Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90423 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 528 pages

Review
" One of the most important books on American foreign policy in years. There is no greater strategic challenge than Iraq, and nobody better qualified to tackle it than Kenneth Pollack. To have such comprehensive, high-quality professional analysis available publicly and in real time is simply extraordinary. From now on, all serious debate over how to handle Saddam starts here."
-Gideon Rose, Managing Editor, "Foreign Affairs"
" Iraq is at the top of America's foreign policy agenda and this book should be at the top of your reading list. Kenneth Pollack approaches the problem of Saddam Hussein without ideological blinkers or prejudices. He provides an clear-eyed account of the breakdown of American policy toward Saddam Hussein and makes a powerful case for a shift in that policy. Whether or not you agree with Pollack's solution -- and I do -- you will admire The Threatening Storm. It is intelligent, balanced, and measured; a model of fair-minded analysis on a topic that rarely gets any. Before you make up your mind on Iraq, read this book."
-Fareed Zakaria, editor of "Newsweek" International
" Kenneth Pollack has brilliantly written a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the problem Iraq poses for the United States. This is a must read for those desiring an in depth understanding of the issues in this complex problem and for those who are responsible for developing policy."
-General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.)

Synopsis
The definitive and timely account of the growing conflict between the United States and Iraq, and the case for an invasion of Baghdad, by a former CIA analyst and National Security Council staffer who is one of the world's leading experts on the subject. As the conflict in Afghanistan winds down, the question of what the United States should do about Iraq has risen to the forefront of American foreign policy. Hawks argue that toppling Saddam Hussein should be phase two in the war on terrorism, while those who pass for doves in the mainstream debate point to the difficulty of such an undertaking and argue that the goal of America's Iraq policy should be to revive UN weapons inspections and reenergize containment. In THE THREATENING STORM, Kenneth Pollack analyses the strategic, political and military forces at work in both countries, on the ground in Iraq and behind closed doors in Washington. Drawing from his seven years as Persian Gulf analyst for the CIA, Pollack offers an expert perspective on Iraq's military capabilities, Saddam Hussein, and relations with neighbouring Arab States. Pollack also examines the Bush administration's options in addressing the Iraqi threat.

His conclusion: the United States should invade Iraq, eliminate the present regime, and pave the way for a successor prepared to abide by its international commitments and live in peace with its neighbours. THE THREATENING STORM is full of commanding insights and information on how leaders from both sides will make crucial decisions in what may be the most decisive foreign policy issue in the coming year and beyond.

Customer Reviews

A book that explains a lot of why geo-politics is confusing!
Well if you wonder why France is acting the peace merchant read this book. If you want to know why the American and the British are going in to remove Saddam Hussein, read this book. If you want to understand why Saddam Hussein wants WMD read this book.

In essence do not believe that you are given all the facts with regards to the Iraq issue, do not become a follower without all the facts, so read this book if you are going to read any book about Iraq.

Why was there never an Arabic/French/German/Russian version?
It is superb. The only problem was that it was never translated into 100 other languages so that the rest of the world could benefit from its insights, its moral clarity, its even-handedness, its sheer brilliance as an analysis of why Bush/Blair ended up doing the right thing (unfortunately under the wrong pretext) in March. It was a staple on the Bush team's reading list...but I'm not sure that Bush ever read it himself. The Economist said of this book in its double Christmas edition that '(one) shouldn't listen to what anybody has to say on Iraq unless they have read this book'. Having been vaguely anti-war in December 2002 pre-Pollack without really knowing why, I became pro-war after reading this book. Now of course it is just as dated as Magna Carta but if you want to understand why the coalition leaders did what they did in Iraq, Hutton, Kelly etc you should really go back to Pollack. The great pity of it all was that the coalition's entire case rested on WMD (Blair's doing) and (patently false) links to al-Qaeda (Bush's handiwork) and 9/11. When if they had just based their case on the unique nature of Saddam's odious regime as laid out in excruciating detail in The Threatening Storm it would have been that much easier to have made the case, persuaded the public of a noble cause and Blair, especially, wouldn't be in the mess he's in today. On second thoughts, perhaps they didn't read Pollack closely enough?