Imperial Crusades: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yugoslavia

Book Description

The war on Iraq didn't begin with the lethal pyrotechnics of Shock and Awe, and it didn't end with George W. Bush's made-for-TV aircraft landing. Undetected by the mainstream press, the US campaign against Iraq began many years before, featuring cruel sanctions, weekly bombardments, and assassinations. With Saddam deposed, the US now finds itself mired in a grinding occupation, its troops under constant attack with no exit in sight.

Iraq was just one of three major imperial crusades in the last decade, orchestrated by a new generation of American politicians, both Democrat and Republican, who backed pre-emptive strikes to overthrow unruly regimes in Yugoslavia and Afghanistan under the pretext of humanitarian intervention.

Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair reported on these wars as they happened. Years ahead of the pack, they exposed the economic motives behind the wars and how fraudulent intelligence, a spaniel press corps, a servile United Nations, and corporate propaganda techniques were used to sell them to the public.

Imperial Crusades chronicles the lies that are now returning almost daily to haunt the liars in Washington and London, the secret agendas and the under-reported carnage of these wars. It is a ripely vivid, blow-by-blow commentary from Cockburn and St. Clair, and regular CounterPunch writers such as the late Edward Said, former marines Chris White and Scott Cossette, historians Gary Leupp and Doug Lummis, psychologist Carol Norris, economist Paul de Rooij, human rights lawyer Joanne Mariner, and former senior CIA analysts Bill Christison and Ray McGovern.

Customer Reviews:

A Fine Account of the Empire.......2004-08-01

Generally speaking, this account lives up to the high standards of CounterPunch's usual work: timely, witty, committed, and analytically sophisticated. It's main drawback is that it won't be anything new to those who have paid attention, and its undoubtedly small printrun, non-corporate marketing budget, and invisibility to an establishment press (that it critiques so well) will limit its distribution and appeal--which is a great misfortune. That said, it is an excellent place to start for those who need basic data and smart interpretations of current events.

Otherwise, I find it necessary to correct the review below of S. Frantzman, who utters numerous distortions about Cockbrun & St. Clair's work. I will take Frantzman (who in his other reviews and lists appears to advance an extremely belligerent ultra-zionist, pseudo-islamophobic ideology, by the way) point for point.

Frantzman: "This is a book based on opinion [...] America simply took over Iraq."

Me: Of course it's based on opinion; as writing is a human endeavor, it is impossible for any discourse to be based on anything else. Ever. Period. The point about encouraging Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, via ambassador Glaspie's comments to Saddam in the summer of 1990, is well known and not open to dispute. The point about the US conspiring to "starve" Iraq relies on rhetorical equivocation, but is true nonetheless, for the Pentagon had produced war plans in the late 80s about how vulnerable Iraq's water treatment industry would be to US bombs, and thus how all biopolitical systems of the country would fail as a result of a bombing/sanctions one-two punch; to doubt this is to ignore the US government's own published records, which openly speculate on mass mortality for infants by means of disease. Likewise, assassinating Saddam is nothing new, considering all of the hubbub about "decapitation strikes" during the barbaric Shock and Awe offensive. However, at various points in the 90s did the CIA also attempt to "help" Saddam commit suicide; such is so well known that various Friedmanish/Pipesque/Limbaughian figures in the Empire often boast of it. Last, it's pretty obvious the the Empire "took over" Iraq, considering that the new Iraqi constitution opens the country to foreign investment--all subject to approval by the US appointed governing authority--now headed by former CIA killer Ayad Allawi, who is only in power because of the US occupation force, a force that conveniently occupied government buildings associated with oil while Baghdad was otherwise looted and burned.

Frantzman: "The truth is that Saddam chose to invade his [...] program to get billions for new weapons."

Me: No one, least of Cockburn & St. Clair, will deny Saddam's criminality--invasions, gas attacks on Iranians & Kurds, gross violations of human rights, arbitrary arrest, killings, torture, and so on. Indeed, the authors point out that it is precisely for these reasons that the US enlisted him as their creature during the Cold War; the Empire coddled, enabled, and valued Saddam. On the other hand, we know that sanctions did in fact work, for (as both Rice and Powell claimed in early 2001) Saddam has been effectively disarmed to the point that he "can't project power in the region" and that even little Kuwait didn't consider him a real threat. It likewise defies reason to claim that Saddam was a serious threat, even though his regime was destroyed so quickly and even though his evil weapons of mass destruction weren't used against the US invader--which is beyond curious. The notion that Saddam had any substantial control over the Oil-for-Food program (which only began in 1996) is furthermore completely at odds with the historical record, as the program was UN administered to hold Iraqi oil funds in escrow until reparations and debts were paid off, and moreover until Iraqi purchases were approved--a system which thoroughly destroyed the country worse than the bombing--a process called "Sanctions of Mass Destruction" in 2000 by *Foreign Affairs*. This is not to say that Saddam didn't become fabulously wealthy during the sanctions regime--but such a result was well known in advance: what else could've happened but the complete centralization of power in Saddam's hands if all Iraqi foreign transactions are limited to oil, controlled by the state?

