Neocon Middle East Policy: The "Clean Break" Plan Damage Assessment (Paperback)

~ Adam Shapiro (Contributor), E., Faye Williams (Contributor), Khaled Dawoud (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm is a definitive Middle East Policy strategy authored and implemented by operatives in the highest levels of the US government. There is just one problem. The plan was a strategy for Israel, not the United States of America. Neocon Middle East Policy reviews strategies and consequences of the "Clean Break" plan authored by Richard Perle, David Wurmser, and Douglas Feith in 1996. It analyzes the core assumptions of the policy, cost of tactics that have already been implemented and discusses the likelihood others will be executed in the future. Neocon Middle East Policy then turns to the most difficult questions of all, "Can a policy crafted for a foreign government and presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu serve as a blueprint for US regional policy? At what cost in credibility, blood, treasure and American integrity? At what cost to Israel?" Neocon Middle East Policy is a must-read for anyone concerned about the convergence of US and Israeli foreign policy in the Middle East.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Institute for Research (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976443732
• ISBN-13: 978-0976443735
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,120,787 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Neocons Exposed, July 20, 2005

By	William Hughes (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The cover of this timely book is its message! It was the slippery Neocon ideologues, who have played a critical role in getting America involved in the immoral, unjust and illegal war with Iraq. On the background of the cover, you see the flagged-draped coffins of our dead military heroes lined up in the bottom of a huge cargo airplane, probably located at Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware. They are returning home from Iraq. In the forefront are the mug shots of three of the leading Neocons: Richard Perle, David Wurmser and Douglas Feith, who had all rabidly advocated the Iraqi conflict, based on as it turns out, misleading and deceptive information.

These three characters, among others, helped to draft for an Israeli government, back in the 90s, the notorious "A Clean Break" policy document, a/k/a "ACB." It urged the Israeli right wing regime of that day, headed by then-Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to remove "Saddam Hussein from power" and to begin "rolling back Syria." Since that time,the ACB has, tragically, morphed into the policy position of the warmongering and Neocon-infested Bush-Cheney Administration. It then led directly to the preemptive invasion of Iraq by the U.S. military forces, on March 20, 2003. It is beyond cavil, that Iran is the next target of this Washington, DC-based War-Making cabal. In the book, at p. 87, Adam Shapiro put it this way, "Iran can legitimately assume that after Iraq, it is next in line on the Israeli (and therefore American) list of targets for military intervention..."

After authoring the ACB, the books points out how Perle became the Chair of the highly-influential Pentagon Defense Policy Board; Feith assumed the powerful position of Undersecretary of Defense, serving under another radical Neocon and ultra-War Hawk, Paul Wolfowitz; while Wurmser became a Middle East advisor to Dick Cheney. These are the name of only few of the Neocons who took over extremely sensitive positions within the Bush-Cheney Administration, the Pentagon, the Justice Department and on Capitol Hill itself. There are many more Neocons, like Perle, Feith and Wurmser found in the Establishment-controlled Media. I'm talking specifically about people, such as: William Kristol, Mortimer B. Zuckerman, A. M. Rosenthal, Charles Krauthammer, William Bennett and Mona Charen, to name just a few.

The authors of this thoughtful 109-paged book analyzed the ACB paper from just about every perspective. They also reprinted it in full on pp. 95-104, so that the readers themselves can judge the truth of their opinions as to the negative effects that this controversial document, and its application to our present foreign policy, have had on our Republic. As I write this review, over 1770 brave Americans have died in Iraq and another 13,500 have been reported as having been seriously wounded. The cost to the beleaguered taxpayers of this blood stained conflict is fast approaching the $300 billion mark, with no end in sight.

Finally, thanks to the release of the compelling "Downing Street Memos," and the splendid work that Think Tanks, like the Institute for Research for Middle East Policy (IRmep), and others, have done over the years in revealing the cutting edge part the Neocons have played in using America as a chump over Iraq, that this seminal issue has become clearer. This fine, cogent book on the "Neocon Middle East Policy" is another contribution to that laudable effort. It is a must read for anyone who is concerned about how we got into the Iraqi War and how it is so important that these radical, hawkish Neocon types not ever again be put in a position where they can influence the making of America's foreign policy.

The only question that remains is this one: "When are the American people going to wake up and fight back to restore our Republic, which rightfully belongs to them and them alone, under the U.S. Constitution?"

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good start, June 18, 2005

By	Dr. Lee D. Carlson (Baltimore, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

As the authors of this book remark in their forward, this book studies the consequences of a particular document, called "A Clean Break, a New Strategy for Securing the Realm," which was composed in 1996 by the Institute for Strategic and Political Studies. This think tank was located in Jerusalem at the time, and the purpose of the document was to advise the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, who was at that time the newly-elected Prime Minister of Israel. The document is reprinted in an appendix to the book, but can also readily be found on the Internet.

Anyone whose is intellectual honest, both with her self and others, will no doubt find the thesis that one document can by itself have wide influence difficult to accept. Such skepticism would be justified, but it should also be remembered that the political concepts and philosophy expoused in "A Clean Break" is held by many individuals in both the United States and Israeli governments at the present time, and there is every indication that this influence will continue. There is little doubt now of the destructive and destabilizing effects of this philosophy, which has been called `neo-conservatism' both by the authors of this book and many others in the political science community. Indeed, the war in Iraq and the separating wall in Israel are ample evidence of the decadence of this philosophy. The authors show in fair detail some of its consequences, although at times some of their claims are left unjustified. They state explicitly though that they wish to avoid the "mono-causal" trap of holding to an "all-encompassing" historical explanation of the policies of the United States in the Middle East.

It is not necessary to hold to all of the assertions made by the authors in order to obtain useful information from this book, concise as it is. It is a good start for a more extensive and future study of the influence of neo-conservative thought on the United States government. The book is composed of several different articles written by various individuals of different backgrounds, levels of expertise and religious affiliations, and this serves to give a broader range of opinion than might be found with only a few authors. There a many places in the book where statistical facts are omitted, such as the claim that the Palestinian economy suffers from 70 percent unemployment, and the claim that 70 percent of the Israeli population are willing to give up occupation in order to have peace with the Palestinians. The inclusion of careful statistical evidence would certainly make the authors case more credible and would convince the more scientific and skeptical reader of the truth of their assertions.

If one peruses history, it is not surprising at all that a very small group of individuals, via their rhetoric and their hype, would put into play a series of events that stand with only a few others in their deceptive power and brutality. History is replete with examples of how these individuals, through both verbal and written communication, can influence a great majority of people to do things that they would not do under ordinary circumstances, and commit acts that are contrary to their chosen ethical standards. The vast majority of these examples share a common denominator, namely the exploitation of fear to bring to fruition a certain political, religious, or financial goal. The authors of "A Clean Break" are examples of how this is done. Fortunately their philosophies and their horrific consequences are now being discredited. This book is one of the few available that dares to expose the decadence of these philosophies. Hopefully there will be many more.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Title!, June 16, 2007

By	Avner Goldman (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

These criminals, along with Bush and his cabinet have given new meaning to the shredding of the Constitution. Chenny and Bush have their corporate interests to attend to, while the Wolfowitz's of foreign policy place Israeli interests above American ones. This is a sordid tale of globalists (Bush and co) joining hands with the war-mongering Lukidnik Jews within the United States. Both serve their own personal interests and should be ejected from office immediately.