Killing the Killers Buchzusammenfassung - das Wichtigste aus Killing the Killers

Einleitung anhören

00:00

Zusammenfassung von Killing the Killers

Name: Killing the Killers
Rating: 3.9 (259 reviews)
Author: Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

The Secret War Against Terrorists

3.9 (259 Bewertungen)

26 Min.

Themen

Globale Politik Politik der USA Kriege Krisen & Skandale Politische Porträts Der Nahe Osten

Inhaltsübersicht

Killing the Killers
in 8 Kernaussagen verstehen

Audio & Text in der Blinkist App

Kernaussage 1 von 8

What’s in it for me? Learn about General Qasem Soleimani from his beginnings to his fateful end.

While Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s Killing the Killers covers the war on terror from 2014 through 2020, it’s impossible for us to capture it all in a single Blink. So, in this Blink, we’ve chosen to provide a snapshot of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, and a portrait of one man in particular – the IRGC’s leader, General Qasem Soleimani.

During his lifetime, Qasem Soleimani could have been mistaken for any other devout Iranian man. He lived in Tehran with his wife and five children – three boys and two girls. He rose at 4:00 a.m. each morning. He had trouble with his prostate – for which he took medication – and struggled with back pain. He came across as both religious and kind, if sometimes stern and dogmatic. If a non-Iranian encountered him on the streets of Tehran, they’d have no way of knowing what lay behind this facade.

In 2015, mid-battle against ISIS at its stronghold in Tikrit, Soleimani came out of the shadows. He allowed himself to be photographed for the first time; wearing a soldier’s fatigues with a general’s epaulets, he knelt in prayer in the middle of the desert. On social media, many noted his handsome, unlined face. His dark eyes, black eyebrows, and neatly-trimmed gray beard were accompanied by a gentle smile.

At the time the photograph was taken, Soleimani and his forces were already responsible for thousands of deaths. He’d orchestrated terror attacks in Somalia, India, and Thailand, his forces behaving no better than ISIS – kidnapping and executing civilians, raping women, and burning down people’s houses.

In this Blink, we’ll look at the rapid rise of Soleimani, as well as the events leading up to and including his assassination in 2020.

In this Blink, you’ll learn

when Soleimani came to detest the US;
about two letters – one from Soleimani, the other sent to him; and
what the last terrifying sound was that Soleimani ever heard.

Soleimani rises in prominence.

Let’s take a trip back to 1979, the year of the Iranian Revolution. The shah of Iran has fled the country, chased out by followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a Shia Muslim revolutionary who’d been exiled for 15 years. Having returned to Iran, Khomeini now needs a military force to maintain his grip on power. He establishes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. A fresh-faced 22-year-old with no military experience joins up: Qasem Soleimani.

Life in the IRGC suits him well. He proves himself to be a capable commander, and is soon invited to an elite training camp, where he excels. He even refuses sick leave when he’s accidentally shot in the arm.

In September 1980, Iraq invades Iran, and a bitter war breaks out. Soleimani finds himself at the front, leading a military company. The war rages for eight years and Soleimani quickly rises through the ranks. It’s during this time that he comes to believe that Iraq should, from then onward, remain weak – incapable of threatening Iran ever again. It’s a philosophy that he later extends to all countries of the region. And, since the US was aligned with the Iraqis, he begins to believe the US must be destroyed. The war ends in a deadlock with over 100,000 soldiers dead on both sides.

Skip forward a decade, from the end of the war to 1997, and Soleimani has become commander of the special intelligence arm of the IRGC – the Quds Force. From his position of power, Soleimani, now a general, begins to wage “secret wars” on several fronts – in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Over the coming years, Quds focuses on recruiting and training terror factions and encouraging insurrection. Under Soleimani, it will go on to give support to the Muslim factions fighting in the Bosnian war. It will train and arm Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine. It will give support to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, as well as to Houthi militants battling against Saudi Arabian forces in Yemen. And, in Afghanistan, Quds Force will work with the Taliban to kill Americans.

In 2003, the US invades Iraq with orders to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Even though his hatred for Saddam is strong, Soleimani’s hatred of the US grows even more. He oversees the provision of materials for the Iraqis to attack US forces. Iranian forces plant bombs in road surfaces to destroy US vehicles and they attack US bases. And while all this is going on, Soleimani’s power grows.

In 2013, former CIA officer John Maguire calls Soleimani “the single most powerful operative in the world today.” And adds: “no one’s ever heard of him.”

Soleimani himself, though, isn’t shy about self-promotion. He even writes to the commander of the US forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, “I, Qasem Soleimani, control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, and Afghanistan.”

The capture of Tikrit by Iranian forces was a severe symbolic and tactical blow to ISIS.