Frantzman: "Yugoslavia may be one of the only [...] from the province and supporting terrorists. Here the book is on the mark."

Me: I happen to like their reading here too, but I suspect that Mssr. Frantzman only appreciates it because the text argues effectively against the Moslem position.

Frantzman: "In the last analysis the Afghanistan conflict this book is so far off the [...] Nazism was also wrong and therefore it may not even be worth flipping through."

Me: Interesting that Frantzman acknowledges the criminality of the Taliban, but doesn't seem to comprehend that they, like Saddam, are a product of US Empire. Of course, Frantzman is completely in Never-Never Land with his assertion that the Taliban are foreigners: indeed, such is generally not the case. Rather, the Taliban are an indigenous Pashtun movement that arose in the Afghani-Pakistani border regions during 1994 as a response to the various mujaheddin groups then fighting for dominance after the destruction of the communist regime of Najibullah in 1992. Though a small number of foreigners have been associated with the Taliban, the majority of the cadres and leadership are native to the region; Frantzman perhaps confuses the Taliban proper with the mujaheddin groups of the 80s, who were largely recruited from other Moslem nations (though not without significant local elements, such as the semi-feudal mullahs)--Arabs first and foremost (al Qaida germinated from these folks independently of the Taliban). Also, there is of course no similarity at all between the Taliban and the Nazis--except of course for the virulent anti-semitism of both, and each's place within the rogue's gallery of ultra-rightwing movements. I might as well point out that Frantzman here invokes Godwin's Law by mentioning the Nazis, but I'm sure savvy readers noticed that.

They Told You So.......2004-06-02

Bush's war on Iraq has degenerated into a bloody occupation, signified by war crimes, slaughter of civilians and US soldiers engaged in Sadean rituals with Iraqi prisoners. The justifications for the war have been proven to be bald-faced lies. Thousands have perished and Iraq as a nation is worse off than it was under Saddam. This war was supported by both political parties and the corporate press. But not Cockburn and St. Clair, and the team of writers at CounterPunch, which called it right as the war was being planned, sold and unleashed. A similarly bleak saga has played out in Afghanistan, where a cruise missile war was launched on an impoverished nation under the grip of a regime the CIA had put in power in the first place. Mullah Omar and Osama are still at large, heroin production has soared and the nation is controlled by warlords and misogyinistic religious zealots. Again, the press and the Democrats went along for the ride and haven't looked back at the carnage left in the wake of the war. Cockburn and St. Clair predicted and show why the Afghan war was doomed to backfire on US interests and the civilians of that desperate nation. Imperial Crusades doesn't spare Clinton and his gang, either, which orchestrated an illegal war on Yugoslavia, under the rubric of "humantarian intervention", which ended up killing thousands of civilians, propping up Kosovar terrorists, unleashing religious zealots and looney sectarians. Both Kosovo and Yugoslavia remain in dire straits and the humanitarian bombers have moved on to other causes. This book is written as a journal of the past 12 years of unremitting war by the imperial forces of the US and their allies in the press. It was CounterPunch which first exposed the fabrications of the New York Times's Judith Miller. This book holds no punches and plays no favorites.

A Must Read.......2004-05-25

This is a fantastic book that exposes the truth behind the last decade's worth of US war. The Counterpunch crew has done it again, in bringing the truth to light regarding the US involvement in Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.

They debunk the lies the mainstream press has used in justifying and defending the US invasions. They reveal the truth behind the conflict in Iraq, and show that the wheels were set into motion long before Dubya took the oath of office in 2000.

Pick it up for yourself and take a look. It's a must read for those wanting to know the truth behind the current US foreign agenda.

A pot of lies with one honesty.......2004-05-22

This is a book based on opinion, fallacy and hyperbole. It deals with three conflicts, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia. The claim with Iraq is that America encouraged Saddam to invade Kuwait and then conspired to starve Iraq and assassinate Saddam, in the end America simply took over Iraq. The truth is that Saddam chose to invade his neighboors. First he choose to invade Iran, then he choose to Gas the Kurds and finally because of jealousy he invaded Kuwait. The sanctions were approved by the U.N and they didn't work anyway. Saddam used the Oil for food program to get billions for new weapons.

