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Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror
Ebook Free Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror
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Amazon.com Review
The war on terror has created near unanimity on many points, at least within the American press and political leadership. One essential point of agreement: al Qaeda specifically and radical Islamism in general are stirred by a hatred of modernity. Or as President George W. Bush has articulated repeatedly, they hate freedom. Nonsense, responds the nameless author of this work and 2003's Through Our Enemies' Eyes (the senior U.S. intelligence official's identity became an open secret by publication date). Indeed, he grimly and methodically discards common wisdom throughout this scathing and compelling take on counterterrorism. Imperial Hubris is not a book that will cheer Americans, regardless of their perspectives on the post-9/11 environment. We are, the author notes, losing the war on terror. Hawks will squirm as the author heaps contempt on U.S. missions in Afghanistan (too little, too late) and Iraq ("a sham causing more instability than it prevents"), but opponents of Bush administration policies may blanch at Anonymous' suggestion that what's needed is for the West to "proceed with relentless, brutal, and, yes, blood-soaked offensive military actions until we have annihilated the Islamists who threaten us." Quoting the at-all-cost likes of William Tecumseh Sherman and Curtis Lemay on one hand and contending that unrelenting military measures be accompanied by concessions to the ideology of the militants on the other are unlikely to curry widespread support from either side of the divide. And how will readers conditioned to references to Osama bin Laden as a deranged gangster or simple-minded fanatic with deep pockets digest the respect accorded "the most popular anti-American leader in the world today"? Imperial Hubris clearly wasn't written to win friends, though the author believes it's essential that his words influence people at the top. Whether it will is debatable, but that this blunt, forceful, urgently argued polemic recharges the discussion is a foregone conclusion. --Steven Stolder
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From Publishers Weekly
It's unclear how, in an age when even office workers must sign confidentiality agreements, an alleged CIA Middle Eastern specialist has gotten permission to publish a sprawling, erudite book on the origins and present state of the "war on terror." His main point is that Arab antagonism to the West (and even non-fundamentalist Arab regimes' winking at terrorism) has its root in real grievances that have gone unaddressed by U.S. measures. The actions of the Saudis, and their U.S. supporters, come in for some hard criticism, as does the elevation of Northern Alliance warlords to de facto governors of Afghanistan. The author makes some challenging remarks regarding Israel ("Surely there can be no other historical example of a faraway, theocracy-in-all-but-name of only six million people that ultimately controls the extent and even the occurrence of an important portion of political discourse and national security debate in a country of 270-plus million people that prides itself on religious toleration, separation of church and state, and freedom of speech") while playing down the extent to which the Taliban itself was a corrupt theocratic regime. But his annotated compendia of battles and skirmishes won and lost by the U.S. and al-Qaeda are gripping, and his engagement with his subject has made him a pundit-in-demand. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Product details
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Potomac Books; First Edition edition (June 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781574888492
ISBN-13: 978-1574888492
ASIN: 1574888498
Product Dimensions:
6.4 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.0 out of 5 stars
222 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#445,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Great, insightful book! The author presents raw and intellectually stimulating SME accounts of entrenched perspectives. Highly recommend this and the author's other great written works to anyone who wishes to advance their own perspectives/opinions (furthering even more discussions) after reading yet another great product by Scheuer.
I wanted to like this book so much, but it would be better as a 20-30 page whitepaper instead of a whole book. He really stretches out his ideas and repeats them over and over. Editor and publisher should have condensed this. Otherwise, brilliant ideas and thoughts that in hindsight should have been listened to. If you want to know more about this book and author, watch the series The Looming Tower.
I wouldn't put this in the light reading category as it's quite technical. This author is well studied on the subject, not that I could ever dispute the facts. Scheuer gives interesting facts that really gives the reader a unique perspective. I just wish I had read it a few years ago when the information was still fresh and Osama was still alive. I am personally someone who often reflects on my own mistakes and flaws and use them to grow and become a better person. As a nation we should do the same. People that can't stand criticism, particularly against their own country due to blind patriotism, probably wouldn't appreciate some of points in this book. However, if reader is open minded and believes that the USA could stand to make a few improvements in terms of it's foreign policy, it's worth a read.