Iran has always sought to contain Sunni Muslims living in Iraq; Muslims in Iran are overwhelmingly Shia. In March 2015, it’s no different – to the Iranians, the Sunni ISIS terrorists are enemies. They’re less than pleased by the success of ISIS in establishing their caliphate on Iraqi soil, so it’s no surprise when Soleimani launches an attack with 20,000 Shia military fighters.

Tikrit has been controlled by ISIS since 2014. The city isn’t huge, but it’s significant, both symbolically and tactically. It was the birthplace of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein. And it lies on the banks of the Tigris, halfway between Baghdad to the south and Mosel to the north.

Soleimani is discussed but ISIS and al-Baghdadi take center stage.

It’s 10:09 a.m., December 2, 2015. In Washington, DC, the threat from ISIS is being discussed by the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs. Everyone in the room has been briefed about ISIS and al-Baghdadi. More than 1,200 people have been killed at their hands in terror attacks, not including thousands of casualties in Iraq and Syria.

Barely three weeks have passed since a campaign of attacks in Paris shocked the world. The attacks – at the Stade de France, at the Bataclan theater, and at other locations throughout the city – have left 130 innocent people dead.

A letter from Pompeo to Soleimani goes unread, but the message is clear.

In November 2017, Soleimani is writing to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, to confirm his strategic victory over ISIS in Syria. It’s not only a strategic victory, but also revenge for a humiliating attack by ISIS in the heart of the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Five months ago, a surprise attack by seven ISIS fighters resulted in 17 deaths and 43 injuries – the first such attack on Iranian soil.

Death comes to the leaders of ISIS.

It’s 9:15 p.m. on January 30, 2018. In Washington, President Trump is making his first State of the Union address. He has much to talk about. But around 40 minutes in, his attention switches to the war on terror. A year ago, he promised “the development of a new plan to defeat ISIS.” And his aggressive posture has been working.

In fact, ISIS has already lost 95 percent of its territory. But, in spite of that, attacks on American targets haven’t stopped.

At the end of 2019, tension between the US and Iran escalates immeasurably.

It’s 7:20 p.m., December 27, 2019. Location: Kirkuk, Iraq. At Camp K-1, a joint Iraqi-US military base, dinner has just ended. Five-foot-long Katyusha rockets strike unexpectedly, primarily on the US side of the camp. Four US service members and two Iraqi security personnel are wounded and an American civilian contractor, Nawres Hamid, is killed.

There have already been eleven other rocket incidents since November, but, until now, nobody has been killed. It’s taken as an act of war. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reminds the Iranians that attacks orchestrated by them “will be answered with a decisive US response.”

A severed hand and a distinctive ring are all that remain.

It’s 12:32 a.m. on January 3, 2020. General Qasem Soleimani is sitting in the front row of an airbus A320 as it touches down at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq after its one-hour flight from the Syrian capital. He’s accompanied by two loyal Quds bodyguards and by two high-level Iranian officials. Soleimani trusts each of them implicitly.

They disembark and are met by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, founder of the Kataib Hezbollah militia. They drive away together in two SUVs. Soleimani believes he’s completely safe. But at that moment, the two cars are being followed from 20,000 feet by at least two MQ-9 Reaper drones.

Epilogue

A mass killer was dead. The Iranians protested, but their protest was muted. Demonstrations around the world soon turned to anger and disgust – at the US. It wasn’t long before Trump and the US were being portrayed as the villains.

News channels in the US aired programs where commentators gave differing viewpoints. Would it have been less dangerous to keep Soleimani alive? Did the benefits outweigh the risks?

Du möchtest die gesamte Zusammenfassung von Killing the Killers sehen?

Kernaussagen in Killing the Killers

Mehr Wissen in weniger Zeit

Sachbücher auf den Punkt gebracht

Kernaussagen aus Sachbüchern in ca. 15 Minuten pro Titel lesen & anhören mit den „Blinks”

Zeitsparende Empfehlungen

Titel, die dein Leben bereichern, passend zu deinen Interessen und Zielen

Podcasts in Kurzform ^Neu

Kernaussagen wichtiger Podcasts im Kurzformat mit den neuen „Shortcasts”

Worum geht es in Killing the Killers?

Killing the Killers (2022) takes you deep into the global war on terror. As it examines the role of Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it moves through all the theaters of action including Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and Afghanistan. It’s the eleventh book in the best-selling Killing series.

Wer Killing the Killers lesen sollte

Fans of the Killing series
History buffs interested in the war on terror
Lovers of dramatic story-telling

Über den Autor

Bill O’Reilly is an American conservative TV journalist who has worked for CBS News, ABC News, and Fox News. As an author, he has 15 number-one best-selling nonfiction books under his belt, including as coauthor of the Killing series. He also hosts the No Spin News on BillOReilly.com.

Martin Dugard is an American writer and the coauthor of the Killing series. His other books include Taking Paris, To Be A Runner, and The Murder of King Tut.

