The story is set mainly in Dar-es-salaam and Zanzibar and is based on
the bombing of American embassies in Dar-es-salaam and Nairobi in 1998.
It discusses reasons for the rise of groups like Al-Qaida such as the
apparently unfair treatment of Muslims by the US, the initial US backing
of the Taliban in Afghanistan in their push against the Russians during
the Cold War, the fear by Muslims of domination by the “unbelieving” US
leading to the desire to get the US out of the middle east once the
Russians had been chased out of Afghanistan. There is a discussion of
the inequalities of nations in the new world order and how poverty
creates a breeding ground for religious fundamentalism.
The
plot revolves around Nick, a Greek American who takes a contract job in
Zanzibar protecting the marine environment, Miranda Powers and a recent
recruit at the US Embassy in Dar-es-salaam. Once the two meet in Dar,
they fall for each other. Then there is Jack Queller, a secret service
man that was supposed to have trained Osama Bin Laden when the going was
good with the US. Due to some power tussle his warnings about the
danger of Al-Qaida are not taken up initially. Then on the other side
are the al-Qaida men represented by a ruthless Zayn, a Palestinian whose
family had been murdered by Israelis, their leader “Mr Sam” whom he
keeps in touch with via satellite phone, and a Zanzibari recruit who
ended up shooting Zayn once he worked out that his own parents were
murdered not by Americans but by him. Thrown in to assist Miranda and
Nick is a Ralph Legatt, a British clove farmer on Zanzibar with some
interest in protecting turtle eggs from organized poachers. The plotting
of the bombing missions, how they actually took place and what the US
did in response were presented like in a movie.
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