Yugoslavia may be one of the only conflicts that this book is slightly accurate in portraying. IN Yugoslavia the government reacted against terrorism and in doing so the international community claimed `ethnic cleansing'. In a brutal war America bombarded civilians in Serbia and then invaded Kosovo, helping to finish the cleansing of Serbs from the province and supporting terrorists. Here the book is on the mark.

In the last analysis the Afghanistan conflict this book is so far off the mark as to amaze anyone. The Taliban destroyed thousand year old Buddhist statues, they stoned women to death for daring to leave the house alone, they made music and cinema illegal. IF ever their was a regime that never deserved to exist it was the Taliban. Most of the Taliban were not even indigenous Afghans, but foreigners who invaded Afghanistan in the 80s to fight the `Jihad' against the Soviets. In the end the war against the Taliban was as just as the war against Nazi Germany. This book may well be so extremist as to argue that fighting Nazism was also wrong and therefore it may not even be worth flipping through.

Amazon.com

As Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command from July 2000 through July 2003, Tommy Franks led the American and Coalition forces to victory in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Unsurprisingly, the portions of American Soldier covering these wars are the most interesting because they combine military maneuvers, political wrangling, and lots of action and commentary. This does not mean, however, that the rest of his autobiography is dull. General Franks's writing is clear and engaging and his insider's perspective is informative and interesting, particularly when he explains how the military moved into the 21st century by emphasizing speed, agility, and better cooperation among the various branches--a significant shift from the first Persian Gulf war just a decade earlier.

In addition to his years as a war general, his memoir also covers his childhood, his early years in the Army, his tours of Vietnam, and how he contemplated retirement before being called up as commander of Central Command, "the most diverse, strategically vital—and unstable—region of the planet." Ever the diplomat, General Franks offers insights, but little criticism of individuals. Other than expressing admiration for his own staff and for President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in particular, he is tight-lipped about any conflict within the administration that may have occurred regarding policy issues. (The one exception is counterterrorism specialist Richard Clarke. "I never received a single operational recommendation, or a single page of actionable intelligence, from Richard Clarke," he writes). He also writes that he was surprised by the absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that no WMDs were used against American troops. Still, the invasion of Iraq was justified in his eyes: "While we may not have found actual WMD stockpiles, what the Coalition discovered was the equivalent of a disassembled pistol, lying on a table beside neatly arranged trays of bullets." American Soldier is a compelling look at the war on terrorism from one who served on the frontlines as both a warrior and a diplomat. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

"When war comes, you look for certain special qualities in the people you'll be working with. General Tom Franks embodies those qualities: strength, experience, a keen mind, energy, honor, good humor, and a deep loyalty to his troops and to his country.

"Tom Franks is truly a soldier's soldier."

–– Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

The Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command from July 2000 through July 2003, General Tommy Franks made history by leading American and Coalition forces to victory in Afghanistan and Iraq –– the decisive battles that launched the war on terrorism.

In this riveting memoir, General Franks retraces his journey from a small–town boyhood in Oklahoma and Midland, Texas, through a lifetime of military service –– including his heroic tour as an Artillery officer in Vietnam, where he was wounded three times. A reform–minded Cold War commander and a shrewd tactician during Operation Desert Storm, Franks took command of CENTCOM at the dawn of what he calls a "crease in history" –– becoming the senior American military officer in the most dangerous region on earth.

Now, drawing on his own recollections and military records declassified for this book, Franks offers the first true insider's account of the war on terrorism that has changed the world since September 11, 2001. He puts you in the Operations Center for the launch of Operation Enduring Freedom just weeks after 9/11, capturing its uncertain early days and the historic victory that followed. He traces his relationship with the demanding Donald Rumsfeld, as early tensions over the pace of the campaign gave way to a strong and friendly collaboration.

When President Bush focused world attention on the threat of Iraq, Franks seized the moment to implement a bold new vision of joint warfare in planning Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rejecting Desert Storm–style massive troop deployment in favor of flexibility and speed, Franks was questioned by the defense establishment –– including Secretary of State Colin Powell. Yet his vision was proven on the ground: Within three weeks, Baghdad had fallen.

