Iraq Under Siege, Updated Edition: The Deadly Impact of Sanctions and War [Paperback]

Anthony Arnove (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0896086976 | ISBN-13: 978-0896086975 | Publication Date: March 1, 2003 | Edition: 2

This updated edition examines the current drive to invade Iraq as part of George Bush’s global "war on terrorism," even though no evidence exists that ties Iraq to the tragic events of September 11.

In this critically acclaimed col-lection, leading voices against the sanctions document the human, environmental, and social toll of the United States-led war against Iraq. Carefully documented, thoroughly researched, and written in clear language, Iraq Under Siege is invaluable for anyone wanting to understand the roots of US policy in Iraq and the Middle East.

"Here is a brilliantly collated body of unrelenting, undeniable evidence of the horrors that the U.S government sanctions are visiting upon the people, in particular the children, of Iraq."—Arundhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here is a brilliantly collated body of unrelenting, undeniable evidence of the horrors that the U.S government sanctions are visiting upon the people, in particular the children, of Iraq." Arundhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things; 'The arguments for change are convincing. The undecided should pay heed.' The Economist; 'This is a very important book and I hope it will be widely read.' Tony Benn, MP, in the New Statesman; This remarkable book is an invaluable documentation of the tragedy in Iraq, and deserves reading by every citizen interested in the appalling reality of US and UK foreign policy.' Edward W. Said --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Anthony Arnove is a writer, editor and activist. He is a member of the anti-sanctions Emergency Response Network. He is the editor of Terrorism and War: Interviews with Howard Zinn (Seven Stories). His writing has appeared in Race and Class, International Socialist Review, In These Times, Z Magazine, and Mother Jones, among others. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: South End Press; 2 edition (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896086976
• ISBN-13: 978-0896086975
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,343,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anthony Arnove is the author of Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal, editor of Iraq Under Siege and The Essential Chomsky, and coauthor, with Howard Zinn, of Voices of a People's History of the United States and Terrorism and War. He is the codirector of The People Speak with Chris Moore and Howard Zinn.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important book about an ongoing atrocity, May 8, 2000

By 

Romi Mahajan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iraq Under Siege: The Deadly Impact of Sanctions and War (Paperback)

This edited volume is perhaps one of the most important books to emerge on the US political scene in the last few years. In a series of short essays, several leading lights of the anti-sanctions movement highlight the tremendous toll on civilian society in Iraq that a decade of US-led sanctions has taken. What emerges is a horrific tale of US machinations and a ruthless policy making that has resulted in the deaths of over a million Iraqi civilians and has done very little to displace the current regime.

This book is laden with facts, eyewitness accounts, and reports of fact-finding missions from people from a whole range of ideological, professional, and political backgrounds. It must be read.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Atrocious, June 21, 2002

By 

J.W.K (Nagano, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iraq Under Siege: The Deadly Impact of Sanctions and War (Paperback)

When you hear leftist MIT professor Noam Chomsky talking about "the deadly effect of US-imposed sanctions on Iraq," you squirm a little, wondering. Then you read many credible sources citing the death of over one million innocent people (including some 5oo,ooo children) as a result of these sanctions. This makes you cringe a little more, but you still wonder about the reality of it all. Although this book does not furnish any photos of children with one mutant eye bulging out their head from exposure to depleted uranium radiation, it does nonetheless paint an accurate picture of the current situation. (Btw, I was exposed to footage of "dumpster babies" and mutant children in Japan, so you can take my word when I say that you wouldn't want to see such photos anyway.) Moreover, the book will provide you with the most up-to-date information about the sanctions available in print. If Iraq, biological warfare or sanctions are issues that interests you, this book is not to be passed up.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Organized, Articulate, Well-Referenced Book, February 25, 2002

By 

Steve Woodruff (Canoga Park, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iraq Under Siege: The Deadly Impact of Sanctions and War (Paperback)

The book is written in 16 easy-to-read chapters organized under 5 Parts (or themes) and an Introduction which provides some background information as to the "roots of the crisis". With this type of organization the reader will never get lost in the sea of facts. All facts are referenced at the end of each corresponding chapter in order of appearance. This book is an excellent compilation of essays written by 18 different respected authors including Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, and John Pilger to name a few. Though the book is a compilation of essays, these essays read congruently, flowing from one to the other so that this book reads like...well, a book! Part I covers the roots of US/UK Policy in Iraq, Part II separates some of the commonly heard myths from the realities in regard to Iraq and Saddam (two words that are not synonymous with each other), Part III gives the reader some heart wrenching real-life stories (documentaries) of life under the sanctions, Part IV provides documentation recording the human, agricultural and some of other impacts of the sanctions as well as some shocking information on Depleted Uranium (DU) weapons, and Part V essentially provides the reader with pertinent information and guidelines for activist response, including how to research and where to go for information. There is a map of Iraq in the beginning of the book listing all the main Shiite towns, centers of Kurdish populations, oil fields, refineries, pipelines and more. There are also 12 quality black and white pictures of people and places which really tie everything together nicely. There is an alphabetical index in the back of the book as well as brief synopses of the authors. I guarantee you will know far more about what is going on in Iraq (and have better insight into why Washington is taking so long in removing Saddam) than most members of the media ever have.