Customer Reviews

Tyranny's Ally: America's Failure to Defeat Saddam Hussein

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

David Wurmser was one of the authors of the notorious 1996 report: "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm" along with, among others, Richard Perle, Undersecretary of Defense, Douglas Feith, and James Colbert, then of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. In this paper, Wurmser, et. al. characterize Saddam Hussein as a weak leader who should be toppled primarily to hand Iraq over to King Hussein of Jordan, to embarrass and weaken Syria for the benefit of Israel. Here is a quote: "Israel can shape its strategic environment, in cooperation with Turkey and Jordan, by weakening, containing and even rolling back Syria. This effort can focus on removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq--an important Israeli strategic objective in its own right--as a means of foiling Syria's regional ambitions. . . . " Imagine my surprise to see Wurmser now making Saddam Hussein the main show--the embodiment of evil in the region. He and his colleagues have been plotting the overthrow of Saddam now for more than seven years. They are willing to lie, cheat and steal to achieve this end. Consequently the sanctimonious hypocrisy in this book is astonishing. If the American public only knew how badly they are being served by Wurmser, Perle, Feith and their ilk, the warmongering in Washington might stop. Their contempt for the public and for human life is truly astonishing.

David Wurmser writes a brilliant treatise on how regional competitions, an unguided foreign/national security bureaucracy and a distracted White House came to make the situation with Iraq an intractable one. His book requires an appreciation for the technical aspects of government and the politics of the interagency process. Withstanding that, the book speaks to these points without daunting or loosing the reader. While contemplating some of the darkest hours in Washington policy making, it is laced with a contagious optimism for the future of a country and it's people subjugated by Hussein. This book is worth every dime.

It is amazing that Mr. Wurmser called it so early. The most significant mention in the book that is probably not noted sufficiently is his statement regarding the fact that so long as Saddam remains in power the PLO has a veto in the peace process.

David Wurmser explains that when dealing with a brutal dictator like Saddam Hussein diplomacy, sanctions, and UN pressure are essentially ineffective. Saddam will pursue the development of nuclear weapons, biological weapons, etc. at all costs. If it means his people starve and go without medication for sicknesses he will let that happen. Saddam is out to secure his own power in his country and the Middle East and will stop at nothing to do so. Richard Perle is one of the most logical and straight forward experts you will ever find on Iraq. We live in an unfortuante world where military action, violence, and force are sometimes necessary to secure peace and freedom. Many people don't understand that. They think asking for peace will bring peace. It simply does not work that way with dictators like Saddam Hussein. Wurmser points this out and backs it up. If you want to know why it's necessary to remove Saddam with force read this for the answers. People are quick to call men like Perle and Wurmer war mongers but they actaully desire peace as much or more than the people calling them that. However, they are educated enough and have enough vision to see that peace comes at a price when dealing with the likes of Saddam Hussein.