Iraq: In the Eye of the Storm

by Dilip Hiro

George Bush Sr. described Saddam Hussein as the "new Hitler," while his son, George W., during a recent state of the union address, accused Iraq of being part of an "axis of evil." Since 1990 few places have inspired such high dudgeon in U.S. political circles as Iraq, a country easily demonized, simplified or even obscured by the formidable Saddam Hussein. In this short, pithy primer, the celebrated journalist and historian Dilip Hiro looks beyond the spin of both the Bush administration and Saddam's Ba-athist regime to explore Iraq in all its complexity. Combining case histories and searching political analysis, Hiro explores everyday life in Iraq now, describing the lives of the Iraqi "street" and the effect sanctions have had on their lives. From there he paints a broader picture of Iraq that is both nuanced and vivid, emphasizing the dual importance of the Gulf War of 1991, and the Iran-Iraq war of 1980–88, and the role of the U.S., first friend and then foe, to the Ba-athist regime. He examines the brutal role of Saddam and the Ba-aath Party, his personality cult and its lethal security apparatus, as well as attempts of the internal and external Saddam opposition to overthrow Saddam. Hiro also weighs the achievements and failures of the sanctions regime, especially how the U.S. has used U.N. sanctions as a way to advance its own unilateral policy toward Iraq. Hiro concludes by warning of the potentially catastrophic outcome to Bush's plans to attack Iraq and violently overthrow Saddam—to regional stability, the world economy, and the lives of many innocent Iraqis. Included are photographs that add to this timely publication. "Dilip Hiro ... is a model political analyst. His approach is incorrigibly non-partisan as it is methodical."—Justin Wintle, The Sunday Times (London)

Genres: History

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Sam W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The United States has been generally wrong both in gauging popular feelings in Iraq and in devising policies likely to turn Iraqis against Saddam and his regime... [i]f ... President Bush invades Iraq, he will push the world inexorably toward the much-dreaded clash of civilizations between the West and the Muslim world with grave consequences for us all, thus unwittingly fulfilling the agenda of Osama bin Laden and extremists of his ilk."

Well, he got that right.

[Robert Dines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asa the war in Iraq finally came to an end, I personally was always somewhat confused as the news media bombarded us with an unimaginable amount of information. It always seemed disjointed, and I was always somewhat confused as the "sound clip" was king. An understanding of what lead up to this war was always never at your fingertips and with the continuous changing of the stance on Saddam, bin Laden, Cheney, Bush et al who to believe.
So this book came in handy on knowing who the players were, their role and with within the story told you got to understand the methods of concealment, the IRAN-IRAQ wars, the players in the White House, and all in a chronological order. I recommend this book to all who desire a better understanding of what went on during the years preceding this conflict and a better understanding of America's role.

[Sean Sexton · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost, this book is a factual, non-partisan accounting of the recent history of Iraq and life under Saddam's rule--giving equal rule to Saddam's cruel treatment of the people of Iraq, as well as their suffering under the U.S. led sanctions. Hiro also points out that the foreign policy of the U.S. towards Iraq is not fundamentally changed between the Clinton and Bush administrations, both of which have consistently worked towards regime change while paying lip service to the goal of disarmament, backed by U.N. inspections.

[John Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author does a great job of documenting the history of Iraq leading up to the 2003 invasion. He presents some very good arguments against the US using force, and even sanctions, against Iraq. Although informative, it is a bit of a dry read.