German, Mike. “Thinking like a Terrorist, Insights of a Former FBI Undercover Agent.” N.p.. Potomac Books Inc., 2007.<Print>.
Mike German was an FBI undercover counter-terrorism agent who was assigned to infiltrate terrorist organizations in the United States, to determine how these groups work, and report on their activities. In his book, Thinking Like A Terrorist, insights of a Former FBI Undercover Agent, German contends that the United States government has made errors in dealing with terrorism because it does not understand the terrorist mind. He believes that what terrorist groups want more than anything is to be legitimized. He believes that by treating their acts as military acts instead of criminal acts, the U.S. government is playing into their hands. By regarding them as terrorists with a cause instead of as common criminals, the government elevates their fight and status as victims and/potential martyrs in their minds.
Even though Mike German's book was written in 2007 before the Obama administration voted to try terrorist suspects in civilian courts, his argument supports the administration's decision and could be helpful for anyone considering the issue. The administration's decision complies with German's idea of how terrorist suspects should be treated in two ways. One way is that trying the suspects in civilian court could insure that the suspects would be regarded as common criminals, not as the victims with a cause that they would like to be. The decision also goes along with German's way of thinking in that, by granting the suspects the rights of American citizens on trial, our country would not be compromising our values as defined in the Constitution about how individuals should be treated.
