Saving Iraq

by Nemir Kirdar

In his passionately argued book, Nemir Kirdar inspires hope that Iraq can be rebuilt and can start to generate peace and prosperity in a conflict-prone region. Born in Iraq, he draws on recollections of his early life and shows how, in times past, the country was able to rise above the diverse composition of its populatoin, achieve unity under the rule of law, ensure equality and meritocracy, and strive for economic prosperity. All that ended in 1958 when army conspirators staged a brutal coup d'etat, seized power and drove the nation into a long, dark tunnel of dictatorshop, terror and destruction. Now Nemir Kirdar calls for anew generation of Iraqis to rise up, unlock the potential of their rich nation and achieve world-class standards of health, housing and education for all citizens. His hope is that the country of his birth can become a beacon of democracy, stability and prosperity. To this end, he presents an entire blueprint for political, economic and social renewal. The Iraq of tomorrow, he believes, should be united and secular, able to offer freedom, justice and equal opportunity to all its citizens, irrespective of their ethnic, religious or tribal affiliations. Saving Iraq is a book of global significance, offering rational steps towards a successful resolution in a nation that has suffered a tragic decline.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mohammed · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be a good introduction for people who are unfamiliar with the history of Iraq, as well as on the failures of the US invasion in 2003 and the quagmire it created, it also offers several good outlines of ideas on how to potentially save Iraq's future.

I personally was frustrated with some of the points that Nemir made, however. For instance, he had the chance to actively participate in changing the course of the condition and future of Iraq, however in all these instances he chose to "provide the vision and leave the building to others"... I wish Mr. Nemir was still alive for me to berate him. Who would expend such efforts just because you have an idealistic grand vision of where the country should go?

He had many meetings with figures such as Bill Clinton, George Bush, King Hussain, and other leaders and heads of states of several other countries, and he found it enough that he "gave them an idea and they listened"... Would it have been difficult, with Mr. Nemir's incredible access and wealth, to build a planning committee to bring these ideas to life and lobby the occupation into bringing these ideas to reality? Especially since in his own words, George Bush had asked him "What do you think I should do with Iraq?" shortly after the invasion.

Despite the good intentions and ideas of this book, I was sorely disappointed after finishing the book knowing that such opportunities were squandered in a similar vain to the opportunities lost by the occupation power that Mr. Nemir so vehemently reproached.