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Wesley K. Clark
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Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism And The American Empire Paperback – October 16, 2003

by Wesley Clark (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 34 ratings
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General Wesley K. Clark's Waging Modern War, a Washington Post bestseller, examined his experience directing the NATO-led war in Kosovo. As Clark saw it, the Kosovo war—limited in scope, measured in effect, extraordinarily complex in execution, waged with an uneven coalition, with instantaneous media coverage, and with a duration measured in days and not years—would serve as a model for contemporary war. He has been proven right.

In Winning Modern Wars, he writes about how the issues and principles discussed in his earlier book were evident in Afghanistan and Iraq, and will apply wherever the war on terrorism may take us next, providing a frank and revealing analysis of the gains, risks, and shortfalls of America's current approach and offering informed alternatives. What Clark, an admired military analyst on CNN and one of the most decorated and influential officers of his generation, has to say on our national plans and tactics—and the lessons of empire—is invaluable, reminding us that as we celebrate our successes, we must also tend to their consequences.
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  1. Print length
    220 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    PublicAffairs
  4. Publication date
    October 16, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.75 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1586482777
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1586482770
  8. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
34 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dr. Rebecca Stone
5.0 out of 5 stars Hot Military General or Vice President? General Wesley Clark Explains The Middle East For All
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
Wesley Clark is the master of logic and genius as he explains Iraq. Learn the inside mistakes. Wesley raises your level of understanding war games and war planning. This well rounded military genius and creative politician will show you the ropes of foreign policy and create a vision of America's path to success in the Middle East.
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Ruth Alvarado Lopez
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2011
Verified Purchase
The book is on excellent conditions, so I recommend this seller. Thank you, because my husband is now reading it and he thinks that ir's an interesting book. The time it taked for arrive was very fast too.
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Dimitrios
3.0 out of 5 stars General Clark's high-low mix
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2005
Verified Purchase
General Wesley Clark's opinion on current military matters and geostrategic situation is always important due to his vast professional experience and the extremely successful campaign he waged against Jugoslavia in 1999, as top commander of NATO forces. In this book he devotes 101 pages to the planning and the operational execution of the "Iraqi Freedom" (which is the best part of the book) supporting a thesis which I also had some weeks before the start of the operation, that US Army went into battle with inadequate forces, taking dangerous and unnecessary risks and creating many problems in the postwar Iraq. The next 60 pages are an analysis why the US engagement in Iraq was a flawed strategy which threatens to bog down and attrite the magnificent US Army and leave Al Qaeda free to regroup and mount its next deadly attack. Unfortunately the book was published shortly before the US 2004 elections, when Clark was a candidate for the Democrats and thus the last chapter which is labeled "Beyond Empire: A new America" covers 40 rather boring pages presenting a litany of the well known arguments about US moral superiority, the need for cooperation with the traditional European allies and a demonstration of financial knowledge which is a prerequisite for a presidential nominee. It would be far better if Clark had devoted these pages to his opinions about the US military transformation, recommending the best strategies regarding the problems with Iran and North Korea. If you want a short byt sound operational analysis of the war in Iraq, you'd better choose Thomas Donnelly's "Operatio Iraqi Freedom: A Strategic Assessment" despite its few shortcomings.
7 people found this helpful
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Barron Laycock
4.0 out of 5 stars An Absorbing Entry By A Presidential Hopeful!
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2003
Parts of this fairly brief yet well-written work by former general Wesley Clark fairly sing. For example, when describing the active military strategy employed that shrewdly manipulated the Iraqis into alternatively exposing themselves to Allied airpower and armor, Clark is obviously in his element, illustrating how the kind of `lean and mean' profile of the new American military tactics can be used to actively spur and influence the conduct of overwhelming blitzkrieg-type rapid advances. Moreover, as he describes the geo-political hazards of playing bait and switch with Saddam Hussein, using him as the `flight dummy', a substitute standing in for Osama Bin laden as the resident bad-guy American military might can be deployed against, Clark illustrates why he was a controversial yet acknowledged tactician who understood every element of the quicksilver calculus of modern battle. Yet when he begins to draw obvious political conclusions from all this, his argument somewhat stalls and slows down.
While it is hard to argue with his observations regarding the way the Bush administration cynically manipulated and played on the fears and trepidations of the populace in pursuing rather conventional engagements since it would be easy and likley successful, first with the Afghans and later the Iraqis, it is also true that it is extremely self-serving to do so for a man who is now an announced candidate for President. And while I agree that he is very much on the mark in terms of the accuracy and cogency of his arguments against both the tenor and intensity of the war effort since 911, one tires of the repeated criticism and attacks on Bush, even though Clark sometimes does so quite convincingly. For example he cites how Donald Rumsfeld and others within his entourage craved a chance to attack Iraq even before assuming office, and also how both they and Condoleeza Rice consciously viewed the event of 911 as offering them an opportunity to use the situation to go after Saddam. For Clark, Saddam was a virtual "hobbyhorse" they wanted to ride, even at the expense of ignoring more pressing concerns such as the active pursuit of Al Qaeda and exaggerating the threat and the evidence concerning Saddam's possible role as a threat to America. So, Clark maintains, we attacked the wrong target at the worst possible moment, squandering our resources in an unnecessary and pointless showdown with Sadam Hussein.
Finally, as he turns his focus to concentrate on more global concerns, including how he would approach the foreign policy issues he feels have so far vexed the current administration, he becomes more general, more philosophical, and less specific. Just like a serious Presidential candidate might! While this is to be expected, I was disappointed by his reflections, which seemed to me to be more likely written by consulting committees worried about offending popular sensibilities than anything else. Yet all that said, it is obvious that he is bright, energetic, and extremely ambitious. What worries me most about this remarkable man is the fact that he rose within the military to become a general, which mean he is a master politician, for no one becomes a general in today's army without being what they call a "team player" one who goes along to get along". The military values conformity and obedience more than anything, and we have to ask ourselves, do we really need another Colin Powell type, another guy so willing to work for consensus above all else that he sacrifices his beliefs and principles to carry the day? Based on what I read in this book, Clark is obviously bright enough to carry it off. Whether he makes a good choice to be our next President is something the reader will have to decide for himself. Enjoy!
23 people found this helpful
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