Customer Reviews

Backstabbing for Beginners: My Crash Course in International Diplomacy

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Michael Soussan's memoir of his time as UN Oil for Food Programme Coordinator is all at once informative, provocative, witty, intelligent, and poignant. Far from your ordinary historical review, Mr. Soussan paints a detailed and engaging insider's picture of what was going on within the iconic international organization, complete with a description of the specific contents of Benon Sevan's office and a cast of nicknamed characters (including "Spooky," "Smiley Face," and his own - "The Kid"). In addition, Mr. Soussan demonstrates a strong grasp of the conflicting international interests and current affairs at the time.

Insofar as this book also serves as a "coming-of-age" piece, again, the author manages to accomplish much more, describing a young man, naïve and hopeful, who was convinced he was going to make a difference - and he does, just not at all in the way he ever imagined. Mr. Soussan's writing is clever and will have you laughing out loud as you relate to some of the many mistakes he made in his younger days and gape at others you never would imagine happening to yourself (like nearly kissing your life goodbye as you pee in a mine-laden wasteland). At the same time, the book includes some very sobering scenes, and you will be engrossed in the tragedy Mr. Soussan aptly describes. The overall message of the book is powerful, reminding us to never forget our ability to achieve a greater good no matter what the odds.

I am surprised this book has not been given more attention and that there aren't more customer reviews on it. Then it dawned on me: the book is critical of the UN; no wonder it hasn't received more media attention. That being said, it is a very, very good read. I have seen first hand the damage that a large government bureaucracy can dish out. Mr. Soussan's account of turf wars, bickering, egos and backstabbing is spot on. One point made in the book that probably miffed the nattering nabobs of negativism is the fact that he doesn't blame everything on President Bush. The author, being Danish with French ethnicity, rightly points out that the Iraq WMD issue preceeds Bush's term and that "regime change" was in fact the official US policy under President Clinton. He certainly doesn't praise Bush, but he gives insight into why Bush had to bypass the UN after the organization initially backed him.
Saddam Hussein is depicted, rightfully, as a lying madman who was bribing France, Russia and other nations to get sanctions lifted. The author goes into detail about the propaganda war waged by Hussein to create worldwide sympathy, hoodwink passive nations, and scam billions of dollars to build palaces and God knows what else.
For an in-depth description of why the UN fails to execute its resolutions and one of the reasons why the second Gulf War came to be such a mess, this book is a must read.

This book is really wonderful! It's a must read for students, journalists, government employees, diplomats and anyone interested in international affairs. Funny and heart wrenching at the same time --- it's a coming of age story of a young man who thinks he has found his calling in a UN job until he realizes the sobering truth behind the UN's Oil-for-Food program in Iraq. Educational and relevant --- the author writes in a manner that will have you staying up late to finish the book. And while most of today's commentary about the UN comes from a particular political vantage point, Mr. Soussan is clearly not out to simply bash the UN or to defend it. He is neither from the political right or the political left and this makes his behind the scenes account particularly stinging. Buy a copy now!

Great insight into UN. Great reading. Yes, the author tries to be witty and is OK at it. But, a little excessive for me. Regardless, not a person interested in, or with an opinion on the subject of, the UN and Iraq in general should go without reading this book. A bigger eye opener than I imagined. Seriously, don't wait - read it now.

In 1997 author Michael Soussan, an idealistic new college graduate, accepted his dream job at the U.N.'s 'Oil for Food' program. His mission was to help Iraqis survive the economic sanctions imposed following the invasion of Kuwait. His new view into the flow of money in the region and the pros and cons of international diplomacy - including his discovery that Hussein was extracting illegal bribes while U.N. officials ignore his actions - makes for a powerful story of diplomacy behind the scenes and deserves a spot on the shelf of any college library.

Soussan really sheds light on how the bureaucracy at the United Nations worked while he was there (and presumably before and still). His writing is very good, it's full of facts and heavy-hitting as an exposé yet it reads better than most novels.

This memoir had me laughing and crying, a coming-of-age story about blowing the whistle on corruption in the United Nations oil-for-food program. The author proves that it's possible to be both a realist and an idealist. A great read.

An insider's blow-by-blow account of the Iraq-UN Oil-for-Food debacle told with passion and panache. Michael Soussan maintains a fair dose of idealism while learning about the dirty world of international diplomacy. He lays the blame equally at most players: the UN secretariat and the Security Council, member states and greedy contractors and, of course, Saddam's Iraq. If nobody comes off completely clean, Soussan also has understanding for the humans who fail in their duties and their moral judgment in varying doses. All in all, a very balanced and well told tale

Author Michael Soussan was an idealistic college graduate who parlayed a job recommendation from a Brown classmate into getting a bit part in the largest financial and political scandal in the United Nation's history - the U.N.'s "Oil for Food" relief operation set up in 1996 to provide humanitarian aid to Iraqi citizens. He has written a gripping tale in "Backstabbing for Beginners/ My Crash Course in International Diplomacy" detailing what went on behind the headlines as the U.N. undertook the largest humanitarian relief effort in its history.

