the State Department, provides an overview of his time as a spook.

In the first part, he describes his first few months on the job at this new agency in the mid's; in the second part, he provides a veteran's view, having been on the job more that 7 years; and in the third part, after he has left government service, he considers how the job demanded it be his top priority over his family and friends , what triggered his leaving the DSS, and his reflections on the challenges of preventing terrorist attacks. It was interesting to learn about what the DSS does and other agencies that fight terrorism and to hear his "war" stories about investigating various terrorist attacks.

The facts, understandably, were pretty superficial but did provide some insight into events that I remember. May 27, J rated it liked it Shelves: Reflections on his experiences as a counterterrorism agent are recorded in his series, Lessons From Old Case Files.

Fred Burton (security expert)

Burton regularly briefs corporate executive teams on security related issues and speaks at a variety of both public and private events, including the Southern Law Network's 18th Annual General Counsel Event [7]. Burton is the author of a memoir, Ghost: Katz, was published by St. Vanity Fair ran a lengthy excerpt from the book shortly before it was published.

HBO has purchased the film rights to the book, with executive producer Jerry Weintraub [9] to oversee production. In addition to his own memoirs, Burton has been referenced or portrayed in other books, including Years for Revenge: Burton's involvement in the search for and capture of Ramzi Yousef was chronicled in Relentless Pursuit: The acquaintance that was formed as Katz was writing this book led to his collaboration with Burton more than a decade later on Under Fire.

Ullah called "Pushing the Boulder Up a Hill: Why Are Terrorist Operations Successful. Understanding and Stopping Extremism. Buckley, murdered brutally while held as a hostage in Lebanon. But it will show a new generation the value of a life well lived in service of country. Burton is frequently interviewed as a security expert by world news media on topics ranging from terrorist attacks to corporate security and U.