Customer Reviews

Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America's Future

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Stephen Kinzer's Reset provides a great short history of Iran and Turkey in the 20th and early 21st centuries. Most importantly, he provides a narrative to outline a different approach in the Middle East and the greater Muslim world. After two disastrous attempts at democracy from the barrel of a gun in Iraq and Afghanistan, US policymakers should take a long hard look at both Turkey and Iran as two Muslim nations that have been struggling to both modernize and create their own democratic structures and traditions.

Most importantly, Kinzer painfully describes the counterproductive results of the last 50+ years of US foreign policy. His descriptions of Saudi funding for US Cold War dalliances, and Israel's willingness to sell arms to the most repressive elements of Central America when Congress forbid Reagan to do so, are chilling. His solutions are to create more rational and less permissive relations with Israel and Saudi Arabia, solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict along the line of UN 242 and the Fulbright Plan, and to recognize and court Turkey as a regional bridge nation. He outlines a gradual approach with Iran to strengthen the democratic elements within that country on their own internal terms without intervention.

The timing of this book might be strained by recent the events of the Israeli/IHH flotilla travesty, and the recent "toughest sanctions ever" on Iran. However, any student of American Foreign Policy in the Middle East needs to read this book. His bibliography provides a great resource for deeper reading as well. While this book is based on solid research and academics, it is clearly written and intended for a wide audience. A great and important book.

Mr. Kinzer sure has good timing. Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America's Future came out just as Turkey and Iran dominated the news. Turkey in particular has drawn more attention than it has in many years. Kinzer's Reset is a great read for anybody interested in the region and the importance of these two countries for U.S. foreign policy.

Kinzer's argument is that both Turkey and Iran have experience with democratic politics and would make better allies for the U.S. than our current Middle East partners - Israel and Saudi Arabia. He summarizes the history of politics in Turkey and Iran, as well as our foreign policy mistakes (particularly the overthrow of Iran's only truly democratic government, chronicled in Kinzer's excellent All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror).

Reset is written for the general public and policymakers, so Kinzer covers just enough history to inform readers unfamiliar with the region. This might make it a bit shallow for scholars who have a good grounding in the politics of these countries (or those who have read Kinzer's Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds). Nonetheless, he does manage to throw in some anecdotes and facts that will probably surprise even longtime Middle East watchers (this was the first time I had heard any details about Iran's "grand bargain" offer to the Bush administration in late 2001).

Kinzer is not a foreign policy specialist and I found his policy prescriptions somewhat naive. As much as I would love the U.S. to initiate a strategic realignment and ally with Iran and Turkey, this is would be incredibly difficult. The domestic politics in all three countries make this unlikely - in the U.S. for example, the The Israel Lobby is simply too strong. Through U.S. government securities and oil, Saudi Arabia has too much influence over our economy to make such a move politically feasible in the current recession. Moreover, Kinzer provides few details as to how we would actually go about normalizing relations with Iran.

Kinzer cites the example of Nixon in China, but there are differences. First, there was a major geostrategic imperative, namely to balance against the Soviet Union. Second, Nixon has "street cred" as an anti-communist crusader, so he possessed at least some political cover from the natural critics of Communist China, namely those conservatives like Ronald Reagan. Finally, U.S. foreign policy could be conducted in at least some secrecy before the post-Watergate reforms. Kissinger made secret trips to China through Pakistan, something inconceivable in the age of Twitter (imagine Hillary Clinton trying to visit Tehran secretly by going through Riyadh).

Ultimately, I hope many Americans read this book and gain a more nuanced understanding of the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. does need to reset its policy in the region, and I do hope U.S. foreign policymakers heed Kinzer's advice. However, Kinzer doesn't provide a detailed roadmap, and as such I'm skeptical that we'll be wise enough to actually Reset our policy.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the events in the Middle East and its relations with the U.S. but does not fully know the history nor the complex variables playing out between the four major players (Iran, Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia). Once we know the facts, listening or watching the news in the main stream media appears much superficial and distorted.

Informative and readable history covering the road to democratic beliefs, if not currently institutions, in Iran and Turkey. Kinzer does a very good job covering the early history of both states and western interference/influence on both. All thought I was already aware of the U.S. role in putting the Shah in power in Iran, I had no clue of the earlier presence of Howard Baskerville as a hero (apparently to present day) of the democratic movement in Iran. Turkey's early history was also vague, and after reading this book the history is now much clearer.

The thesis of the book is that the U.S. needs to "Reset" our relationships with these two states treating them as respected partners in a part of the world where we have not always (ever?) maintained clear relationships outside of those with Saudi Arabia and Israel, with whom Kinzer urges a new (less aligned) relationship. What is missing from this book is serious consideration as to the political will required to achieve this Reset. You often hear stated that "only Nixon could go to China". Who in the current generation of leaders could go to Iran, and for what reason? The peril of faiulre would disuade most...at least most of those I have seen.

Turkey has grown of its own to be an important broker in the Middle East, and a bridge between western and eastern worlds. I believe that failure to grow our relationship with that influential state comes at our own peril. Turkey will be a (democratic) power within this region for the foreseeable future. However, hitting the reset button with Iran will require a change in the Iranian leadership; something that I hope will come from inside Iran and not from military intervention, which I fear would drive out whatever good will there may be for us with the Iranian people. On this issue, I found the book a little too hopeful.

It is definitely a must read book if you are interested whats going on in middle east. My only comment is main thesis of the book has not been discussed enough. Instead Turkish and Iranian near history reviewed. Author could explain and discuss his thesis (about why USA should replace Israel and Saudi A. with Iran and Turkey as its partners) more deeply.

