Watch a 30-minute online version of an important NEW documentary:

The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision for America

Yaroslav Trofimov on Mecca's Forgotten Uprising

On November 20, 1979, hundreds of gunmen stunned the world by seizing Islam's holiest shrine, the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Armed with rifles that they had smuggled inside coffins, these men came from more than a dozen countries, launching the first operation of global jihad in modern times. With nearly 100,000 worshipers trapped inside the holy compound, Mecca's bloody siege lasted two weeks, inflaming Muslim rage against the United States and causing hundreds of deaths. This dramatic and consequential story was barely covered in the press in these pre-CNN days, as Saudi Arabia imposed an information blackout and kept foreign correspondents away. In his new book The Siege of Mecca, Yaroslav Trofimov reveals the roots of today's Islamic extremism and how the Saudi reaction to the uprising set free the forces that later produced the attacks of 9/11.

©Copyright 2008 The Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies (CI Centre)^®

Premier Education and Training in Counterintelligence, Counterterrorism and Security since 1997

A David G. Major Associates, Inc. Company

Alexandria, VA  |  703-642-7450  |  1-800-779-4007  |  Contact Us

The CI Centre provides dynamic, in-depth and relevant education, training and products on counterintelligence, counterterrorism and security. Our programs are designed to enhance your organization's mission and to protect your information, facilities and personnel from global terrorists, foreign intelligence collectors and competitor threats. The CI Centre teaches courses on Counterintelligence Strategy and Tactics, Security/OPSEC Awareness, Understanding Terrorism, Economic Espionage Protection, and International Travel and Safety. See the complete list of our 42 CI, CT and Security training courses.