Amazon Category:  Action/Thriller Publisher: Writer's Digest ISBN-10:  059519107X Type: Fiction Pages: 663 Copyright: Jul 10 2001 Five-star rated action-adventure novel about slavery in Sudan and Osama bin-Laden's plan to attack West. Violent, erotic, political, undercover spy story. Published just two months before 9-11, it contains love stories, danger, war, human rights issues and everything you ever wanted to know about the world-wide Islamic terrorist threat and an eminently practical means of eliminating their leaders. A young African-American couple travel to Sudan to buy slave's freedom but are themselves captured by slavers and used as pawns by powerful political forces. An ex-British commando white hunter from Kenya and a young CIA operative mount a clandestine rescue mission, but along the way uncover the deadliest plot yet by the world's most feared terrorist, Osama bin-Laden and his organization, al-Qaeda. The two mis-matched heroes must not only find and rescue the young Americans, but try to prevent the terrorists from causing thousands of horrifying deaths. The two men are forced to battle through various factions of Sudan's nineteen-year long civil war using their combat expertise and sniper skills to stay alive. Enemies abound, including Islamic terrorists, desert warlords, Sudanese army units, the Russian Mafia and professional assassins. Despite the desperate circumstances, love and romance still manage to survive, but old relationships alter as the true character of the participants rises to the surface under such extreme pressure. Based on true life events, current political balances and very possible scenarios, this novel gives you a well-informed look into the shameful, dark world of the slavery trade today. Through the character's introspection and actions, you'll also see how and why fanatic terrorists of the Islamic Jihad view their cause as a holy mandate to bring death and destruction to the western world. A natural sequel to the highly-acclaimed book, ELEPHANT GUN, this is a thinking person's novel that pulls no punches. It is not for the faint-hearted nor weak-minded. Read excerpt below. Hamed Mahdi bin-Laden pulled at his father’s robe, tugging on it for attention. He was six, too young to realize that among the hundred-fifty or so children his father had sired by the age of forty-four, he was just another little boy, no more special than the rest, until the time he took up arms in the Cause. For now, he was, to bin-Laden, just a sort of combination annoyance and obligation. Every week, bin-Laden did what he felt was his duty as a father who wanted all his boys to become soldiers in the movement. He spent a little time alone with each of them, just a few minutes so they would at least know who he was and who ruled with unequivocal power in their entire extended family. He looked down at the boy with no particular interest, just a mild feeling of responsibility. "What? What is it you want, ah, — Hamed?" He had to think a minute, groping for the name, but remembered the face now. It was still early, but getting too dark to see much. The boy looked up at him with big, round eyes complemented by long lashes. The father noted how beautiful some young children were before they grew hard, twisted by the cold reality of the harsh, unforgiving world. But it is my duty is to shape them into fighters, harden them in mind and body so they can survive, give their lives, if necessary, for something greater than themselves so that all Arabs will someday be free of the oppressive yoke of foreign feet upon their necks, free from having our nation’s riches and resources stolen by the big corporate criminals. They never see that it is their own hellish greed for our oil, their policies of discrimination, their belief that their Christian God is superior and they themselves are more intelligent, thus more fit to rule, telling all how to think, what to do. It amuses me that when anything happens in this part of the world, no matter how trivial the crime, I am again given credit when often I know perhaps less than CNN. Kabila’s death was but one example. Of course I am quite pleased by all credit given, al hamdo lillah, all thanks and praise the Almighty, but at the same time, still angry I have not been able to do more to enlist the blind leaders of Arab nations fully in our fight.  If I am ousted from this refuge, I don’t know where I’ll go. The world gets increasingly smaller for me. None of this reached his face as he thought, however, keeping a fatherly smile on his countenance for the child’s sake. The boy said pleadingly, "Please, father, it is Eid al-Adha, the three-day festival. Can we not go out on the balcony and look across the city at all the beautiful lights? I have never seen them from here— I have never seen them at all." He tugged again, persistently. Bin-Laden smiled, more naturally this time. This one has more courage than most. The other little ones usually are afraid to even touch me, most don’t even speak, just sit quietly and steal quick looks at me until it’s time to leave. I often wonder what I would say to them anyway. I have no idea what a child talks about, I can’t remember ever thinking much as a child, just trying to stay away from my most vicious brothers and sisters, although with fifty-two siblings, I often forgot which ones were the most dangerous. Perhaps this one deserves a little compromise on my part. Among all the males, some must eventually rise to a position of power within the family and our group to carry on the battle once I and my friends and eldest sons are gone. This may be the one. In any event, I, too, am sick of being inside so much. It is dark now, and all the area has been secured so well for so long by all my loyal followers, I might just get some air with him. As he says, it is a holiday, although the Taleban’s hanging of women accused of adultery before thousands in the Kandahar stadium is not exactly my idea of joyful festivities, even if it is the rightful law. It does nothing to advance our larger agenda. Still it is their country. In any event, as long as I stay under the canopy over the balcony, I will be hidden from any spy satellites in the sky for a few minutes. I do not know what technical advances might have been made, however, so I must not take chances. He nodded, taking the boy’s hand, pleased at how unafraid the boy was. Of course he knows nothing yet of what our people face on the path we have chosen. Enjoy this as long as you can, son. Soon enough harsh reality will intrude into your life. They walked out onto the balcony and stopped just short of the beautifully-made stone railing, looking across the city at the lights, the stars scattered across the sky. I forget sometimes how beautiful Allah’s creation can be, he thought, but how much more wonderful after the unbelievers are scourged from the earth for all time, Allahu akbar! .   Excerpt See above^

