A clear-eyed narrative that follows an American-born Islamist cleric’s evolution into a key inspirer of jihadist attacks and the federal response that culminated in the expansion of the U.S. drone and targeted-killing program. It reconstructs intelligence failures, secret legal and White House deliberations, and the contentious decision to place a U.S. citizen on a kill list, showing how classified processes and remote strikes reshaped counterterrorism. The book probes the moral, legal, and strategic consequences of using drones and covert force—on policy, on civilian populations, and on democratic accountability.