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Tinderbox: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Roots of Terrorism Paperback – November 1, 2002

by Stephen Zunes (Author), Richard Falk (Foreword)

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Will our democracy be defined by dominance? Or by the higher values we constantly espouse? This is the central question facing us in the wake of 9/11, and Stephen Zunes shows the prospects are not promising.

Print length

332 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Common Courage Press
Publication date

November 1, 2002
Dimensions

6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1567512267
ISBN-13

978-1567512267
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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Stephen Zunes is an associate professor of Politics and chair of the Peace & Justice Studies Program at the University of San Francisco. He lives in Santa Cruz.

From the Author

In the aftermath of 9/11, it was apparent that there were large numbers of people who wanted a readable overview of the recent history of the U.S. role in the Middle East and current U.S. policies, a study that would critically challenge certain aspects of the U.S. role in the region but would not simply be a left-wing polemic. I wrote Tinderbox in the hope that--in addition to raising some of the important ethical and legal question regarding U.S. policy--it would primarily address how current U.S. policy actually threatens U.S. security. In covering such areas as human rights, the arms trade, U.S. military intervention, terrorism, Islamic movements, Iraq, Iran, the Arabian peninsula, Israel and Palestine, Afghanistan and related concerns, Tinderbox encourages readers to recognize that it has not been American values of freedom, democracy and rule of law that has created such an anti-American backlash in the Middle East, but the fact that U.S. policy has ignored these values through support for dictatorships and occupation armies and other violations of international law. In noting how increased U.S. militarization of the region has actually made us less secure, I conclude the book with proposed alternative policies that would create a more peaceful and stable Middle East and enhance American security in these dangerous times.

--Stephen Zunes

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Common Courage Press; First Edition (November 1, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 332 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1567512267
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1567512267
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,709,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #777 in Arms Control (Books)
- #4,153 in African Politics
- #4,668 in Terrorism (Books)

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An important book, but not the best executed

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2006

Verified Purchase

Rather than being limited to one narrow focus (e.g. militarization; support for non-democratic regimes; Israel/Palestine) 'Tinderbox' dissects multiple facets of US foreign policy in the Middle East from a fairly complete historical perspective, demonstrating the author's point that US actions *in total* are a problem. It also mixes in international relations theory without becoming dry, producing a 'one-stop' item for those interested in the overall topic. Unfortunately it suffers from a jumpy progression and its slightly outdated nature (published in late 2002, it lacks any analysis of Gulf War II or Arafat's death).

This is a well-researched book but one that continually falls short in this regard in its conclusions. I grew tired of Zunes' tendency to lay out several interesting and underreported examples only to follow them with a sweeping conclusion generally unsubstantiated by theory or fact. Others may similarly dislike the author's habit of restating his points repeatedly in a short span of pages.

If you are already sympathetic to the view that the US has been short-sighted in its dealings with the Middle East, then this book may well provide you with new information and examples to develop a further nuanced view. If this does not describe you, I do not recommend a purchase as you'll probably grit your teeth too much at the style flaws. This is a shame since the topic is invaluable and the amount of evidence gathered is enormous.

One person found this helpful

Frank E. Terrill

2 is for the effort

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2006

Verified Purchase

I thought this would be a factual book. I did not bother to look deep into it......why? Because it seemed evident to me by thumbing through the book, that it was a Jewish view slant on current world affairs, now in the breastpocket of current government officials. However, if you want more of this kind of thinking, then by all means read it. It is dated material.

a must-read book!

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2003

Even though this book is emotionally painful to read, I feel it is a must-read book for all Americans who want to understand what our government has been doing -- and continues to do -- in the Middle East (and other parts of the world) in our name and with our tax dollars.
It is a clear, concise, well-documented (30 pages of endnotes) and convincing exposition of U.S. foreign policy, particularly vis-a-vis the Middle East. It is not a difficult read at all. I think anyone of third-year high school (and certainly college) age or older would do fine with this book. You don't need a whole lot of background knowledge on the subject in order to understand what Zunes writes.
If you want to know "why they hate us" (although Zunes points out that most people abroad don't hate Americans per se; they hate the policies of our government), this is the book to read. I highly recommend it.

25 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2002

The news and history as read in detail and at a distance from mainstream, from someone who follows the news carefully and meticulously.
What is the character of the world's only superpower? How does it relate to others? How does its actions influence behavior of other nations in the Middle East? How is it viewed by the United Nations' members?
A perspective to bring light on these traumatic and dangerous times. Should be required reading for any college history student and anyone wishing to understand the trends in the news.

14 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2007

Shatters the illusion that one political party has a better moral character than the other in the United States. Zunes demonstrates that both democrat and Republican administrations have contributed to the suppression of human rights abroad, and if anything have added more fuel to the fire to extremism through their shortsighted policy. This book was written just in the wake of the Iraq war, and every prediction he made came true. This book gives the reader an excellent context through which to interpret current events. You will never look at the news the same. Think hard before you buy this book though, because ignorance can be bliss.

2 people found this helpful

Tinderbox Brings Us Up-to-date on Current Crises

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2002

Tinderbox is the first book I know of that successfully integrates all aspects of today's Middle East problems: U.S. foreign policy, Iraq, Israel-Palestine, and Islamic terrorism. And Stephen Zunes does the job superbly. His new book is at the same time a readable journalistic effort--a page turner--as well as a scholarly political science and history work. This is combined journalism, political science, and history writing at its best. This is truly a landmark book on US-Middle East relations.
An important feature of this book is that most of its chapters are self-contained in the sense that they can be profitably read separately, like a handbook, without reading the whole book. For example, you can go to the chapter on The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and get an excellent 65-page up-to-date analysis of that subject.

14 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2006

This is a great book if you want the real story on our foreign policy in the middle east. Schools in the U.S. should teach this kind of history, not the George Washington chopped down the cherry tree and couldn't tell a lie b.s. I would recomend reading this book if you are thinking of enlisting in the armed forces, or anybody else who wants to learn about the way we treat other countries.

3 people found this helpful