Michael Scheuer has been painted in some quarters as a crank. Of course, these people have not read this book. It is a well reasoned argument that the US should not do nation building in the Middle East (just look what happened in Iran when the US installed The Shah; Pakistan anyone?). His knowledge is vast, and he writes very well. Michael Scheuer's conclusion is not to run and hide. It is to stop invading Muslim lands to support corrupt regimes. But if the US is attacked to hit back with massive force in surgical strikes. His strategy is similar to the human body fighting off a virus. It will never go away, just hopefully contained. Cold War version 2.0.Nation building is a very dangerous business. Better that the US go back to being a beacon of freedom lighting the way to happiness for the peoples of the world."Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin"Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil." - Thomas Paine (Common Sense)
The book's author "Anonymous", a senior intelligence official with two decades of national security experience related to Afghanistan and South Asia, makes several excellent points that clearly need review by the intelligence community and our policy makes.First and foremost he, along with several others in the field, makes it clear that al Qaeda and bin Laden do not wish to destroy us for what we are, our freedom and our democracy, but rather for what we do to them with our actions and sometimes ill conceived foreign policy. Certainly in the past we have propped up corrupt and repressive regimes for the sake of security in the area and for the continued flow of cheap oil. It is his position that we should reexamine our support of several counties in the Gulf region and elsewhere, including our seemingly endless support for Israel. One suspects that this last contention is a large reason why the author remains anonymous.His seeing our actions (foreign policy) as the cause and driving force for Muslim hatred appears in part correct but undoubtedly many also dislike us for how we live. Our life style conveniently fits with bin Laden's demonizing of the west. The author carefully builds a convincing case that Osama is driven by the Muslims' loving relationship with his God, that he and every Muslim is commanded by the words of The Profit to fight those attacking his faith, brethren and territory. We are seen as occupiers stealing the wealth of their lands and corrupting their faith and they have a responsibility as Muslims to destroy us. Not looking at the role of religion in considering the actions of bin Laden and al Qaeda is a major flaw in Anonymous' opinion. He also argues correctly the ending of our dependency on foreign oil must be a national priority.He also firmly believes that the American people should be made aware in the strongest possible terms that we are at war; not a war in some remote area but here, in America, and that the Islamist mean to kill us, everyone of us. If we fail to understand that, our enemy certainly will drive that point home for us. They have repeatedly warned that the next attack will be larger, much larger, than 911. In fact, under Muslim law, Osama has now met all the proscribed requirements (warning, offered conversion to Islam, and obtain religious approval) for his using WMDs on our country. This quote from bin Laden's late mentor, Shaykh Abdullah Azzam is instructive in this regard:"History does not write its lines except in blood. Glory does not build its lofty edifices except with skulls. Honour and respect cannot be established except on a foundation of cripples and corpses.... Indeed those who think they can change reality, or change societies, without blood sacrifices and wounds, without pure innocent souls, do not understand the essence of our religion."The time for the west to take them at their word is long overdue.I could take issue with some of the remarks about the start of the war with Afghanistan (we did in fact have significant Pashtun allies, Karzi and Sharzai come to mind) but his noting that we had no plan to take out al Qaeda after years of warnings is absolutely correct. This is unforgivable given the previous al Qaeda attacks here and abroad. Were it not for Lt. Col. Dave Miller of the U.S. Special Operations Command, we would have absolutely been at square one. (See, "The Hunt For Bin Laden", Robin Moore, at 17.)This is a fine well-researched work but its main shortcoming is a rather cockeyed belief that if we leave Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Muslim world, all will be well. Bin Laden, he claims, is only waging a "defensive jihad" of the Islamic lands. (What about Spain, let's say?) Yet he goes on later in the book to undermine his assumption by quoting their warnings to us to convert to Islam and that if we don't, the Koran approves of the used of WMDs. He builds the case that they will, in time, be used against us.In short, he gives a good analysis of the problem but overlooks an essential element of this war: it is not ours to end by leaving.But in spite of that, it's a damn fine book, albeit, scary as hell.
Scheuer accurately paints the backdrop for the current struggle and defines the human terrain upon which this ill-advised, wrong-headed global game of "Cowboys and Muslims" is being played. Others have said the same, but without his gravitas born of years within the CIA. That said, he references nothing that is classified and beyond reach of those without government access.One reason he can use open source (e.g. unclassified documents availible to anyone with a computer and internet) is that he knows what can and what cannot be true. I hope the Obama White House is reading Scheuer and formulating a new "why" regarding what a strategy for Afghanistan should look like. Hint: we're doing it wrong.
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