American Soldier is filled with revelation. Franks describes the covert diplomacy that helped him secure international cooperation for the war, and reveals the role of foreign leaders –– and a critical double agent code–named "April Fool" –– in the most successful military deception since D–Day in 1944. He speaks frankly of intelligence shortcomings that endangered our troops, and of the credible WMD threats –– including eleventh–hour warnings from Arab leaders –– that influenced every planning decision. He offers an unvarnished portrait of the "disruptive and divisive" Washington bureaucracy, and a candid assessment of the war's aftermath. Yet in the end, as American Soldier demonstrates, the battles in Afghanistan and Iraq remain heroic victories –– wars of liberation won by troops whose valor was "unequalled," Franks writes, "by anything in the annals of war."

Few individuals have the chance to contribute so much of themselves to the American story as General Tommy Franks. In American Soldier, he captures it all.

Download Description

""When war comes, you look for certain special qualities in the people you'll be working with. General Tom Franks embodies those qualities: strength, experience, a keen mind, energy, honor, good humor, and a deep loyalty to his troops and to his country.

""Tom Franks is truly a soldier's soldier.""

-- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

The Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command from July 2000 through July 2003, General Tommy Franks made history by leading American and Coalition forces to victory in Afghanistan and Iraq -- the decisive battles that launched the war on terrorism.

In this riveting memoir, General Franks retraces his journey from a small-town boyhood in Oklahoma and Midland, Texas, through a lifetime of military service -- including his heroic tour as an Artillery officer in Vietnam, where he was wounded three times. A reform-minded Cold War commander and a shrewd tactician during Operation Desert Storm, Franks took command of CENTCOM at the dawn of what he calls a ""crease in history"" -- becoming the senior American military officer in the most dangerous region on earth.

When President Bush focused world attention on the threat of Iraq, Franks seized the moment to implement a bold new vision of joint warfare in planning Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rejecting Desert Storm-style massive troop deployment in favor of flexibility and speed, Franks was questioned by the defense establishment -- including Secretary of State Colin Powell. Yet his vision was proven on the ground: Within three weeks, Baghdad had fallen.

American Soldier is filled with revelation. Franks describes the covert diplomacy that helped him secure international cooperation for the war, and reveals the role of foreign leaders -- and a critical double agent code-named ""April Fool"" -- in the most successful military deception since D-Day in 1944. He speaks frankly of intelligence shortcomings that endangered our troops, and of the credible WMD threats -- including eleventh-hour warnings from Arab leaders -- that influenced every planning decision. He offers an unvarnished portrait of the ""disruptive and divisive"" Washington bureaucracy, and a candid assessment of the war's aftermath. Yet in the end, as American Soldier demonstrates, the battles in Afghanistan and Iraq remain heroic victories -- wars of liberation won by troops whose valor was ""unequalled,"" Franks writes, ""by anything in the annals of war.""

Few individuals have the chance to contribute so much of themselves to the American story as General Tommy Franks. In American Soldier, he captures it all.

Customer Reviews:

"Make Em A Hand, Son" (Tommy's Father on Entering Army).......2007-08-07

I read this book when it first came out, and out of the thousands of books I have read over some 60 years, it is one of the most unforgettable. This man came out of the dust and dirt of Oklahoma and Midland, Texas to enter the Army as a grunt boot, and when he was getting on the bus to report to the Army, his Dad simply said "Make em a hand, son" which in West Texanese means, "Whatever they teach you to do, Son, do a good job for them!" And did he ever----Commander of the greatest Military Force in the History of this planet! An unforgettable true story that should make all Americans proud.

Great if you know what you're getting.......2007-05-31

I will admit my bias - I am a huge "fan" of General Franks. This book is about his life, his perspectives and experiences. There is a ton of stuff we'd never get to know about if it weren't for this book. One thing I admired most was his professionalism in writing it. If you're looking for some "tell all" expose, this ain't it. General Franks speaks respectfully about his bosses throughout the book. I know some readers won't like that, but to me it was refreshing.

An Interesting Look into a Military Mind.......2007-02-25

You have to be determined to finish this book. It starts slow, and the writing isn't the best, but it provides an interesting glimpse into the mind of Tommy Franks and the military during the Iraqi and Afghani invasions. I enjoyed it, and it's a great read for anyone interesting in the strategy behind our two latest wars.

Franks for President.......2007-01-09

Now that I know Tommy Franks up close, I would endorse and support this man for President in 2008. We need more leaders like Tommy Franks.

I Was There.......2007-01-03

I was in Viet Nam during the same period that Tommy was, and went through much of the same training that he did. It brought back memories both good and bad, but more importantly, the way he defined leadership and the importance of taking care of your troops first, hit the nail on the head. I could not put the book down until I finished it.

