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

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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.