Customer Reviews

The High Cost of Peace: How Washington's Middle East Policy Left America Vulnerable to Terrorism

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As an Lebanese expatriate, I was deeply impressed at the depth of knowledge and detail displayed by Bodansky in this wonderful book. To understand why Lebanon is the key to peace in the Middle East, one must be aware of the many regional dynamics that involve Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon, in their attempt to impose a new anti-West, Islamic empire for the region and one that displaces Israel as a participant in the Levant.
These issues are salient and necessary to understand the debates raging today in the United Nations and the United States Congress as to a possible war with Iraq. Bodansky's knowledge and writing skills foreshadowed these existential events perfectly and will certainly provoke a reaction from the participants in this political drama as well as from all the readers who will find this book a necessary primer of in-depth Middle East politics, strategy, and tactics.
Bodansky has the uncanny ability to explore these issues in detail while concisely examining other topics of the Middle East, as well as their relationship with Washington politics, and separating substance from political expediency. No one walks away unscathed.

Nagi N. Najjar
Executive Director
Lebanese Foundation for Peace

Displaying his multiple talents as a word smith and an accomplished political analyst, Bodansky again stitches together a tapestry of political revelations and historical documentation that results in clearly revealing the inner workings of the radical, Islamic mind that threatens the stability and future of Western style democracies.
There are no sacred icons when Bodansky starts his exploration and he enthralls the reader with a common journey into the darkness of radical Islam, a journey of discovery that involves the reader with personal insights, personal discoveries, and personal intuition, that reveals even more of this ubiquitous enemy.
All venues are explored in depth, including the political structure in the United States that allowed temporal priorities to take precedence over issues of existential import and myopically ignore the future. Yet, this appears to be the scenario played out by the Clinton Administration as they assumed control, actually over most of the world, in 1992.
Bodansky's analysis for the security of the West is a must read as we all face the threat of Islamic radicalism that threatens to destroy the fabric of our society and requiring a new and meaningful rubric to deal with this unprecedented threat.

As if someone lit a lightbulb in a darkened world was the effect upon me of Bodansky's new book "The High Cost of Peace."
I feel confident in saying that I represent the many people who walk away confused at the conflicting and difficult news we read daily and yet has that aura of uncertainty surrounding it. Bodansky clears away the fog of confusion and replaces it with a clear and cogent view of events that in his clarity of style explains the details and brings them together in a meaningful and authenticated fashion.
For example, the mystery of the Camp David Accords are explained, the first time to my knowledge, and the participants come to life with all their imperfections.
It was Oliver Cromwell who said, "Paint me with all my Pimples," and Bodansky uses his objective eye to do that exactly with all these players in a global drama that foreshadow Armegeddon if we don't tred lightly and carry a strong stick.
We owe Bodansky a debt of gratitude for his effort.

When I first pre-ordered this book before it's publication, the title was quoted as "The seduction of Israel : how Clinton's peace process has brought the Middle East to the brink of destruction".

Of course since then, world events have overtaken us. One is now left to wonder whether the new title `The High Cost Of Peace' should instead be `Peace At Any Price?'.

Bodansky reveals in some detail what in fact has been going on behind the scenes pertaining to the US involvement in Middle East politics and the so-called `peace process'.

The intent of Yasser Arafat and the Arab world in relation to a negotiated `peace' settlement with Israel having been exposed for what it really is when Arafat walked away from the negotiating table, leaving former US President Clinton and former Israeli PM Ehud Barak together with the most extensive peace offering ever presented to the Palestinians, for Arafat to resume his pursuit of terrorism, violence and murder.

The author delves into the complicity of the Arab world in much of the terrorism against Israel, for which the very same Arab nations then proceed to instigate UN Resolutions against Israel for taking subsequent military measures in self defence.

He examines the `phased plan' of the Islamic world to destroy Israel. A plan that much of the world appears ignorant of, but the basis of which is to obtain as much territory as possible at the negotiating table, and then to proceed in using that very same territory as a platform from which to launch fresh attacks upon the Jewish state until the ultimate objective is attainable.

The High Cost Of Peace provides a refreshing factual account of US-Middle East politics instead of what is usually reported in the media where established historical facts are filtered through chosen political channels, setting the agenda on which the issues are subsequently discussed. A process which has seen Israel being robbed of its political, historic and geographic legitimacy, whilst Israel is being made to appear to rob the Palestinians of the nation it never had.

Yossef Bodansky explores the naivety of both US and Israeli politicians in their dealings with the Arab world, the evidence supporting Yasser Arafat's personal involvement in terrorism during the `peace negotiations' and the clear intent of former US President Clinton in using the `peace process' to divert attention from his own political/personal scandals at home.

Of course, at the core of the whole political issue, is the matter of Jerusalem. One cannot help drawing a parallel from Bodansky's revelations of the cost that the US must pay for it's involvement in the `peace process' to the words of the Old Testament prophet Zechariah written some 2,500 years ago.