A great read for history buffs and for those who want to experience a day in the shoes of of a leader of men.

Average customer rating:

Great photojournalism - not one for the coffee table
Ein Bildband von den Könnern ihres Metiers
......

War: USA - Afghanistan - Iraq
VII , James Nachtwey , Alexandra Boulat , Lauren Greenfield , Ron Haviv , and Gary Knight
Manufacturer: de.MO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photojournalism | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Afghanistan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

September 11 | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0970576897

Book Description

War reveals the true story of what our country has faced since that fateful Tuesday in 2001. Featuring 223 photographs, insightful vignettes and three thought-provoking major essays, War is a powerful collaborative effort from VII, a cutting-edge photo agency cooperatively owned by nine elite photojournalists. The three full-length essays, written by eminent journalists Peter Maass, Remy Ourdan and David Rieff, discuss the three major crises of the twenty-first century from a social, political and militaristic standpoint and further illuminate the powerful photographic images in War. The photographers of VII-Christopher Anderson, Alexandra Boulat, Lauren Greenfield, Ron Haviv, Gary Knight, Antonin Kratochvil, Christopher Morris, James Nachtwey and John Stanmeyer-are used to witnessing, up close and in person, events of international turmoil. That is the duty of a photojournalist-to bear witness and to document history-and few would dispute that these photojournalists are the world's very best.

In addition to documenting the experience of 9/11, War takes an incisive look at the images from Afghanistan and the hunt for Osama bin Laden, as well as the airstrikes and US occupation of Iraq. In War, the photographers of VII have created a shockingly intimate portrait of US foreign policy and the most critical moments of American history in the beginning of the twenty-first century. What you see here will stun you.

War has received the Picture of the Year Best Photography Book, the AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers Selected Book, the Photo District News Best Book Selection and the Independent Publisher Awards Best Current Events.

Customer Reviews:

Great photojournalism - not one for the coffee table.......2006-09-13

This is one of the best pieces of photojournalism available on the beginning of the Second Gulf War. However, that fact makes this book hard to revisit. It has sat on my shelf ever since I first sat down to examine it pages.

Ein Bildband von den Könnern ihres Metiers.......2005-01-04

War" ist der eindrucksvollste Bildband der in der letzten Zeit erschien. Die Photographen einer der zur Zeit angesagtesten Agentur haben dafür ihre besten Bilder zusammengestellt. Die vom New York des 11. Septembers, über Afghanistan einen Bogen hin zum Irak schlagen und so ein Stück aktuellse Zeitgeschichte dem Betrachter auf eindrückliche Art und Weise nahe bringen.
Unter diesen nehmen jene Aufnahmen von James Nachtwey eine Stellung ein, die nur schwer von anderen erreicht wird.

Die Wiedergabe der Bilder und die gesamte Gestaltung des Buches ist sehr gut, und wird noch um einleitende Essays der Photographen ergänzt.

.............2003-12-24

This is simply one of the best photojournalistic book ever published. On top of that the essays are extrtemely interesting and complete the narrative of this amazing journey. A bit pricy but worth evey penny.

Ruses for War: American Interventionism Since World War II

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Not new
Excellent Overview
If you must read, read with a critical eye

Ruses for War: American Interventionism Since World War II
John B. Quigley
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1591025168

Book Description

Newly Updated and Revised.

As a prelude to war in 2003, the administration of George W. Bush did its utmost to convince the public that Saddam Hussein's Iraq posed a threat to American security from the secret development of weapons of mass destruction. Within a year of the US invasion of Iraq, it became clear that no such weapons existed. Sadly, this was not the first time the American public was urged to support a war for reasons that turned out later to be scarcely credible. As law professor John Quigley amply demonstrates in this damning indictment of US military interventionism since World War II, the Bush administration's actions fit a decades-old pattern of going to war on a pretense rather than informing the public of the government's true intentions.

The Ruses for War analyzes each instance of military intervention abroad by the United States since World War II from the perspective of what the government told the public, or did not tell it, about the reasons for war. Quigley concludes that the government's explanations differed greatly from reality.

Why were American troops committed to Korea in 1950? Was it to stop the onslaught of world communism, as President Truman claimed? Why did the US Marines land in the Dominican Republic in 1966? President Johnson argued that it was to protect Americans in danger. This is the same defense used by President Reagan when he sent troops to Grenada in 1983. Quigley also analyzes the stated versus actual reasons for intervention in the first Gulf War, Somalia, Kosovo, and other trouble spots. What emerges from his research is a tale of cover-ups, distortions, and manipulation of the media by our country's leaders for the purpose of gaining public support.