Kinzer's 218 pages book mostly covers what happened in the Middle East in the last 100 years. He really makes a good point of how the area was NOT left alone at all and how the outsiders kept on changing the direction of the future of the people in the Middle East due their interest either in oil or to protect Israel.

Kinzer also correctly identifies the appetite of both Turkish and Iranian people on democracy and the people want the democracy more than how much Europeans/Americans wants.

The book also points out how peaceful intentions of U.S.A. were misunderstood and/or how they were pulled into Iran by UK.

If you're interested in learning the history of the area in a summary, this is the book to get.

I recommend this book hihgly to anyone who doesn't know what the fuss with Iran is about and why Turkey is considered a unique system in its geography and why America is so heavily invested in Israel and where all the anti-American dissent is coming from in the Middle East. If you are like me and confused, yet not convinced by mainstream media and want to add 2 and 2 together to see HOW things got here, this is the book for you. It offers a clear, crisp history of all three countries and their relationships with each other. These are major players in the Middle East, which has been an open wound for a while now, affecting every country in different ways and the book shows you why it is important for them to band up together against much more serious threats. A lot of people called the solutions 'naive' but I don't feel that way at all - history shows us that things can swing this or that way very fast for nations and that people have a very short term memory. The country that enjoyed immense friendship with Iran not too long ago seems oblivious to it now and considers it an archenemy. Why can't things reset and revert again? It sounds very possible to me with the right people in the right places and the world is certainly changing fast enough to make it hopeful. Also, the last chapter might as well have been written just last week - it eerily predicts the wave of democracy and anti-government movement that is happening right now in the Middle East, which proves that it is not making far-fetched, mythical assumptions and has a lot to offer to the curious mind. it isn't too long and overwhelming either, a good, fun read with a lot to learn from.

I had read All of the Shah's Men and was fascinated by the facts that were disclosed in it. His books are well researched and well documented.This book is no different. The content is mind blowing and as you read this you wonder why it's facts are not all over the news?! Why does the media do such a good job at ignoring these facts? But I am greaful that at least they are put together in such a fantasticly well put together book.

He beautifully portrays the roles of Israel and Saudi Arabia in American history from the beginning to now. While drawing a parallel between Turkey and Iran and their histories during the last century. He ultimately suggests that Israel and Saudi Arabia have served their purposes in fighting the cold war and are NOW detrimental to the US image and ideals. Israel is doing the US's dirty work and Saudi Arabia is funding them. The world knows it and dispises us all for it!
He suggests that the Turks and the Iranian people have faught and survived severe, unimagianble political rapings by the foreign/western world and have continued to idealize democracy and freedom, while maintaining their religious fervor. It talks about multiple attempts by such revolutionary leaders as Ata Turk and Reza Shah to put the clergy in their place and allow democracy to run its course. He then parallels that with the US history and how it overcame the invaders and fought for democracy while maintainning its religious beliefs.

Idealistic but very tempting to believe as a possibility. I hope those in power will read this and maybe consider it as a plausible point of view. Non politicians should revel in these facts and thank him,with reading every line, for bringing these facts to our attention.

With Turkey playing an increasingly important role in the area and the US and Israel threatening to obliterate Iran, this book is a must read. More than just a he said/she said, it delves into the history and politics of both countries. Most of us know little about either country,and this is a real eye-opener and a plea for more reasonable and mature minds to keep us from making an even greater mistake in the Middle-East than has already been made.

Kinzer, a journalist with extensive international experience, particularly in the Middle East, has written an excellent book on this critical region which occupies much, if not most, of the US foreign policy and defense resources.

The title "Reset" comes from Kinzer's innovative suggestion that the US should reset its current Mid-East foreign policy, which has Israel and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt to some extent, as its main pillars and allies. He provides a great deal of evidence that this policy does not serve the best, long-term interests of any of the countries involved.

Reset starts out by providing a general history of the two Islamic Middle-Eastern countries with the strongest democratic, pro-Western societies, Iran and Turkey (concerning Iran, the author is focused on the people/society, NOT its current regime). Kinzer explains the historical foundation for the democratic traditions and pro-Western sentiments in those two countries, as well as American slights and other bases for anti-American/Western sentiment in them now. The author also explains how the emergence of the modern State of Israel plays out against this scenario. While Robert Baer's book "The Devil We Know" makes many of the same arguments and proposals, Baer's book covers only Iran and is much more focused on immediate, pragmatic needs like resources and military access, while Kinzer's book is proposing an alliance of countries with more similar philosophical underpinnings and a less regimented foreign policy.

Kinzer then suggests that the US make relations with Turkey and Iran additional key parts of a new US Middle Eastern policy, which does not rely on Israel or Saudi Arabia to be the focal points. While these policies could not hurt the US given current American predicaments, I felt that Kinzer's arguments were not adequately justified on some points. For example, he does not explain how/why/when public opinion and domestic politics in the USA would allow for relations with Iran, particularly assuming no major "regime change" there. Kinzer seems to feel that the US would be better off without Saudi oil, but could the US or global community truly risk having Saudi resources fall into openly hostile hands? Would Israel survive without such strong, unconditional US support?

In spite of these shortcomings, I understood many of the suggestions to be more idealistic in nature, as opposed to suggestions likely to be accepted, at least in the near future. While most of the book will be "old hat" to Middle East history and foreign policy experts, the proposals and theories are bold and original, and many factual snippets will likely be informative even to people in the know on the region.

For its well-written yet succinct histories, innovative and bold proposals, and philosophical idealism, I give this book 5 stars. Hopefully its ideas will grab the attention of those with the power to make a difference.