(Part 2) Best iraq history books according to redditors

I think GWB had the international political capital after 9/11 and Afghanistan to topple a guy he did not like and used it. He then realized he did not have as much political capital as he thought; but still had enough.

Hell, I remember in the spring of 2003, certain Devils fans booing the Canadian National Anthem during the Eastern Conference Finals because Canada was not in on the Iraq war.

I also remember there were many liberal hawks who really helped sell the war. I can't believe this guy still has a job.

Besides all of the lives lost; the really bad geopolitical outcome this had was to make Iran stronger. We toppled two of their biggest foes to the east (Taliban) and west (Saddam Hussein).

It was NOT justified for many reasons, but the big one for me is that it made the theocratic regime in Teheran much stronger.

Short answer: no.

Slightly longer answer: The radicalization of Islam in the Middle East ties into the division of the region by the western powers after WWI, and further during the Cold War, when the U.S. (not only, but in particular) supported the rise to power of radical religious figures in opposition to communist/leftist parties & figures who might be sympathetic to the Soviet Union, and therefore potentially threaten U.S./U.K. access to oil in the region. This included aiding in the over-throwing of democratically elected governments in favor of autocratic but U.S./U.K.-favored leaders - most notably the U.S.-led 1953 coup d'etat in Iran, when Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown. The 1978 Iranian Revolution began as a popular uprising against the Shah who replaced him.

For more extensive reading on the subject:

Inventing Iraq by Toby Dodge (I have some major issues with Dodge's conclusions post 9/11, but the historical analysis that makes up the majority of the book is solid)

Spies in Arabia by Priya Satia, and Lawrence in Arabia are good histories of imperial ambition during the WWI period and its after-effects

Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan for the political maneuvering of the Western powers

A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin

I also recommend Edward Said, if you're looking for cultural analysis as well as history

This reminds me a book review I just did (We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People, http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805094369/ossnet-20), he has a line in there about "We were the ones who famously helped past together feathers year after year, hoping for a duck." That is OWS in a nut-shell. They mean well but have no strategy, no financial plan (I could raise $50 million for them tomorrow if they would all just use IndieGoGo where I have paved the way, that ends embezzlement such as Oakland is experiencing, and connects money to minds to policy to voting--IndieGoGo is ready to build the BigBatUSA (unlike Dean's that was just a cluster, this would be a virtual self-government at all levels) but I cannot FIND someone to communicate with at EACH of the Occupy groups, much less get the various Occupy folks to listen.

I tend to see the split around the turn of the century as several events that coalesced into a major societal shift (toward better or worse is up for debate:)

• Columbine Massacre (which I guess was technically Millenials, but it represented a big change in the way that society viewed young people so the blowback had strong repercussions across the environment that young people were allowed to experience.)
  
  
• Bush vs Gore Supreme Court case. I think that this one was pretty important because it was the most visible point in a long time that the system was not well understood or ... working. Prior to this, many of us just sort of assumed that all voting was the same everywhere, and that standards were in place. Maybe this was just me being young.
  
  
• 9/11 : I was attending a SUNY college (not in NYC) at the time. It seemed like EVERYONE knew at least one or two people who were in or near the towers. They kind of closed the school as an afterthought. What burned into my memory was in the hours after the chaos (maybe around 1800 that day?) where Dan Rather announced with some gravitas that there were now fighter jets patrolling the skies over NY. And then we had armed soldiers in the train stations. I'd argue that was the first real use of the "New Media" -- cnn.com barely handling the load (they stripped down the entire site to keep it online) and the whole "replay the same thing over and over" routine started there.
  
  
• Beginning the third Gulf War (2003) - For me, this was different because many, many pieces worked together that ordinarily would not. The media seemed amazingly pro-war. (As somoene who grew up in the aftermath of Vietnam, this was offputting) - I recently read America's War for the Greater Middle East and it put a lot of context around the sustained PR campaign that made selling the 2003 invasion possible. I tend to also view this as the point where the political rhetoric began scaling up.

A good read is the Three Trillion Dollar War, which outlines the cost of the Iraqi war, and documents how it was one of the major reasons behind the economic collapse in 2007.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Three-Trillion-Dollar-War/dp/0393334171

There are rumors and stories about a secret assassin group known as the "White Shroud".

In the "ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror" book there is a story of an old woman in Raqqa who would go to the IS sharia courts every morning and protest for a few hours and IS surprisingly never did anything to her except make fun and laugh at her, and one guy bumped her with his car because she was in his parking spot.