Customer Reviews:

Not new.......2007-08-03

Political leaders who spin webs of deceit in order to whip up a war fever is not a new phenomena nor is it unique to the United States. Nor is the gullibility of citizens and media anything new. It did not begin with the post World War II era nor did it begin with democracy. Mr. Quigley does a fine job of exposing how the cause celebre for war is seldom the only cause. Mixed motivations and rationalizing reasons are a sickness of the human condition in all of us - politicians as well as other citizens. Had Mr. Quigley began with the ancient wars as his starting point, he might have filled volume upon volume of this pattern of deceit and gullibility.

So there is really nothing new in these pages. Instead, Mr. Quigley gives us some examples of how often we went to war in the second half of the 20th century with questionable motivation. He begins with the Korean war and takes us through the intervention in Liberia to provide examples. Despite the undertones of anti-Americanism that one might sense in his style, the facts themselves should give us pause to reflect. If it makes us less gullible the next time politicians begin to spin their web of war fever, it will be of great value. Sadly, too many will react with the nationalistic knee-jerk that refuses to accept any criticism. It is doubtful, therefore, to have much of an impact except with the handful of true liberterians and left-leaning faithful to the message.

Mr. Quigley is an effective communicator. He does, at times, irritate the patriot in us that wishes not to think ill of their leaders. But once in a while a little iodine on the wound is the only thing that will induce healing. It is preferable to be an open-eyed patriot than a blind nationalist.

Excellent Overview.......2003-09-23

An excellent overview of American political and military meddling from Rhee's Korea in 1950 to Noriega's Panama in 1989.
The Korean war is covered in some detail in three chapters. Most of the other accounts have only one chapter and include Guatemala '54, Lebanon '58, Dominican Republic '65, Grenada '83 and many others. Operations covered also include those in which US troops did not play a direct role, such as in Congo in '64. Incidents like the so-called Gulf of Tonkin attack are also discussed. There are a total of 37 chapters.
This is a very good book, and one that contemplates what American foreign policy could be, if it were actually carried out in the nation's interest, instead of a (certain) foreign interest.
I've uploaded a scan of the front cover.

If you must read, read with a critical eye.......2002-01-25

I have only read parts of this book; however, it does not surprise me that Professor Quigley is the author.

He is hardly an objective observer/academic when it comes to his feelings about the foreign policies of Western Democracies. Throughout his academic career, he has promoted the hardcore pro-Soviet, pro-Third World viewpoint for every topic he has addressed. He is known as a virulently anti-West, anti-Israel, anti-U.S. Gov't academic. I am not saying that his work is automatically disqualified for this reason; any work deserves an independent assessment. However, the facts he presents and conclusions he draws should be read with a critical eye given his past record.

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The Wake of War: Encounters in Iraq and Afghanistan
Anne Nivat
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Afghanistan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books
Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books
General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam

Chienne de Guerre: A Woman Reporter Behind the Lines of the War in Chechnya

Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone (Vintage)

ASIN: 0807002402

Book Description

In the spring of 2003, acclaimed journalist Anne Nivat set off from Tajikistan on a six-month journey through the aftermath of the American invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. As with her prizewinning work reporting the lives of ordinary Chechens during their war, Nivat felt compelled to meet and write about the lives of everyday people-not just the voices at the center of the conflict, but also those in small towns and along roadways. She spoke to engineers and teachers, ex-military men and rising leaders, an actor and a former Taliban member; she stayed with Kurdish and ShiÂ'a and Turkoman families; and all along the way, she recorded their stories. We meet Hamid, a prosperous engineer who rails against the United States and against AfghanistanÂ's passive cooperation with the superpower. A powerful warlord keeps an extraordinary rose garden in the midst of the desert, and an Afghani gynecologist, having devoted her life to the health of Afghan women, has never touched even the hand of a man. In Iraqi Kurdistan we learn that hummus is unknown and see the after-effects of Saddam HusseinÂ's policy of Arabization: one young Kurdish leader declares that "The Arabs are barbarians by nature, their culture is nothing but thievery, looting, and killing!" In Iraqi Kurdistand we learn that hummus is unknown and see the aftereffects of Saddam HusseinÂ's policy of Arabization: One young Kurdish leader declares that "the Arabs are barbarians by nature; their culture is nothing but thievery, looting, and killing!" But in Kirkuk, a Turkoman claims the Kurds behave "just like the dictator who oppressed them." Near Basra we meet Adnan Karim Bhaya, an ex-admiral who proudly recounts his battles against the Iranians and later against British allied troops, but who now finds himself stripped of his military status and living on his wifeÂ's salary.