Kategorien mit Killing the Killers

Politik Geschichte

Ähnlich wie Killing the Killers

The Light We Carry

Michelle Obama

Overcoming in Uncertain Times

Gabor Maté with Daniel Maté

Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture

20 min

4.6

Killing the Mob

Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

The Fight Against Organized Crime in America

22 min

4.5

Killing the Rising Sun

Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

How America Vanquished World War II Japan

18 min

4.3

ISIS

Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan

Inside the Army of Terror

What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know

21 min

4.1

The Porn Trap

Wendy Maltz & Larry Maltz

The Essential Guide to Overcoming Problems Caused by Pornography

Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

27 min

4.4

Killing Lincoln

Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever

14 min

4.3

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Friedrich Nietzsche

The Classic That Will Challenge Everything You Know

17 min

4.4

Gaslighting

Stephanie Moulton Sarkis

Recognize Manipulative and Emotionally Abusive People - and Break Free

18 min

4.4

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman

Intuition or deliberation? Where you can (and can't) trust your brain

Learn how to get the most out of your next travel adventure

Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary

The Stories of Six Survivors of the Atomic Bomb

20 min

4.6

Rich Dad’s Retire Young Retire Rich

Robert T. Kiyosaki

How to Get Rich Quickly and Stay Rich Forever!

A Historical Novel on the Irrationality of Human Behavior in War

17 min

4.1

Killing the Legends

Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

The Lethal Danger of Celebrity

An uncommon guide to rapid fat-loss, incredible sex and becoming superhuman

How to Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep Your Way to a Longer, Healthier Life

21 min

4.5

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen R. Covey

Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

23 min

4.7

Attached

Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller

The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find – and Keep – Love

15 min

4.3

The Right Side of History

Ben Shapiro

How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great

20 min

3.9

Breaking the Cycle

George N. Collins with Andrew Adleman

Free Yourself from Sex Addiction, Porn Obsession, and Shame

A Common Sense Guide to the Economy

The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Create a Life You Really Love with Less Stress and More Flow

The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking

Architect of American Ambition

17 min

4.6

Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain

Lisa Feldman Barrett

Have Your Understanding of Consciousness, Emotions, and Memory Revolutionized

The Greek Epic on the End of the Trojan War and Achilles’ Wrath

A Play About the Success and Disappointments of the American Dream

The secrets of 40 millionaires' wealth, revealed

15 min

4.4

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson

A journey into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer

38 min

4.5

Difficult Conversations

Douglas Stone

How to Discuss What Matters Most

The first memoir of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States

33 min

4.6

Dare to Lead (New Version)

Brené Brown

Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts.

Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline, and a Winning Attitude

11 min

3.9

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy

Joseph Schumpeter

Essential analysis on where the world economy is headed

23 min

4.2

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

Mary Wollstonecraft

A masterpiece of feminist philosophy

The Secret to Achieving More with Less

18 min

4.4

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Herman Melville

A Story of Wall-Street

20 min

4.3

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do

Amy Morin

Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success

Healing the Shame-Fueled Relationship Between What You Eat and How You Feel

Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't

28 min

4.6

How Emotions Are Made

Lisa Feldman Barrett

The Secret Life of the Brain

How Europe Went To War in 1914

22 min

4.6

❤️ für Blinkist️️️

Ines S.

Ich bin begeistert. Ich liebe Bücher aber durch zwei kleine Kinder komme ich einfach nicht zum Lesen. Und ja, viele Bücher haben viel bla bla und die Quintessenz ist eigentlich ein Bruchteil.

Genau dafür ist Blinkist total genial! Es wird auf das Wesentliche reduziert, die Blinks sind gut verständlich, gut zusammengefasst und auch hörbar! Das ist super. 80 Euro für ein ganzes Jahr klingt viel, aber dafür unbegrenzt Zugriff auf 3000 Bücher. Und dieses Wissen und die Zeitersparnis ist unbezahlbar.

Ekaterina S.

Extrem empfehlenswert. Statt sinnlos im Facebook zu scrollen höre ich jetzt täglich zwischen 3-4 "Bücher". Bei manchen wird schnelle klar, dass der Kauf unnötig ist, da schon das wichtigste zusammen gefasst wurde..bei anderen macht es Lust doch das Buch selbständig zu lesen. Wirklich toll

Nils S.

Einer der besten, bequemsten und sinnvollsten Apps die auf ein Handy gehören. Jeden morgen 15-20 Minuten für die eigene Weiterbildung/Entwicklung oder Wissen.

Julia P.

Viele tolle Bücher, auf deren Kernaussagen reduziert- präzise und ansprechend zusammengefasst. Endlich habe ich das Gefühl, Zeit für Bücher zu finden, für die ich sonst keine Zeit habe.