And of course you have Raqqa is being Slaughtered Silently, who is the most public and well known groups. They have had members of their group killed as well as family members. You can watch a 5 part documentary that goes into all of this in detail here

The Three Trillion Dollar War is a fabulously written book, and was used as college course material when I took a US Defense Budget college course back in 2009

Here's a list of the key books in the field that I'm familiar with (by name and general contents, I've only actually read a few of them). I'm mainly focusing on what is relevant to the study of Twelver Shi'ism; there aren't many English language books on Zaidism, as far as I'm aware, and for Isma'ilism you can start with the works of Farhad Daftary.

I'll start with important works providing an overview of the area, and then give a rough breakdown by "era" (I may be a bit off regarding the era, and many of these books straddle two or more eras, so be warned). This list does not emphasize geographic studies of Shi'ism in various areas and countries, and rather traces the "core narrative" of the development of Shi'i intellectual history, which is typically thought of as happening in what is now modern day Iran, Iraq, and (especially in the post-Mongol/pre-Safavid era) Lebanon, and to a lesser extent in Bahrain. Once you've read the initial works, you should have a good idea about what's going on in each era, and you can pick and choose what to read based on your interests.

If you have no background in general Islamic history, you should first pick up a book on that subject. Tamim Ansary's Destiny Disrupted is an accessible non-academic book on general Islamic history (with an entertaining audiobook read by the author). If you want something heavier and more academic, Marshall G.S. Hodgson's The Venture of Islam is the classic three-volume reference in the field of Islamic studies, although it's a bit dated, especially in the third volume (covering the so-called "Gunpowder Empires"). Note that the standard introductory text on Shi'ism has long been Moojan Momen's book An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism, but this book is now a bit dated. Heinz Halm also has some surveys, but I'm less familiar with these; likewise for the surveys of Farhad Daftary (who is better known for his work on Isma'ilism than general Shi'ism).

Surveys, Background, and Introduction

• Najam Haider's Shi'i Islam: An Introduction. This is a unique take on introducing Shi'ism that starts with what makes Shi'ism theologically distinct; the book also devotes roughly equal attention to the Zaidi, Isma'ili, and Twelver branches of the faith.
  
• Hossein Modaressi's An Introduction to Shi'i Law: A Bibliographical Study. Chapter 4 provides a very concise, yet fairly thorough overview of the history of the development of Shi'i legal theory; Chapters 1-3 can be read as "optional" background, while the rest is a bibliographical overview that is unlikely to be of interest to a non-specialist.
  
• Andrew J. Newman's Twelver Shiism: Unity and Diversity in the Life of Islam, 632 to 1722. A solid history of Twelver Shi'ism from its beginnings to the end of the Safavid period.
  
• Roy Mottahedeh's The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran. While ostensibility an intellectual history of Iran spanning centuries, this is a great introductory look at various aspects of Shi'ism, particularly as it concerns learning in the seminaries.
  
  The Succession and the so-called "Rashidun" Era
  
  
• Wilfred Madelung's The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Calpihate
  
• S.M.H. Jafri's The Origins and Early Development of Shi'i Islam
  
  The Imams and Early Shi'is in the Ummayid and `Abbasid Eras
  
  
• Arzina Lalani's Early Shi'i Thought: The Contribution of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir
  
• Najam Haider's The Origins of the Shi'a: Identity, Ritual, and Sacred Space in Eighth-Century Kufa
  
• Maria Massi Dakake's The Charismatic Community: Shi'ite Identity in Early Islam
  
• Hossein Modarressi's Crisis and Consolidation in the Formative Period of Shi'ite Islam: Abu Ja'far Ibn Qiba Al-Razi and His Contribution to Imamite Shi'ite Thought. Considered the standard book on the "rationalist/moderate/shortcoming" view of Imamate.
  
• Mohammad Ali Amir Moezzi's The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism: The Sources of Esotericism in Islam. Considered the standard book on the esoteric / "High Imamology" view of Imamate.
  
• Jasim M. Hussain's The Occultation of the Twelfth Imam (A Historical Background)
  
• Andrew J. Newman's The Formative Period of Twelver Shi'ism: Hadith as Discourse Between Qum and Baghdad
  
• Meir M. Bar-Asher's Scripture and Exegesis in Early Imami Shiism
  
  The Buyid, Seljuq, and Mongol Eras
  
  
• Martin J. McDermott's The Theology of al-Shaikh al-Mufid (d. 413/1022)
  
• Devin J. Stewart's Islamic Legal Orthodoxy. Some people have reservations about this book, so you might want to look at some reviews. It covers the Shi'i school of Shaykh Tusi engaging in juristic legal borrowing from the Shafi'i Sunni school, if I'm not mistaken.
  
