Extreme Measures

EXTREME MEASURES BY VINCE FLYNN. Copywrited 2008.
This is a book of our times.  It deals with terrorism by al-Qaeda, CIA operatives who try to stop it and our justice and legislative members who sometimes take fair play for terrorists too far.


Three al-Qaeda cells bent on getting into the US and causing fatalities and terror are created and have begun training.  Two of them have been identified and destroyed but the third is in final training and making plans to devastate the American calm. Karim Nour-al-din is the leader of this cell.


Characters are: Mike Nash leader of field operations for National Counterterrorism Center CIA,  Irene Kennedy director of CIA, Abu Haggani senior Taliban commander in Afghanistan, Mohammad aL-Haq Taliban’s liaison with al-Qaeda. General Abdul Rahhid Dostum leader of the Uzbek community and hater of the Taliban, Senator Barbara Lonsdale chairwoman of the judicial committee, Mitch Rapp member of National Counterterrorism unit with the CIA,   Karim Nour-al-din leader of one of the al-Qaeda suicide cells commissioned to wreak havoc on the US.,  Ayman al-Zawahiri second in command of al-Qaeda and boss of Karim.  Captain Trevor Lealand aid to General Scott Garrison commander of Baghram air base.

Nash and Rapp have been told by their boss, Kennedy too get to Baghram air base in Afghanistan and try to get information out of two captured terrorists about any plans for future raids. Prior to their arrival, a delegation of legislators led by Barbara Lonsdale had interviews them and made it a point to tell them that they would be fairly treated and further they cautioned the air force guards to make sure they the prisoners were not mal treated. They arrive in the middle of the night and impersonate officers in order for the guards to let them into the prison.

Abu Haggani is assuming he will be treated well and can get away with showing his interrogators contempt. While trying to bite Rapp he is elbowed and receives a cut on his face. Of course this will look bad when the DOJ sees it. Mohammad al-Haq the other terrorist is interviewed by Nash and is told that if he doesn’t contribute some information he will be turned over to General Dostum, a leader in theUzbek community, who will torture him – al-Haq breaks down and says he will inform if he is awarded the two million dollar reward on his head.

Captain Lealand informs a sleeping General that there are some unannounced people in the prison and should be confronted. They find Rapp and question him. In the meantime Nash decides too leave and let Rapp take care of loose ends. The general and captain don’t like the fact that a CIA guy is wearing air force attire and further has abused a prisoner. The captain pulls a gun on Rapp and arrests him. Rapp takes the gun away from him and in the process Lealand falls and hits his head causing bruises and cuts. Leland is portrayed as a dislikable, characterless, rank climber. He milks his injuries to try to get charges against Rapp.

The conflict between the CIA, terrorism fighters and the legislators on the committees that try to oversee the CIA is  brought out throughout this book and one can draw a conclusion that this is probably close to actuality.

Meanwhile Karim and his 7 al-Qaeda terrorists are finished training somewhere in South America and waiting for a plane to land at a deserted, except for dope smugglers who are killed by Karim’s men, airstrip. Hakim is the pilot and this group’s facilitator for travel to the US via Cuba. Of course the cocaine which was stored at the air strip for smuggling into the US is loaded on the plane to be used as a bribe for the Cuban officials. From Cuba this terrorist group will go by speed boats to Florida.

Senator Lonsdale is informed of the CIA visit to the Baghram airfield, the treatment of the prisoners and the tussle between Leland and Rapp.  She makes plans to bring this out in the open with testimony in front of the senate and open it to the public. Flynn creates situations, motivations, and back office parleys about Lonsdale and other legislators and their staff. One can believe that a lot of this is close to reality. She is very close to her gay chief of staff Ralph Wassen who is able to talk on even terms with her and becomes and important player in the picture.

Rapp is not married and leads a very independent single life. Nash is married with a couple of kids and his job causes consternation with his wife since he can’t divulge what he does and frequently he called away without notice. One incident involves his son, Rory who beats up another boy because he made nasty remarks about what he would like to do to Rory’s mother and sister. Without knowing any facts his mother blames Rory due to the boxing lessons Nash gave him. Tthe elitist school’s superintendent is going to expel Rory from school. Nash clears this up but the incident shows the stress between he and his wife.

Karim and his band of terrorists have gained the United States and gotten to the DC area. They connect with a member of a Mosque that is going help them.  Also, there is a undercover CIA agent who has become a member even though there is a CIA restriction about doing undercover work in Mosques. Long story short this agent is found out by Karim and he is tortured and killed but not before he divulges information.  This guy is handled by Nash and when his body is found Nash has pangs of guilt.

Rapp is brought up before the judiciary committee and Lonsdale is the head. Rapp says that he will not invoke the fifth amendment and tell the committee everything if they will lit him testify in a closed door session. This happens and Rapp gives all the facts and asks the members whose side they think he is on, the US or the terrorists. The banter went back and forth and eventually it was decided to refer this to the intelligence committee and keep it under wraps.

The terrorists are now in the process of distributing the explosive laden cars around DC outside of restaurants which are popular with Washington legislators, aids and bureaucrats. The explosions happen and in one of the cafes Ralph Wassen is killed.  This makes Lonsdale sad and angry. She now wants vengeance.

The next target is the national counter-terrorism center. Meanwhile Rapp and Nash and another agent have Identified 4 more mosque members who are in the process of leaving to go to another target. They are subdued and  taken to the ops center at the NCC. This is where it all comes to a head as Karim’s group force there way into the center and begin shooting all in sight but before they are able to ignite their explosives Rapp and Nash, with help, subdue/kill them and that is the ending.

As I said, the book is very timely and a good read if a little too gung-ho.