One of the least publicized things about al Qaeda is that for every cunning terrorist mastermind, there are other members who would merit coverage on a show similar to "America's dumbest criminals."

Soufan was interviewed while at the 11th annual National Book Festival, held on the National Mall.

Almost nobody is better placed to write a book about Al- Qaeda's war against America, and Washington's counter-offensive, than Ali Soufan. He joined the FBI on a whim from college in Pennsylvania and then, helped by his Lebanese background and fluent Arabic, became an important FBI special agent tracking down Osama Bin Laden's operatives.

Through all of this, through the additions of layers and layers of top secret bureaucracy, one mans efforts have truly made a difference. That man is Ali Soufan, a former FBI Supervisory Special Agent. He takes us through his journey in his new book, The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda.

Over the first year of the Coalition, the Conservative Parliamentary Party has restrained itself over European issues.

"Unfortunately, we only have one Ali Soufan. Had American intelligence listened to him, 9/11 might never have happened. No one did more to unravel the story of al-Qaeda than Ali Soufan. Thankfully, he's left another legacy in this book. Anyone who wants to know what really happened should read it. It's an inspiring but wrenching story told from the heart of a great American." -- Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11.

It is 7pm on a Friday and more than 200 people are queuing for a chance to buy an iPad at 30 per cent off. Those who succeed immediately rip open the box to admire the results of their hard work. After all, they have been here as early as 6am and endured teeth-gritting suspense to be among the first 150 buyers to get the iPad deal.

SINGAPORE'S use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) has been on a much smaller scale than that across the Causeway, analysts said on Friday. And while the law that allows preventive detention has also drawn opposition here and calls for repeal over the years, these have been fewer in number and less widespread than in Malaysia, they added. They pinned this down to the different approaches both countries took in applying the ISA.

Lundborg: I was surprised how much detail you had gathered early on about al-Qaeda, an organization generally regarded as opaque and difficult to penetrate.

What does one ask an interrogator who has questioned dozens of members of Al Qaeda? And how does he ask questions himself?