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Behind Enemy Lies: War, News and Chaos in the Middle East
A journalistic account of Trump's wars in the Middle East from a highly acclaimed journalist who has been reporting on the area for decades
In this urgent and timely book, Patrick Cockburn writes the first draft of the history of the current crisis in the Middle East. Here he charts the period from the recapture of Mosul in 2017 to Turkey's attack on Kurdish territory in November 2019, and recounts the new phase in the wars of disintegration that have plagued the region, leading to the assassination of Iranian General Sulemani.
Cockburn offers panoramic on-the-ground analysis as well as a lifetime's study of the region. As author of The Rise of Islamic State , and the Age of Jihad , he has proved to be leading, critical commentator of US intervention and the chaos it has wrecked/ And here he shows how, since Trump entered the White House promising an end to the Forever War, peace appears a distant possibility with the continuation of conflict in Syria, Saudi Arabia's violent intervention in the Yemen, the fall of the Kurds, riots in Baghdad, and the continued aggression towards Iran. While ISIS has been defeated, it is not clear whether it has disappeared from the region. Trump's policies has appeared to pour petrol on the flames, emboldening the other superpowers involved in the proxy wars. Following the collapse of the deal with Iran, and the threat of war crimes, is a new balance of power possible?
In this urgent and timely book, Patrick Cockburn writes the first draft of the history of the current crisis in the Middle East. Here he charts the period from the recapture of Mosul in 2017 to Turkey's attack on Kurdish territory in November 2019, and recounts the new phase in the wars of disintegration that have plagued the region, leading to the assassination of Iranian General Sulemani.
Cockburn offers panoramic on-the-ground analysis as well as a lifetime's study of the region. As author of The Rise of Islamic State , and the Age of Jihad , he has proved to be leading, critical commentator of US intervention and the chaos it has wrecked/ And here he shows how, since Trump entered the White House promising an end to the Forever War, peace appears a distant possibility with the continuation of conflict in Syria, Saudi Arabia's violent intervention in the Yemen, the fall of the Kurds, riots in Baghdad, and the continued aggression towards Iran. While ISIS has been defeated, it is not clear whether it has disappeared from the region. Trump's policies has appeared to pour petrol on the flames, emboldening the other superpowers involved in the proxy wars. Following the collapse of the deal with Iran, and the threat of war crimes, is a new balance of power possible?
352 pages, Paperback
Published October 26, 2021
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About the author
Patrick Cockburn
38 books172 followersPatrick Oliver Cockburn is an Irish journalist who has been a Middle East correspondent since 1979 for the Financial Times and, presently, The Independent.
He has written four books on Iraq's recent history. He won the Martha Gellhorn Prize in 2005, the James Cameron Prize in 2006 and the Orwell Prize for Journalism in 2009.
He has written four books on Iraq's recent history. He won the Martha Gellhorn Prize in 2005, the James Cameron Prize in 2006 and the Orwell Prize for Journalism in 2009.
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January 1, 2025
It was one of my first read from the last year, and proved to be timely by the end of 2024.
Cockburn is an experienced journalist who understands political and military dynamics in Middle East very well. He also knows the media landscape well, its setbacks, its assumptions, its problems. Especially in this time when news on wars are completely mixed with war propaganda and friends or enemies logic, I find his insight very valuable.
As a collection of his articles it is repetitive sometimes, but I don't think it is a necessarily a problem. Sometimes situating the same phenomenon within different context helps you draw the entire picture better.
My only reservation is not about the book per se but more about journalistic work in general. It should not compensate for a more comprehensive and historical perspective on whatever issue we are dealing with. At the end, in my opinion, one of the biggest problem about "western gaze" to Middle East is to reduce all its historic development and complexity to the current power dynamics.
Overall highly recommended.
Cockburn is an experienced journalist who understands political and military dynamics in Middle East very well. He also knows the media landscape well, its setbacks, its assumptions, its problems. Especially in this time when news on wars are completely mixed with war propaganda and friends or enemies logic, I find his insight very valuable.
As a collection of his articles it is repetitive sometimes, but I don't think it is a necessarily a problem. Sometimes situating the same phenomenon within different context helps you draw the entire picture better.
My only reservation is not about the book per se but more about journalistic work in general. It should not compensate for a more comprehensive and historical perspective on whatever issue we are dealing with. At the end, in my opinion, one of the biggest problem about "western gaze" to Middle East is to reduce all its historic development and complexity to the current power dynamics.
Overall highly recommended.
Displaying 1 of 1 review