"Thus says the LORD "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it." (Zechariah 12:2,3).

It has never been more clear that those who involve themselves in ANY negotiations pertaining to the future or status of Jerusalem, contrary to Scripture, will have to pay a heavy price. Barak and Clinton, who were prepared to sacrifice Jerusalem to Arafat in a policy of appeasement, no longer being present in the political board-game. Although not applying Scripture, Bodansky ably illustrates the price paid to date by the parties concerned and that which is likely to have to be paid in the future.

An underlying principle is revealed through Bodansky's studies and it can be summed up briefly in that the Islamic/Arab world understands only strength, and that to these nations & dictators like Saddam Hussein & Yasser Arafat, concessions are a sign of weakness to be exploited. One can clearly see that the Arab world of which Bodansky is so well informed, is not as naive in these matters as we would like to think. It's agenda is quite clear and it is prepared to play a waiting game and use our own naivety and self-seeking politicians as pawns in their game to pursue their ultimate goal. This book is a most welcome scrutiny of how we have arrived today on the verge of yet another conflict with Iraq and the dangers lurking behind the scenes of an even more horrific scenario involving the camouflaged agenda to the Arab world's `final solution' of the Israeli issue.

Recommended.

I've read thousands of books on the Middle East ... from every possible ideological perspective. This masterpiece by Bodansky is, far and away, the most thoughtful, analytical, and on-point to date. As Americans, we are duty bound to protect democracy and guard our freedoms. Bodansky helps us do just that by empowering us with the facts on the Middle East. Murray Kahl describes this book as a "home run" ... to which I reply NO ... it is a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth with two outs ... which is exactly where the U.S. finds itself as we confront the problems in Iraq. Kudos Mr. Bodansky ... thank you for your great service to your readers and to the United States.

Difficult if not impossible to put down. The information contained in this book is not for the faint of heart and would be impossible to accept if not for the superb documentation and the credentials of Bodansky.
Clinton's non-action when faced with the gangster like actions of Arafat and his fellow gangsters are impossible to accept and calls for legal action against Clinton if possible.
Go for it Yossef

Another 'tokeep' book for your library. Bodansky isn't afraid to tell it like it is. This book makes a person think hard about this countrys involvement in other nations when it doesn't understand their politics/religion. This is a war of religious belief that intends to rid the world of Christianity. Bodansky clearly shows the players.

Mr. Bodansky's book is useful but not comprehensive. For example, the chapter, "The Road to Damascus," begins with the election of Ehud Barak in May 1999 and describes in detail, including US participation, the subsequent events that led to an aborted Syrian coup.

Mr. Bodansky omits any mention of the the meetings that occurred between June 19 and June 21, 1999 with the presidents of Syria and Lebanon and James A. Baker, former secretary of state, and Edward Djernian, former ambassador to Syria. These meetings were not secret and, in fact, were covered by the Arab press.

To the reader who like myself, who has no religious, cultural or familial links to the middle east, but has an insatiable curiosity driving a desire to understand the riddle that is the middle east, this book is an excellent starting point.

If you wonder about the never ending peace process, if you wonder what exactly is driving terrorists such as Osama Bin Laden, if you wonder why there is such hatred for the USA in Arab Muslim nations, then I highly recommend that you make the effort to complete this book.

I first heard Yosef Bodansky speak on national TV during the period after Sept 11, 2001. Mr. Bodansky was the one middle east expert that actually seemed to understand all the players and the issues.

When I heard he had completed a book, which he had begun well before 9/11, I was most interested.

Now having made the effort to read the book, I feel that I truly have the fundamental knowledge necessary to understand the news coming out the middle east.

I suggest to any reader who has the time and the desire that you do a little online research first about the creation of Israel and get yourself a current map of the Greater Middle East region and put it up on your wall as I did. You will then be set for a fascinating journey.

Many thanks to Mr. Bodansky for the effort he made to create this book - it is truly an outstanding work.

I finished reading this book March 29, 2004.

Author Bodansky, a noted expert on the Middle East and on Islamic terrorism, weaves a compelling, fact-filled (perhaps too fact-filled) work on how the Middle East policies of Bush I and Clinton not only jeopardized the security of Israel, but ours as well.

Bodansky proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Arafat never wanted peace with Israel, that Saddam was more than willing to stoke the fires of terrorism throughout the Middle East and elsewhere, and that 9/11 was inevitable, not because of the American hegemony or "imperialist" nonsense,or because of the existence of an Israel, but because all of the Arab terror organizations, whether religious or secular, Sunni or Shi'ite, all of them wanted the United States out of the region and Israel obliterated.

For those still skeptical of the "smoking gun" ties between Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden, it is all there folks, with a dash of Yasser Arafat thrown in too. Bodansky provides all of the grim evidence needed to convict.

A must-read as our forces approach Baghdad and more intelligence revelations will be made very soon.