Terrorism, Betrayal, and Resilience

On August 7, 1998, three years before President George W. Bush declared the War on Terror, the radical Islamist group al-Qaeda bombed the American embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, where Prudence Bushnell was serving as U.S. ambassador. Terrorism, Betrayal, and Resilience is her account of what happened, how it happened, and its impact twenty years later. When the bombs went off in Kenya and neighboring Tanzania that day, Congress was in recess and the White House, along with the entire country, was focused on the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Congress held no hearings about the bombings, the national security community held no after-action reviews, and the mandatory Accountability Review Board focused on narrow security issues. Then on September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda attacked the U.S. homeland and the East Africa bombings became little more than an historical footnote. Terrorism, Betrayal, and Resilience is Bushnell's account of her quest to understand how these bombings could have happened given the scrutiny bin Laden and his cell in Nairobi had been getting since 1996 from special groups in the National Security Council, the FBI, the CIA, and the NSA. Bushnell tracks national security strategies and assumptions about terrorism and the Muslim world that failed to keep us safe in 1998 and continue unchallenged today. In this hard-hitting, no-holds-barred account she reveals what led to poor decisions in Washington and demonstrates how diplomacy and leadership going forward will be our country's most potent defense.

"[Terrorism, Betrayal, and Resilience] is a call for a shift in leadership philosophy within the government from a managerial mindset to one of active leadership."--Robert Clemm, Strategy Bridge-- (4/17/2019 12:00:00 AM), "[Bushnell] makes a compelling case that good diplomats can make a difference."--Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs-- (12/17/2018 12:00:00 AM), "Ambassador Prudence Bushnell's account in this book of her own experience entering, and then rising through the ranks of the Foreign Service exemplifies the challenges faced by women and minorities of that first "post-Palmer" generation trying to break into a traditional, and still "pale male"-dominated club."--James L. Bullock, Cipher Brief-- (10/16/2018 12:00:00 AM), "Despite significant recent improvements in the strategy and practice of fighting terrorism, and in the technologies and policies implemented by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Bushnell's tough look at the policymaking process reveals areas that still need improvement, and the devastating consequences that can result if they do not. Ultimately, the American people must place increased priority on diplomacy and the personnel who represent them abroad, in order to achieve improved counterterrorism outcomes and to ensure diplomatic safety. Ambassador Bushnell's book provides an impassioned reminder of that reality."--Frances Duffy, American Diplomacy, "For all readers, Ambassador Bushnell's searing account of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings provides profound lessons in leadership. She demonstrates time and again her deep commitment to the safety and mission of the people she led. Her willingness to battle paralyzing bureaucracy, both before and after the bombings, exhibits her decency and humanity in the midst of the chaos and evil that the Embassy experienced. She devoted much of her career to improving leadership at the Department of State. She is a role model for future leaders."--Chris Kojm, director of the Leadership, Ethics, & Practice Initiative, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University -- (8/10/2018 12:00:00 AM)

Prudence Bushnell is an American diplomat who has held a series of leadership positions with the U.S. Department of State, including deputy assistant secretary for African Affairs, ambassador to the republics of Kenya and Guatemala, and dean of the Leadership and Management School at the Foreign Service Institute. She is retired from the Foreign Service and founder of the Levitt Leadership Institute at Hamilton College in New York.