Iraq: In the Eye of the Storm

by Dilip Hiro

George Bush Sr. described Saddam Hussein as the "new Hitler," while his son, George W., during a recent state of the union address, accused Iraq of being part of an "axis of evil." Since 1990 few... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560254777
• ISBN13: 9781560254775
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Nation Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

The Storm could - and should - have been prevented

Dilip Hiro has been following events in Iraq for a long time, and has written numerous volumes on the subject including what might the most comprehensive volume on the history of the Iran - Iraq war. It is important to note this, not only because this author deserves praise, but because it gives him authority in evaluting the circumstances that might or might not have warranted military intervention in Iraq in 2003. It is very clear that Hiro believes that the War in Iraq should have remained an unthinkable prospect, the sanctions had more than demoralized and eroded the potential educated middle classes that could have eventually supplied a new regime in Iraq. Meanwhile, the very same sanctions only strengthened the regime of Saddam Hussein, by making it more invaluable to the everyday survival of ordinary Iraqis who were dependent on it to guarantee the measn of everyday survival. I found this point to be especially importnat, as I lived in Libya at the height of the UN and International Sanctions and fully agree that in dictatorial regimes, the small ruling elite benefits while ordinary people that have done absolutely nothing to earn their country a pariah reputation suffer. Although the war has begun (and prematurely declared won) - who knows when and how it will really end - the book is still important to read. It's short and informative and worth well beyond the current price. As Dilip Hiro admits, the book is not meant to be a comprehesive history of modern Iraq; indeed, it is more a history of Iraq from the 1990-91 Gulf War and the unstable period of the sanctions. For those readers that would like to understand the circumstances and processes that led to the emergence of the Baáth party in Iraq and Saddam Hussein I recommed "Iraq since 1958" by Peter and Marion-Farouk Sluglett.

The War is Over, but this book is even more essential

To fully understand the conflict in Iraq, this book is a must. And while the eye of the storm might not seem as threatening now, reading Hiro shows us that the roots of the conflict in Iraq are far more complicated than one would think. Simply because Baghdad has fallen, the war isn't over, and Hiro's expert analysis shows us that the U.S. is in for something much more than it has bargained for. The complexity of Iraq is not to be ignored, especially at the time of its conquest, and this books presents the details that matter. The daily life in Iraq and the people who make up the concurred are going to affect what happens today, and Hiro shows us that the long range implications of a war on Iraq, which had yet to occur when this book was written, are real. When Hiro speaks, we should listen; perhaps now more than ever.

What a marvelous book! Every American should read this!

This is a marvellous read, a meaty and elegant introduction to Iraq, its politics and people told by a seasoned, trustworthy observer, whose earlier book on the Iran-Iraq war is a classic. It's a travelogue through a devastated Iraq punished by UN sanctions and intimidated by Saddam's terrifying dictatorship; a vibrant detour through Iraqi history ancient and modern; and a devastating critique of US realpolitik in the region, in which the reader comes away with the impression that Bush's plan to invade Iraq in early 2003 could have the same devastating and traumatic impact that the events of 1948 have had on the region. YOu want a clash of civilizations? Well, that's what we're going to get if Bush has his way, the author suggests. Thank God Dilip Hiro is sounding the alarm bell in his passionate and vigorous prose. There's something for everything here, for the general reader and the actvist; but the questions at the back of the book -- Frequently and Infrequently Asked Questions about Iraq-- are, I think, an enormously useful primer for anti-war activists who want to prevent Bush and Blair taking us headlong to Armageddon.

Some Badly Needed Common Sense

Dilip Hiro provides needed common sense on the subject of Iraq and the prospect of conflict. Whereas Bush along with Rumsfeld and a team of advisers all notable for failing to serve in Vietnam arouse sentiment toward war, Hiro calmly and persuasively provides an alternative view replete with historical examples concerning Iraq's complex history.In the fashion of many international scholars, as well as American activists such as Ramsey Clark and Noam Chomsky, Hiro points out the inherent dangers of attacking Iraq to supplant the leadership of ruthless strongman Saddam Hussein. The important issue he constantly raises is the disruption of any semblance of stability throughout the Middle East. Anti-Americanism cannot help but rise to precipitous levels in view of both our past and current policies toward Iraq. Some one million lives of innocent citizens have been lost as a result of sanctions against Iraq. In examining past policies toward Iraq Hiro squarely confronts the double standard question. While Bush's father as Commander and Chief of the U.S. during the 1991 Gulf War referred to Saddam Hussein at one point as worse than Adolf Hitler, Bush had previously sent an array of weapons there, including the components of chemical weaponry used against Iran in another terrible application of the infamous "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" syndrome. So Saddam jumped from ally of sorts status to worse than Hitler! This occurred after the Middle East oil supply was jeopardized, certainly no coincidence.What is currently needed during this potentially turbulent period for the entire world is cool and sober reflection on the consequences of military action and analysis of Iraq's history. Hiro thankfully takes this necessary approach, which enhances understanding of the broad picture.