• Etan Kohlberg's A Medieval Muslim Scholar at Work: Ibn Tawus and His Library. This is perhaps a little different from most other books on this list in scope, style, and focus.
  
  The Safavid Era and the Scholars of Jabal Amil
  
  
• Rula Abisaab's Converting Persia: Religion and Power in the Safavid Empire
  
• Robert Gleave's Scripturalist Islam: The History and Doctrines of the Akhbari Shi'i School
  
  The Iranian Interregnum Era
  
  
• Zachary M. Heern's The Emergence of Modern Shi'ism: Islamic Reform in Iraq and Iran
  
• Robert Gleave's Inevitable Doubt: Two Theories of Shi'i Jurisprudence. This is definitely worth a look if you're interested in details concerning Shi'i legal theory proper.
  
  The Qajar Era
  
  
• Hamid Algar's Religion and State in Iran 1785-1906: The Role of the Ulama in the Qajar Period. This book is about fifty years old now, but I think it's still the standard reference for this topic.
  
• Meir Litvak's Shi'i Scholars of Nineteenth-Century Iraq: The 'Ulama' of Najaf and Karbala'
  
  The Contemporary Era / Miscellaneous
  
  
• Liyakat Nathani Takim's Shi'ism in America. I said I'd stay away from the more geographically focused books, but I think this one in particular might appeal to a lot of people; mainly those living in the West in general, and North America in particular.
  
  
• Linda S. Walbridge's The Thread of Mu'awiya: The Making of a Marja' Taqlid. A book with a strange title about the foremost Shi'i scholars in the contemporary age; while published posthumously in the 2010s, the book is based on research conducted in the 1990s. I think it contains a lot of valuable information and an interesting perspective, but I also find some of it to be informed by lazy misconceptions or generalizations, although I'm quite sure the author would have substantially reworked this project had she lived longer.
  
• Ata Anzali's Mysticism in Iran: The Safavid Roots of a Modern Concept. This should provide information on irfan.
  
• Kamran Scot Aghaie's The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi'i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran. This covers the evolution of the Karbala narrative in Modern Iran (in the Qajar, Pahlavi, and post-Revolutionary eras, respectively).
  
• Matthew Pierce's Twelve Infallible Men: The Imams and the Making of Shi'ism. This book examines how the genre of the biographies of the Imams was formed (this may be a better fit in one of the above categories, but I'm less familiar with this book, so I'm not sure which era(s) is/are the focus).

Citing yourself isn't the most credible of sources. Jolani fought alongside Zarqawi, held mid to high level administrative positions within AQI/ISI and was sent into Syria, along with other Syrian ISI guys, by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. They may "hate" each other now and have different opinions on when and how to implement Islamic rule, but the founding core of Nusra came out of ISI. When Nusra was (finally) designated a terrorist organization by the US State Department, it was designated a terrorist organization as an alias of AQI.

Charles Lister's recent book The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency goes into his history, but for a more accessible source, Wikipedia generally jives with what Lister says. Here is another biography which generally follows the same path.

"America's War for the Greater Middle East" is an excellent read/listen. Good historical overview and critique of our strategy, or the lack thereof, in CENTCOM.

I wish I could give you an online link, but everything seems to be behind paywalls. The Pike Report from 1977 overlaid how Kissinger promised Tehran that he would agitate the Kurds into a general uprising and then step back and allow the Iranians to engage in a genocide against the Kurds under the pretext of "counter insurgency."

The Village Voice published large excerpts from that report and you can find some of them here:

http://adst.org/2013/07/a-secret-betrayal-kurdish-refugees-in-iran/

Another great introductory source is the book Invisible Nation which is a comprehensive journalistic overview of modern Kurdish politics. It is NOT a history book, it is a great book to get a general insight and points of discussion for further research. Although, given Kissinger's history in Vietnam and East Timor around this time, it wouldn't surprise me if Kissinger will ultimately be known in history as a horrific war criminal and this is only scraping the surface of his actions.

http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Nation-Statehood-Shaping-Middle/dp/0802717438

The PKK has totally different leadership from the KRG (the Kurdistan Regional Government), but some of their Peshmerga have fought for both. To say they are part of a larger organization is very misleading, but they certainly play by their own rules. The PKK has allied with Iran as have both the PUK and KDP, the KDP has struck deals with Bashar al-Assad and even Saddam Hussein in the past, and the PUK and KDP were at war with each other for decades. They are now, however, working together in a rather stable government. If you want to learn more, I recommend [Invisible Nation] (http://www.amazon.ca/Invisible-Nation-Quil-Lawrence/dp/0802717438).