Established writer review
WOW!, September 26, 2002


Reviewer: Dave Shields (from Salt Lake City, UT United States)


I can't say that I liked every single thing about this book. For example, on occasion characters went on for uninterrupted paragraphs telling one another things that would have been well known by the listening characters and were obviously for the benefit of the reader alone


That aside, I still give Arabian Assignment five plus stars. What a remarkable book to have written at any time, but especially prior to September 11, 2001! Carpenter is obviously not merely smart, he also possesses an astounding background including an insiders understanding of Arab culture. I've visited some of the regions of Africa he writes about, and have long been interested in African/Arab politics. In Arabian Assignment I had the opportunity to see some of the macro behavioral things I've learned about functioning on a micro (albeit fictional) scale. Fictional or not, there can be no doubt that these sorts of characters exist.





Arabian Assignment may be the most graphic book I've ever read. It's not for those who'd rather remain oblivious to the sub-sewer levels mankind can and does stoop to. The many scenes of this nature are not gratuitous, though. They are there because they are relevant. I suspect that many readers will complete this book with impressions vastly changed from those they brought to it. Given the current state of the world, understanding the mindset of both our allies and enemies will be immensely valuable to knowing what actions we should and should not take. Arabian Assignment becomes more encompassing as it progresses, until by the end it has some important things to say about how freedom might be protected. How many novels can you say that about?










Back in Action
Maybe one tic slower and not happy about it,Eric Rutherford is back.Dragged back into action by a friend in need,Eric unwillingly accepts a partner and together they slash their way through the sordid underbelly of evil like a ghurka knife through hot yak butter.Dastardly foes spring up like a video game gone mad as our heroes match wits and weaponry with the Russian mob,the Al-qcoward network and any number of the miscellaneous malevolent miscreants who people the world of terrorism and slavery.Disturbingly prescient in his casting of bin -laden as arch-enemy (the book is pre 9-11) the author explores the psychology and psychosis of fanatical zealotry with deep insight.As usual,Mr. Carpenters'depth of knowledge of the tools of destruction is positively frightening.If you can kill somebody with it,he can tell you what it's made of, how long it takes and probably where to get one.(Remember the first book,Elephant Gun?)Sadly, the most horrifying and grisly events do not spring from Mr. Carpenters' imagination.Culled from actual events,he exposes the mind-numbing ferocity of ignorance extant in much of the world today. Here we are given a satisfying sense of Justice but I fear such is often not the case.Oh yeah,for those of you who,like myself, are lovers, not fighters,the disembowelings occasionly slow to allow the salacious,sultry sirens to weave their erotic magic.A man does need a break now and then.Like the rest of Mr.Carpenters work ,this book does not pigeon-hole easily.Action-adventure most certainly but thoughtfully woven with political awareness,personal observation( and opinion)and a meticulous attention to detail unsurpassed in this genre.Think you've got it tough? Check out Eric Rutherfords' world.


-Wolfgang Wasser - Wasser Reviews




Another review comment from E. Africa
“One of the most interesting premises for an adventure novel to come along in many years. A well-blended mix of serious human issues, excitement, danger and humor. A bit more realistic in it’s approach to life than usually expected from an escapist genre, populated with characters who seem very human and believable. The ideological barbs and social innuendo show the author obviously cares more for story telling than producing easily accepted work. Bravo!


- New World Observer