Steve Neavling

Investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson has caused quite a stir since the release of his new book, “The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI’s Manufactured War on Terrorism.”

Claiming in his book that most terrorism suspects could never have carried out an attack without the help of the FBI, Aaronson spoke at length with The Atlantic about his research.

Trevor Aaronson: The FBI is looking for what they term “a lone wolf terrorist,” which is someone holed up in an apartment somewhere who sympathizes with Al-Qaeda but may lack the specific means to do that. And so the FBI uses sting operations to [find] these people — these people who may want to commit an act of terrorism, are right on that line from moving from sympathizer to operator — and then through these sting operations, lure them out and get them involved in a terrorism plot that they’re ultimately prosecuted for. 

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Steve Neavling

A retired FBI agent and newspaper reporter have written a book about the bizarre bank heist involving a pipe bomb that exploded around the neck of a pizza delivery driver, the Associated Press reports.

The book, “Pizza Bomber: The Untold Story of America’s Most Shocking Bank Robbery,” was released Tuesday.

The idea behind the book is to provide new details and dispel claims that the pizza delivery driver, Brian Wells, was an innocent pawn in a sophisticated heist, the AP reports.

Retired FBI special agent Jerry Clark worked on the 2003 case that involved a strange list of characters and said Wells was not the innocent victim he pretended to be.

Clark said Wells “Brian Wells “had some association with these people and had some cooperation with committing this crime,” the AP wrote.

Steve Neavling

The Justice Department may be asked to pull a soon-to-be-published book about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, the Associated Press reports.

Authorities said Matt Bissonnette, who is listed under the pseudonym, Mark Owen, was required to submit the book for pre-publication review under military secrecy agreements he signed.

If the book’s manuscript reveals classified information, Pentagon officials said they would take the case to the Justice Department, according to the AP.

Bissonnette is a former Navy SEAL who took part in the raid.

By Allan Lengel

You can’t expect everyone to love ya when you snitch for the FBI on your mobster dad and then write a book about it.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Borders books in the Chicago area canceled two book signings slated for this week  for ex-Chicago mobster Frank Calabrese Jr., who helped put away his father Frank Calabrese Sr. and then co-authored a book called: “Operation Family Secrets: How a Mobster’s Son and the FBI Brought Down Chicago’s Murderous Crime Family.”

Apparently, the book store received anonymous threats saying there would be violence if Calabrese did the book signings, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“We can confirm that our Oak Brook store received a voice mail threatening violence should Mr. Calabrese’s scheduled book signings take place,” Mary Davis, spokeswoman for Borders, told the Tribune. “Given the controversial nature of the content of the book, we viewed this as a legitimate threat.”

Oak Brook, Ill. police Chief Thomas Sheahan told the Trib that a male caller disguised his voice and said: “No rats can sign books here.”

“We take any threats seriously,” Sheahan said. “This is an ongoing investigation, and we’ll take appropriate action.”

By Allan Lengel

President Bush writes in his about to be released memoir that he personally gave the go ahead to waterboard 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who currently awaits trial in federal court.

The Washington Post reports that Bush, in his book “Decision Points”, writes when the CIA asked if it could waterboard Mohammed, he replied “Damn right.”

The Post reports that Bush told an interviewer a week before leaving the White House: “I firmly reject the word ‘torture,” and he repeats that sentiment in the book.

The book is due out Tuesday.

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Yes, the Rod Blagojevich circus is coming back to town. Expect to see plenty appearances on tv as he hawks his book. In it, he blames five people for his problems including U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald.

By Stacy St. Clair, Jeff Coen and Rick Pearson
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO – After myriad television appearances, radio shows and news conferences since his arrest on corruption charges, the seemingly omnipresent former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has made the case for his innocence again, this time in a 259-page memoir that offers small glimpses of both his rocky tenure and his upcoming criminal defense.

In his book “The Governor,” Blagojevich likens his downfall to a Shakespearean tragedy, suggesting his epic demise steals elements from “Othello,” “King Lear” and “Julius Caesar.”

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