In terms of academic works, a few more to take a look at would be The Charismatic Community: Shi'ite Identity in Early Islam by Maria Massi Dakake, God's Caliph: Religious Authority in the First Centuries of Islam by Patricia Crone and Martin Hinds, The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate by Wilferd Madelung, and The Origins of the Shī'a: Identity, Ritual, and Sacred Space in Eighth-Century Kūfa by Najam Haider. None of these I would give my 100% approval too, but they are interesting historical takes on the topic in a more critical fashion than you'll often find.

I would recommend reading Dr. Ali A. Allawi memoir to have some understanding of what pre-invasion Iraq was like.

Actually reading this one right now: The Secret History of the Iraq War
It's pretty decent, but i'm only ~50 pages in out of 550.

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-History-Iraq-Yossef-Bodansky/dp/B000GG4I24

I found some stuff.

Squandered Victory (book)

Losing Iraq (book)

Constructing a Democratic Iraq (jstor)

The Failure of Democracy in Iraq (pdf)

My Year In Iraq (book, by the guy that was supposed to be in charge of rebuilding)

I’ve read some of these, and you didn’t ask for it but I’ll give my take on it anyway. We went into Iraq with naivety and greed. We thought we could take down Saddam and the Guard, rebuild some infrastructure, assemble a pro-Western coalition government, come out as heroes and call it a day. More nefariously, certain corporations might get some nice oil and arms contracts, and we would establish a friendly proxy state in the region.

The problem with being completely ignorant of history and regional politics is that this was never going to happen. Iraq was not an otherwise happy country whose only problem was a brutal dictator, instead it was a deeply divided country (with sectarian conflicts older than the US) being held together by a brutal regime. When that was removed, everything else fell apart. The real analysis of why efforts at democracy failed has very little to do with the actual efforts and almost everything to do with decisions like disbanding the national army. Without basic law and order, the methods you use to try and promote free and fair elections don’t really matter.

Despite all the violence that came after, Iraq today does actually have monitored elections, and while they might not be perfect they are better than in a lot of countries. The problem is their country is still completely fucked because of so many years at war, and in a lot of places they have no drinking water, electricity, health care, jobs, etc, and a lot of people still want to kill each other.

If you want the American view of what started the violence. You can read the beginning of Nights in the Pink Motel by Robert Earle. He was Amb Negroponte's strategist and his first task was writing a paper on who the enemy was in Iraq and why they were fighting.

https://www.amazon.com/Nights-Pink-Motel-American-Strategists-ebook/dp/B00O0FY46M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522350118&sr=8-1&keywords=nights+in+the+pink+motel&dpID=51brOxo6rOL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Here's a book review I did of it:

http://musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/2018/03/review-earle-robert-nights-in-pink.html

Many point to failed nation building as the root cause of the ethnosectarian divisions within Iraq. 2 best books on the subject

Sectarianism in Iraq by Fanar Haddad

https://www.amazon.com/Sectarianism-Iraq-Antagonistic-Visions-Unity-ebook/dp/B00N2WMBLE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1522350165&sr=1-1&keywords=fanar+haddad

Imagining the Nation by Harith Qarawee

https://www.amazon.com/Imagining-Nation-Nationalism-Sectarianism-Socio-Political/dp/1326482602/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1522350228&sr=8-1&keywords=harith+qarawee

Interviews I did with Haddad and Qarawee discussing their ideas:

http://musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-critical-look-at-iraqi-nationalism.html

http://musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-changing-face-of-sectarianism-in.html

Thanks, that looks like a great book. Even if the majority of its focus is on 2003-2009, it sounds like it is written in a forward thinking way.

