The War Over Iraq: Saddam's Tyranny and America's Mission (Hardcover)

~ Lawrence F. Kaplan (Author), William Kristol (Author) "If all the adjectives that George W. Bush has used during his two years in office, none has elicited more howls of derision than the..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Saddam Hussein, Soviet Union (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Between the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the current crisis over Iraq, neoconservative thinkers such as Kristol (editor of the Weekly Standard) worked to keep Saddam Hussein at the center of the U.S. foreign policy agenda. In this slim, well-argued book, Kristol and Kaplan, a senior editor at the New Republic, cogently make the case for a U.S. invasion of Iraq. The rationale behind the Bush administration's preemptive strategy, they write, is that Saddam Hussein is a dictator who threatens both his own people and the world, and therefore must be stopped before he does further harm. The weaknesses in the authors' case are the same as many find in the administration's-such as that the ties between Saddam and al-Qaeda are unclear, which Kristol and Kaplan acknowledge. But, they continue, "we do know that Saddam is a terrorist." Just as importantly, the book criticizes the policy of both the latter years of the first Bush administration and the Clinton years for allowing the Iraq threat to fester. Both governments had their reasons-Bush I's pragmatism and Clinton's focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict-but the world is much worse off, say Kristol and Kaplan. The background for a case for a U.S. strike is articulated well here.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Anyone who harbors doubt about the imperative of regime change in Iraq...should read this book." -- Senator John McCain

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 150 pages
• Publisher: Encounter Books; First Edition, First Printing edition (February 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893554694
• ISBN-13: 978-1893554696
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,996 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Actually Read The Book, February 27, 2003

By A Customer

Misters Kristol and Kaplan deliver a thorough, well researched, case against Saddam. Not just a one-sided political diatribe, they carefully examine the historical record and what lead us to the situation we are dealing with today. They cast a critical eye to errors made during the Bush 1 administration. Not cut from some whole-cloth they back up what they say with end notes and research.

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unlike "reader from NY" I actually read the book, February 25, 2003

By A Customer

Some folks just refuse to let real facts get in the way of their good story...how pedestrian that those who disagree with conservatives would call this book racist...apparently they lack original thought. Misters Kristol & Kaplan lay out a complete, fact laden picture of the Real Saddam. This isn't just current events, they cover Saddam and his interactions with the U.S. from his rise to power. The authors are rightly critical of Bush 1's errors in the first Gulf War and lay out a strong case of the clear and present danger this butcher-ous tyrant presents to people here in the U.S., the middle east, and his own country.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Because Conservatives Aren't Plagued By Moral Relativism, July 18, 2006

By	Howard L. Salter "Defending Liars Writer" (West Allis, WI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was written prior to the invasion and was along the lines of making the case for US intervention in Iraq. It definitely has a conservative bent and from that angle is reflective of the administrative running the execution of the war.

The books perspective deals primarily with the geopolitical reasons surrounding the war and not the specific interdepartmental issues that surround the massive machinery that is the United States Government. It focused primarily on principal and not application of those principals as well. I feel this is the strong point of the book and in hind sight can see how these authors were very spot on in many of their observations.

While I felt the book was well researched and quoted, the documentation relating to the references was geared toward a casual political reader and to dive a bit deeper into the research on exact quotes was a bit harder to do than other comparable works. I enjoy the stylistic writing of both of these tremendously talented writers and while not as documented as I would have enjoyed, their prose contained something quotable almost every other page. These little quips of knowledge were smooth flowing and provided enlightenment and understanding on an issue that has captivated the minds of our greatest men and women now for a couple of years.

The most significant aspect of this book outlines the policies of the Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II presidencies and how they are all a bit different. This political perspective was again a great strategic perspective in diplomatic style and allows the reader to then understand America's stance toward the Iraqi régime in a better light. The styles outlined for Bush I were a narrow realism. The Clinton years were wishful liberalism and Bush II had Distinctly American Internationalism.

The book also addressed some interesting political perspectives of preemption and régime change. These are key changes in our modern world with different sets of consequences that the writers adequately address.

This is a great book to focus not on the departmental interchanges but how the focus of the administration in office dealt with politics of Iraq specifically and what challenges were presented as a result of these stances. This is a good read even for liberal minded folks because it offers many of the pros and cons for each of these points of view.

I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to take a look at what people were saying just before the war and how to have a proper historical perspective to see who was right! Kaplan and Kristol were spot on in many ways! Great Book!