Ask & Tell: Gay and Lesbian Veterans Speak Out

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A Treasure
Revealing personal accounts of gay veterans who have served with honor in the US military

Ask & Tell: Gay and Lesbian Veterans Speak Out
Steve Estes
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Afghanistan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

History | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0807831158

Book Description

Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the directive of President Clinton's 1993 military policy regarding gay and lesbian soldiers. This volume recovers the lost voices of those who served in silence, offering a rich chronicle of the history of gay and lesbian service in the U.S. military from World War II to the Iraq War. Drawing on more than 50 interviews with gay and lesbian veterans, Estes charts the evolution of policy toward homosexuals in the military over the past 65 years, uncovering the ways that silence about sexuality and military service has affected the identities of gay veterans. Far from undermining national security, unit cohesion, or troop morale, Estes demonstrates, these veterans strengthened the U.S. military in times of war and peace. He also examines challenges to the ban on homosexual service, placing them in the context of the wider movement for gay rights and gay liberation.

Customer Reviews:

A Treasure.......2007-07-09

Full disclosure: I am one of the veterans fetured in "Ask and Tell". I do not know the author personally, and I have no financial interest in this book. With that out of the way...

Steve Estes has done a remarkable job. Through the personal accounts of dozens of gay veterans, the author has woven a coherent and compelling narrative. His subjects span every military branch and rank, every kind of family background and all corners of the U.S. They are endearing, instructive and always entertaining. Their stories show just how capricious military policy on homosexuality has been: some serve openly and honorably, others, no less honorable, are hounded out of the service with an indelible stain on their records and on their lives.

It's always a pleasure to swap war stories with fellow vets, young and old. This collection is now a part of that time-honored tradition. Reading it, I felt like those men and women were talking right to me. Their stories conjured so many memories in me - of basic training, barracks life, sexual politics and, yes, war - that I know I will take great delight in reading and re-reading this book for many years to come.

Revealing personal accounts of gay veterans who have served with honor in the US military.......2007-06-15

Very readable oral histories of the lives of gays who have served honorably in our country's armed forces. This book helps those of us who are not gay to understand the added stresses placed on gays who desire a military career by the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. It reveals the devotion of many of these men and women to their careers in the armed forces and the conflicts they experienced in living fulfilling personal lives while performing their military duties with excellence. I would recommend it to both gay and straight readers as a historical accounting with pertinence to our country's ongoing dialogue on integration of gay citizens into the fabric of our national life.

Blackwater USA: Private Security Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Shooting Incidents and Scandals, Hearing, Reports, Documents (CD-ROM)

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Blackwater USA: Private Security Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Shooting Incidents and Scandals, Hearing, Reports, Documents (CD-ROM)
U.S. Government
Manufacturer: Progressive Management
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: 1422014142

Product Description

This up-to-date and comprehensive electronic book on CD-ROM disc presents a vital collection of important government documents and reports about the use of private military security contractors such as Blackwater USA in Iraq and Afghanistan. The activities of Blackwater USA became a major public issue after a shooting incident on September 16, 2007 in Baghdad killed up to eleven Iraqi civilians. The House Committee on Oversight, chaired by Henry Waxman, has been investigating the activities of Blackwater and other private military contractors, holding hearings on the death in 2004 of four Blackwater contractors in Fallujah. The staff of the House Oversight Committee writes: Blackwater's work in Iraq began in August 2003,when Coalitional Provisional Authority Administrator Paul Bremer awarded the company a no-bid contract to provide security to top U. S. civilian officials. In June 2004, Blackwater received a second, much larger no-bid contract from the State Department known as Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS). Under this indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract, Blackwater was paid to provide "protection of U.S. and/or certain foreign government high level officials whenever the need arises." Although the maximum value of the contract was approximately $332 million, Blackwater ultimately received more than $488 million between June 14, 2004, and June 6,2006. Blackwater was authorized to utilize 482 staff in Iraq. On May 8, 2006, the State Department awarded WPPS II, the second incarnation of its diplomatic security contract. Under this contract, the State Department awarded Blackwater and two other companies, Triple Canopy and DynCorp, contracts to provide diplomatic security in Iraq, each in separate geographic locations. Blackwater is authorized to have 1,020 staff in Iraq under this contracts. The maximum value of the contract is $1.2 billion per contractor. For several years, questions have been raised about the conduct of Blackwater and other private military contractors operating in lraq. U.S. military commanders have reported that Blackwater guards "have very quick trigger fingers," "shoot first and ask questions later," and "act like cowboys." A senior U.S. military official has asserted that the impact of Blackwater's actions on Iraqi attitudes toward U.S. forces "is going to hurt us badly" and "may be worse than Abu Ghraib." The Blackwater and State Department records reveal that Blackwater's use of force in Iraq is frequent and extensive, resulting in significant casualties and property damage. Blackwater is legally and contractually bound to only engage in defensive uses of force to prevent "imminent and grave danger" to themselves or others. In practice, however, the vast majority of Blackwater weapons discharges are preemptive, with Blackwater forces firing first at a vehicle or suspicious individual prior to receiving any fire. Contents of this extensive collection include: Records and Documents from the State Department; House Committee on Oversight and Government Reforms Reports and Hearing Records (including October 2007 hearings), House Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. Senate, Defense Technical Information Center, Federal Supply Service (FSS), Department of Defense Contracts, Authorized Schedule Price Lists, White House Documents; GAO reports; Congressional Research Service report.

