You reached this page through the archive. Click here to return to the archive.

Note: This article is over a year old and information contained in it may no longer be accurate. Please use the contact information in the lower-left corner to verify any information in this article.

Book reading addresses origins of Al-Qaeda

By Trent Chaffee '09
October 17, 2005

St. Olaf alumnus B. Wayne Quist '58 will read from his book, Winning the War on Terror: a triumph of American values on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. in Viking Theater, Buntrock Commons. Quist, who has spent most of his life living and working in government and the private sector in the Middle East, has co-written the book with Carleton College alumnus Dr. David F. Drake. The reading is free and open to the public.

In Winning the War on Terror, Quist and Drake trace the origins of Al-Qaeda through Islamic history. In a recent review of the novel, Peter J. Bergerson, professor of public affairs at Florida Gulf Coast Academy, writes that Winning the War On Terror is "a valuable resource to understand the origins of radical militant Islamic philosophy and how it became a jihad that threatens western society. Quist and Drake have provided a sober picture of an international deadly disease yet an optimistic picture of the future of U.S. national security interest as we enter the 21st century."

Dr. James Forest from the terrorism center at West Point says, "the authors have assembled a useful synthesis of the history behind the threat posed by Al-Qaeda. Their analysis of the religious ideology that fuels radical Islamists, rooted in the socio-political history of Saudi Arabia, adds a useful dimension to our understanding of the current global security environment."

Quist has written several articles and publications on radical militant Islam, American history and national security policy. He has spoken on the ideology of Al-Qaeda, and recently at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Quist holds a B.A. degree from St. Olaf College along with advanced degrees from the University of Southern California and the National War College in Washington D.C., focusing on the Middle East. Currently he is a partner in an investment banking firm where he works in the sale of recapitalizing companies in the Middle East, the United States and Europe.

Contact Carole Engblom at 507-646-3271 or leigh@stolaf.edu.