The War after the War: Strategic Lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan (Csis Significant Issues Series) [Paperback]

Anthony H. Cordesman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2004 | Series: Csis Significant Issues Series

The United States still has every chance to achieve some form of victory in Iraq and Afghanistan if it persists, commits the necessary resources, and accepts the real-world limits on what it can do. But the United States can also lose the peace in both countries as decisively as it won the wars.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The most incisive analysis of U.S. strategic blunders in Iraq." -- Zbigniew Brzezinski

About the Author

Anthony H. Cordesman holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, and is a military analyst for ABC News. He is the author of numerous books on security issues and has served in a number of senior positions in the U.S. government.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Center for Strategic & Intl. Studies (June 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892064501
• ISBN-13: 978-0892064502
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,280,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan, April 14, 2007

By 

Steven A. Peterson (Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL)) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The War after the War: Strategic Lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan (Csis Significant Issues Series) (Paperback)

Anthony Cordesman is an expert in strategic studies and Middle East policy. He has served as a national security assistant to Senator John McCain, as director of intelligence assessment for the Department of Defense, and so on. In short, an experienced observer and actor in foreign policy. This short book attempts to derive lessons from American intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He focuses on a series of topics in his brief analysis: (a) the realities of Iraq, (b) the strategic context of the war in Iraq (e.g., the problems of water and struggling economies in Northern Africa and the Middle East), (c) scenarios for American engagement (from departure, through hanging on as Iraq becomes independent, to Iraq becoming a shining beacon for the region), (d) the strategy and risk of strategic overreach.

Furthermore, he points out that we must be prepared to deal with other potential crises, and not lose sight of such possible flashpoints as Iran, North Korea, the Taiwan Strait, Colombia, and so on.

In the close of the book, he notes that patience is critical if there is to be any chance of success. He says that (page 71) "The image of a quick and decisive victory is almost always an illusion, but it is the image many Americans want and expect." Also, he concludes that bipartisanship is critical if there is to be success, and that neither a neoconservative nor neoliberal perspective is up to the task. Given the situation in 2007, his comments appear almost naive in retrospect. No bipartisanship, no commitment for the long term, no theoretical or ideological perspective that has any consensus from leaders and the public. Success looks even further away, although the future can always hold surprises.