The Middle East War Process: The Truth Behind America's Middle East Challenge

By Richard P. Robison

What is truly at stake in America's War on Terror? Why has the United States moved powerfully into the Mideast? Why does the President never talk about Middle East oil? What are the dangerous... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 142593515X
• ISBN13: 9781425935153
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: Authorhouse
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Unique Info, Unique Insight, and a Good Read

I had the opportunity to interview Richard Robison for a two-part article in Utah Spirit Magazine (March & April 2004), and in the process I read "War Process." I found a thoughtfulness that only nearly a quarter century in the Middle East could deliver, an insight that only a CIA case officer could gain, and the kind of read that only a master storyteller could create.The message of the book is tactful, but very forward. Robison loves the Middle East, its culture and people, but he doesn't let that stop him when it comes to calling a spade a spade. The pages of "War Process" contain many elements of U.S.-Mideast foreign policy that readers won't currently find in mainstream media. For instance, Robison examines the Islamic "taqiya," where "a lie is not a lie," and also how terrorists often exploit the idea that "Americans don't bleed well" to create incredibly damaging attacks on American forces and civilians."Fear the man who has little to loose," Robison warns.Robison also spends a great deal of time examining the gap and overlap between Islamic and American cultures. He uses many personal experiences to show how little known parts of Islamic culture, when overlooked, can create a great embarrassment and, in some instances, a great divide. He also explains how popular American culture with all of its tantalizing skin and revealing clothing has become the perfect recruitment tool for terrorists.He offers an interesting insight into why the US went into Iraq, even toying with the idea that America might have had some part encouraging the first Iraq war. And however incredible such a claim might seem, Robison was there as part of the Gulf War Task Force, something that few others can claim. He was there.Robison says that America is in the Middle East to stay. It has little to do with the price of oil, and yet it has everything to do with the security of oil. For the answers, Robison says, look to China, its increasing dependence on oil, and a future conflict that many intelligence experts (both American and Chinese) say is inevitable. America is in the Middle East to place a firm hand on the spigot---a tactic similar to one that America employed against Japan in WWII.The book is beefy with ideas, but it can be read fast. Robison keeps the info simple and critical, never wasting his readers' time. I absolutely recommend "War Process." Readers will find that many of the more cryptic reports in the world press more revealing. There's a lot to miss out there when, as Robison said during the interview, "you don't know what questions to ask."

Best Book I have ever read on the Middle East

This is a great book for those who would like to understand how the Middle East really works and thinks. It contains information not readily published about America's challenges in the region. It looks forward to what we can expect from this area and gives an understanding of why and what we are doing there now. Mr. Robison's experience there, working with military, intelligence, and business sources along with his love and knowledge of the cultures of the area, give this book depth and breath not found in other publications. A great read for anyone who really wants to understand our involvement in the area. I gained a completely new understanding of our challenges, opportunities and risks as he explained them from the perspective of the power, governments, culture, and history of the people there.

Insightful focus on the Middle East War Process

The MIDDLE EAST WAR PROCESS is easily understood by the lay reader, yet interesting and informative to anyone working in or studying the Middle East. The book provides new, unusual and little-known facts explaining America's challenges and long-term problems in the region. The United States has shouldered a long-term commitment in the region that will last for generations. The MIDDLE EAST WAR PROCESS offers insights into ways to make this transition less painful, if we will learn from the past. With American interest in the Middle East at an all time high, The MIDDLE EAST WAR PROCESS is an insightful and interesting book.

Excellent analysis of the "war process" in the Middle East

I found this book easy to read and very informative. The writer explains in lay man terms why the Middle East is so relevant to America's interests. In addition, he explains that there is a "war process" in the Middle East as oppossed to a "peace process" (a quote from Shimon Peres if I recall correctly).I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fresh, interesting, and personal analysis of the situation in the Middle East.