Soussan found himself in a dysfunctional (and later found to be corrupt) bureaucracy surrounded by spies, corrupt oil tycoons, big power politics, multibillion-dollar business interests, and self-serving diplomats all working to line their pockets and those of their sponsors while dedicated U.N. relief workers tried to meet the humanitarian needs of Iraq's civilians who suffered from dramatic shortages of basic necessities due to the stringent economic sanctions that followed Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Sousson has been blamed by some for revealing the depth and breadth of the whole charade after he left the U.N. and called for an independent investigation. But his revelations and warnings led to knowledge that the UN Security Council operated much like a drug cartel, fighting over access to Iraq's oil and, in so doing, let Saddam Hussein cannibalize his own country in partnership with respectable international corporations and allies of the United States. We have also learned that the Clinton and Bush administrations were intimately aware of the massive fraud and found evidence that French and Russian government officials had directly participated in it, as had officials from all over Europe, South Africa, Australia, India, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, among others.

Sousson admits in "Backstabbing" that he helped his bosses pervert the democratic process in Washington with increasing skill and crossed the line when serious moral issues were at stake. "The line between serving the public interest conserving one's personal interest was an easy one to cross." He sank into a deep depression towards and eventually had to get out.

Sousson provides an insider's peek at how:
* Saddam used this operation to erode the U.N. sanctions and siphon money from "Oil for Food" to rebuild his military machine, and break out of his international isolation.
* Saddam held his people hostage.
* Saddam impeded the work of U.N. inspectors the UN.
* Saddam to use his oil wealth to play nations against one another due to the twisted mandate given the UN - enforce sanctions on Iraq on one hand and alleviate them on the other,
* UN observers were thwarted in making sure relief goods were not diverted.
* The program became known as the "oil for nothing" program with Americans calling it "the oil for palaces program."
* Saddam succeeded in dividing the international community for years until he finally succeeded in shattering its unity. The "Oil for Food Program allowed the member states of the Security Council to systemically violate their own laws and participate in the fraud.
* Inept U.N. General Secretary, Kofi Annan, was (and how inept most U.N. officials are). He had presided over a most corrupt enterprise without once moving a finger to set it right before was too late. And the political forces that the secretary-general had enraged by calling the invasion of Iraq illegal were not about to let him off the hook. The entire international community have been involved in the fleecing of a rack. Booker learned how systemically the member states of the Security Council participated in the fraud by violating their own laws.
* Poorly run the U.N. is. The U.N.'s was unable to enforce the minimum standards of accountability on its members, staff, and agencies. "Expecting accountability from UN system was akin to expecting a blind dog to catch a flying Frisbee. Having the UN in charge guarantees a high level of inefficiency."

Sousson also shares with us the four rules of survival in the U.N.:

Rule one - the truth is not a matter of fact; it is a product of consensus.

Rule two - never get stuck with the buck. The safest decision for bureaucrats to make was often no decision at all.

Rule number three - the assistant of your enemy is your friend. Divide and rule. The deputy would be given responsibility for management, though not the authority to manage. Decisions would remain firmly controlled by commands Chief of Staff. The core nature of the UN's management culture was that it ensures that people with responsibility had no authority; and vice versa, it protected the people with authority from having to take responsibility.

Rule number four - even the paranoid have enemies. This was a world of out-of-control, spineless cowards who were out to undermine the authority. Paper flow paranoia is a disease that is proper to large bureaucracies and is especially rampant the United Nations - every detail of paper communication is designed with the intent of harming.

"Backstabbing" was an eye-opener for me. I have remained neutral on the U.N. and its overall effectiveness in geopolitics with some good and some bad. I am now in the camp that funding for the U.N. must be reduced. It is a corrupt bureaucracy with multiple vested interests that are out of control. Yes, it can remain a symbolic place for debate but no longer can it be trusted to execute as a unified force for good in the world. Michael Sousson has done us a great favor with "Backstabbing." And I urge all Americans and others around the world to pick this book up and learn about the dark side of the U.N. It is now a danger to world peace.

Although the author generally provides simplistic interpretations of events, by the same token he often correctly identifies the crux of the problems - at least with respect to the UN. I recommend that you read this book if you wish to have a point of view from a former UN staff member who served as a junior professional for three and half years. However, skip the first two chapters and begin at chapter 3 or 4. And for a complementary, and more scholarly, view of some of the post-war events (in 2003) in Iraq, read Samantha Powers' book on Sergio Vieira de Mello.