uss cole bombing incident, aden, yemen, 2000

On October 12, 2000, the USS Cole docked in the port of Aden in Yemen for a routine refueling stop. Suddenly the 8,400-ton destroyer was rocked by an enormous explosion. The bombing of the USS Cole was al Qaeda's first direct assault against the United States. Although this was an unmistakable act of war, the United States government delayed retaliating as bureaucrats and politicians sought to shift and pin blame as they ignored the danger signaled by the attack. Eleven months later 9/11 occurred and the USS Cole incident was overshadowed. This book was written by the retired former commanding officer of the USS Cole.

Describes the terrorist attack on the USS Cole, a destroyer whose UN mission was to patrol the northern Persian Gulf, as well as the aftermath, investigation, and context of the bombing.