Danger Close: Tactical Air Controllers in Afghanistan and Iraq (Texas a&M University Military History)

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Excellent

Danger Close: Tactical Air Controllers in Afghanistan and Iraq (Texas a&M University Military History)
Steve Call
Manufacturer: Texas A&M University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Afghanistan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1585446246

Book Description

"America had a secret weapon," writes Steve Call of the period immediately following September 11, 2001, as planners contemplated the invasion of Afghanistan. This weapon consisted of small teams of Special Forces operatives trained in close air support (CAS) who, in cooperation with the loose federation of Afghan rebels opposed to the Taliban regime, soon began achieving impressive--and unexpected--military victories over Taliban forces and the al-Qaeda terrorists they had sponsored. The astounding success of CAS tactics coupled with ground operations in Afghanistan soon drew the attention of military decision makers and would eventually factor into the planning for another campaign: Operation Iraqi Freedom.

But who, exactly, are these air power experts and what is the function of the TACPs (Tactical Air Control Parties) in which they operate? Danger Close provides a fascinating look at a dedicated, courageous, innovative, and often misunderstood and misused group of military professionals.

Drawing on the gripping first-hand accounts of their battlefield experiences, Steve Call allows the TACPs to speak for themselves. He accompanies their narratives with informed analysis of the development of CAS strategy, including potentially controversial aspects of the interservice rivalries between the air force and the army which have at times complicated and even obstructed the optimal employment of TACP assets. Danger Close makes clear, however, that the systematic coordination of air power and ground forces played an invaluable supporting role in the initial military victories in both Afghanistan and Iraq. This first-ever examination of the intense, life-and-death world of the close air support specialist will introduce readers to a crucial but little-known aspect of contemporary warfare and add a needed chapter in American military history studies.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-10-13

Really sets the record straight on who actually control Air Force air-strikes. A job well done!

Human Rights and US Foreign Policy (Routledge Research in Human Rights)

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Human Rights and US Foreign Policy (Routledge Research in Human Rights)
Jan Hancock
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Civil Rights & Liberties | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Public Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Human Rights | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Human Rights | Constitutional Law | Law | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0415365775

Book Description

This book analyzes the role of human rights in the foreign policy of the George W. Bush Administrations.

References to human rights, freedom and democracy became prominent explanations for post-9/11 foreign policy, yet human rights have been neither impartially nor universally integrated into decision-making. Jan Hancock addresses this apparent paradox by considering three distinct explanations. The first position holds that human rights form a constitutive foreign policy goal, the second that evident double standards refute the first perspective. This book seeks to progress beyond this familiar discussion by employing a Foucaultian method of discourse analysis to suggest a third explanation. Through this analysis, the author examines how a discourse of human rights has been artificially produced and implemented in the presentation of US foreign policy. This illuminating study builds on a wealth of primary source evidence from human rights organizations to document the contradictions between the claims and practice of human rights made by the Bush Administrations, as well as the political significance of denying this disjuncture.

Human Rights and US Foreign Policy will be of interest to advanced students and researchers of US foreign policy, human rights, international relations and security studies.

The Routledge Handbook on the U. S. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 2001-2006

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The Routledge Handbook on the U. S. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 2001-2006
Mark Grossman
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Afghanistan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

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