Oct Race Against Terror: CNN anchor Jake Tapper on the story of a hunt for an al-Qaida terrorist
Schedule
Thu Oct 16 2025 at 07:30 pm to 10:30 pm
UTC-04:00Location
WBUR CitySpace | Brookline, MA
CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper’s latest investigation is off-screen and deep into history, uncovering a little known chapter in the U.S. War On Terror. His new book, “Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War,” is a compelling true crime story of a senior al-Qaida terrorist known as Spin Ghul and the globe-traversing journey U.S. prosecutors took to bring him to justice.Join us for a conversation with Tapper about the book. Copies of “Race Against Terror” will be available to purchase from Brookline Booksmith.
CitySpace Tickets:
Book Bundle: $50.00
General: $20.00
BU Faculty/Staff: $15.00 (must present a valid BU ID upon arrival)
Student: $10.00 (must present a valid student ID upon arrival)
Ways To Save:
WBUR’s Legacy Circle, Murrow Society, Sustainers and Members save $5.00 on tickets to this event. To apply the discount to your ticket purchase online, you’ll need to enter a promo code. You can get your code by emailing [email protected].
About “Race Against Terror”
June 2011: A man fleeing the Arab Spring on a refugee boat surrenders himself to Italian authorities. He claims that, as a terrorist, he is responsible for the deaths of American soldiers. This unexpected surrender sets off an unlikely chain of events and one of the most significant, but little-known, cases in American history.
When federal prosecutors Dave Bitkower and Shreve Ariail get the call from the FBI that the Italians have known terrorist Spin Ghul in custody, they immediately recognize the stakes of the situation. Determined to deliver justice for the soldiers killed in combat, they must traverse the globe, uncovering facts and evidence from thousands of miles away on a remote battlefield in Afghanistan.
Through intense reporting and meticulous recreation, from the battlefield to the courthouse, “Race Against Terror” tells the story of a man radicalized to enact violence, of the courageous soldiers who risked their lives for each other and the diverse set of law enforcement, intelligence and military personnel who work tirelessly to stay one step ahead of disaster. In doing so, Tapper uncovers a gripping narrative history that reveals the true costs of the War on Terror and delivers a salient warning for the increasing threats we face to this day.
