Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War

by Jake Tapper

Overview

The unforgettable true story of two US attorneys in a race to lock up a dangerous al Qaeda terrorist before he is set free, from New York Times bestselling author and CNN correspondent Jake Tapper

June 2011. A man fleeing the Arab Spring on a refugee boat surrenders himself to Italian authorities. He claims that, as a terrorist, he is responsible for the deaths of American soldiers. This unexpected surrender sets off an unlikely chain of events and one of the most significant, but little-known, cases in American history.

When federal prosecutors Dave Bitkower and Shreve Airial get the call from the FBI that the Italians have known terrorist Spin Ghul in custody, they immediately recognize the stakes of the situation. They must traverse the globe, uncovering facts and evidence from thousands of miles away on a remote battlefield in Afghanistan. They know there is little if any precedent for their case, but they are determined to deliver justice for the American soldiers killed in combat—no matter the cost.

Through intense reporting and meticulous recreation, Jake Tapper takes us behind the scenes of a gripping story that reveals the true costs of the War on Terror and delivers a salient warning for the increasing threats we face to this day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668121184
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication date:	10/07/2025
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.50(h) x 5.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jake Tapper is the author of the New York Times bestselling historical thriller series featuring Charlie and Margaret Marder. He also wrote the nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor, which was turned into a critically acclaimed film in 2020.

Editorial Reviews

Tapper’s narrative moves at pace, skillfully blending combat scenes, investigative breakthroughs, and courtroom conflict…A smart page-turner.”

Kirkus Reviews

A riveting story with a master's sublime command. There are moments when this work of non-fiction seems more like a novel. It is taut, suspenseful, and true. I couldn't put it down.” —Ken Burns

“Part legal thriller, part war reportage, Race Against Terror is an extraordinary book—one that is not only riveting to read, but also shines an essential light on the quest for justice in the modern age of terrorism.” —David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wager

“Jake Tapper brings his investigative and narrative talents to bear in weaving the military, legal, political and deeply personal threads of the high-stakes pursuit of the terrorist Spin Ghul. This enthralling history delivers important context for understanding the war on terror in the present day.”—Douglas Brunt, New York Times bestselling author of The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel

“Tapper’s narrative moves at pace, skillfully blending combat scenes, investigative breakthroughs, and courtroom conflict... A smart page-turner.” —Kirkus

From the Publisher

2025-06-25
The unusual prosecution of an avowed terrorist.

The busy CNN host’s second nonfiction title this year unravels the complexities behind a “unique” criminal case against a jihadist who killed American service members. Tapper’s narrative moves at pace, skillfully blending combat scenes, investigative breakthroughs, and courtroom conflict. In June 2011, Ibrahim S. Harun, a passenger on a ship transporting migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, approached an Italian Green Beret and confessed that he was in al-Qaida and had killed American troops in Afghanistan. Italian authorities took Harun, also known as Spin Ghul, into custody but refused to extradite him if the U.S. planned to try Harun by military commission. To Italian leaders, such proceedings upheld illegal interrogation practices employed by the U.S. Fearful that Harun would be released and participate in another attack, federal prosecutors and FBI agents prepared for a criminal trial in civilian court. Investigators used a military database of items recovered from battle sites to place Harun at the scene of a 2003 ambush of U.S. soldiers, two of whom—Jerod Dennis and Raymond Losano—were killed. A Quran found there bore Harun’s fingerprints. Though Tapper occasionally bogs down in the backgrounds of relatively minor figures, he’s sharp on the political considerations that informed the Justice Department and President Obama’s decision to try Harun in federal court in Brooklyn. Harun was convicted of multiple charges in 2017 and later sentenced to life in prison. Tapper carefully unpacks legal precedents, explaining how “the distinction between terrorism and warfare” became “blurred” after 9/11. This helped enable a prosecution that some believe should have remained in the military’s purview. Remarkably, the judge who sentenced Harun, while not doubting his guilt, tells Tapper that the proceeding “felt like a show trial.”

A smart page-turner about the atypical trial of an al-Qaida member.

Kirkus Reviews