Naylor argues that bin Laden's role in various terrorist activities has been grossly exaggerated and that the idea of al-Qa?idah as a well-financed, centrally directed movement is a fable akin to misconceptions about the Mafia. Satanic Purses makes clear that the myths surrounding the war on terror, especially the alleged existence of hordes of Islamic terror dollars, have led Western countries, particularly the US, to policies that create death and disorder abroad and the loss of due process and privacy at home. Naylor shows that the secret agendas behind, and the private interests that profit from, an illusory War on Terror may be far more dangerous than the events that led to it. With eloquence and precision, Naylor explains how and why a story so contrary to easily verifiable reality was concocted and accepted.