THE THREAT: HOW THE FBI PROTECTS AMERICA IN THE AGE OF TERROR AND TRUMP by Andrew G. McCabe (St. Martin’s Press, February 2019) Hardcover, 288 pages. ISBN # 1250207576 / 9781250207579 #1 New York Times Bestseller, #1 Washington Post Bestseller, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller.
Summary from the Goodreads website . . . . .
On March 16, 2018, just twenty-six hours before his scheduled retirement from the organization he had served with distinction for more than two decades, Andrew G. McCabe was fired from his position as deputy director of the FBI. President Donald Trump celebrated on Twitter: "Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy."
In The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump, Andrew G. McCabe offers a dramatic and candid account of his career, and an impassioned defense of the FBI's agents, and of the institution's integrity and independence in protecting America and upholding our Constitution.
McCabe started as a street agent in the FBI's New York field office, serving under director Louis Freeh. He became an expert in two kinds of investigations that are critical to American national security: Russian organized crime--which is inextricably linked to the Russian state--and terrorism. Under Director Robert Mueller, McCabe led the investigations of major attacks on American soil, including the Boston Marathon bombing, a plot to bomb the New York subways, and several narrowly averted bombings of aircraft. And under James Comey, McCabe was deeply involved in the controversial investigations of the Benghazi attack, the Clinton Foundation's activities, and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.
The Threat recounts in compelling detail the time between Donald Trump's November 2016 election and McCabe's firing, set against a page-turning narrative spanning two decades when the FBI's mission shifted to a new goal: preventing terrorist attacks on Americans. But as McCabe shows, right now the greatest threat to the United States comes from within, as President Trump and his administration ignore the law, attack democratic institutions, degrade human rights, and undermine the U.S. Constitution that protects every citizen.
Important, revealing, and powerfully argued, The Threat tells the true story of what the FBI is, how it works, and why it will endure as an institution of integrity that protects America.
My four-star review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
In case you're worried about the negative news coming from the Trump administration regarding alleged corruption in the FBI - - you'll feel better after reading this book. Granted, some of the practices, surveillance and covert investigations led by J. Edgar Hoover and other past FBI heads were not models of integrity and fairness. However, that is in our history and the FBI since then has made changes to address and correct those practices.
In The Threat Andrew McCabe explains in detail the mission and guiding principles of the modern FBI and lays out in detail the steps required before any investigation can be initiated. It's entirely free of political motivation, and various checks and requirements are part of the process to prevent that from happening. The FBI remains an independent branch of government and law enforcement, and serves the American people with the intention of protecting them and upholding the Constitution.
McCabe was simply acting upon those principles during his time as Acting Director of the FBI when he was involved in the beginnings of the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. That and other actions have earned him the ire of President Trump.
I believe McCabe's portraits and insights into Trump and then Attorney General Jeff Sessions are accurate, and seem to mirror those of other respected journalists and writers.
Here's hoping the upcoming investigation initiated by Attorney General William Barr into the beginnings of the Russian investigation will inevitably call up Andrew McCabe for questioning. He'll get another chance to tell his side of the story to the American public, explain his rationale and the threat to American institutions he was trying to deter. Calling him as a witness may back-fire on the Trump administration.
It's clear to me and should be to anyone who takes the time to review and analyze current events that the current regime does not seek to uphold legal authority and respect law enforcement agencies - - they intend to use the power of the executive office to undermine them, ignore the rule of law and inflict damage on our democratic system. Please wake up, America.
No comments:
Post a Comment