Thanks to you, I also found this one in the related titles section, which was written one month before the fall of Mosul, and by an Iraqi!

http://smile.amazon.com/Struggle-Iraqs-Future-Incompetence-Sectarianism-ebook/dp/B00HWWRKSY

That's the point. Terrorism is an attack at the heart. We know from Bin Laden's letters that the goal of 9/11 was to get the U.S. bogged down in a long-term conflict in the Middle-East which would keep the U.S. trapped and would provide them with an environment to recruit and grow their influence. They initially failed in that goal when we invaded Afghanistan, but were successful when we invaded Iraq. ISIL is trying to do the same thing, because they are losing right now they want the U.S. and NATO to invade because that would create the conditions for them to grow again.

Source: The ISIS Apocalypse by William McCants He goes into the history of Al Qaeda in Iraq and the predecessors of ISIL (Al Qaeda in Yeman, Al Shabaab) using letters/correspondence Bin Laden had with different groups.

http://imgur.com/a/OURSk

little album I put together for you with the most G rated pictures I could come up with at the moment.

O, and Check out the book Red,White, or Yellow?: The media and the Military at war in Iraq. It was written by Chuck Jones.
I know the man personally, because he wrote about me in his book...
while he was in Iraq imbedded with soldiers.

http://www.amazon.com/Red-White-Yellow-Media-Military/dp/B0064XMDCK

Now go accuse someone else of stolen valor you prick.

The context is modern Middle Eastern history.

The Sykes-Picot Agreement, as well as the Balfour Declaration are the key points in modern Arab history, that unfortunately most Arabs know nothing about.

It is also important to remember that this man who began the Arab Revolt due to promises made by the English, intended for one Arab state only.

The Arab revolt remains to this day the only war of independence fought by Arabs, unless you choose to count Kuwait's hiring of the US to fight Iraq a popular independence movement. The armies that fought during the Arab revolt were made up of Arabs from various tribes of Arabia, as well as from Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, etc. It even contained some Muslim volunteers from India. The Arab revolt saw the emergence of some great Arab heroes of the past century, such as Dhuqan al-Atrash, his son Sultan al-Atrash, Prince Rashed al-Khuzai, Ezz el-din al-Qassam, Fawzi al-Qawuqji, and many many others.

The context is the creation by colonial powers of national states where non existed before.

The context is key to our history as Arabs in a time where we care more about the next iphone than how our countries came to be made.

If you care enough to verify the statements I've made, feel free to read A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin, or Inventing Iraq, another great book.

We did not create our countries, they were created for us and the statements and documents made by Balfour and others exist till this day, bragging about how he "drew lines on an empty map" based on accents and oil fields.

Get you eyes checked buddy, no where did I say "the last 70 years was all bad". Learn how to use quotes.

Also we most certainly help put Suddam Hussein in power.
Here's a book about it.

There's hundreds of well documented examples of the United States role in the regime change. I think I've explained myself well enough. Your insults and callow remarks are a good summary of your position.

Individual military personnel and even units surrendered, but the head of state, Saddam, never surrendered. Once he was captured, the state was decapitated and remaining soldiers and civilians were carrying out his last orders, which was to defend the country.

> your remark that it was unjust seems a bit out of place. What makes you say that?

Pat Buchanan and Joe Sobran https://www.amazon.com/Neo-Conned-Just-Principles-Condemnation-Iraq/dp/1932528067

> You don't seem to understand the subtle difference between Islam and Islamism

Which do you think is acceptable?

Here is the source for you...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKqho3FsjpU

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812988752

If you want get to know what motivates ISIS, read this book. I'm about halfway through it and it is chilling.

> I'm talking about ISIS not all of Islam ya butthole

My bad man :) So you would agree that the non-radical Muslims are compatible with our Western culture? We are on the same page then.

I agree that ISIS and others are total POS.

> And none of what you said changes my statements.

Well I was responding as if you were talking about Islam in general so...

> Not only that, but we are taking in thousands upon thousands who will soon be able to vote in our elections and have a say in who runs the country

I mean... that's not about ISIS specifically...but I'll let it slide (you are welcome) as I think we can agree that religion should not inform policy in any government even though Christians and Muslims alike will vote based on their beliefs. Through constitutional rights, we can mitigate this.

> despite you attacking Christianity.

I just compared it to what you said about Islam is all...

> It really doesn't bother me.

Oh darn.. ;) Kidding, I'm not trying to make you feel some type of way. Just talking.

I think the role of western powers in foreign lands should not be overlooked. I think Iraq is one of the best examples. There is a pretty good (although at times it skims) overview of the History of Iraq by Charles Tripp (https://www.amazon.com/History-Iraq-Charles-Tripp/dp/052170247X). If you are interested.

Mossad

• I have worked with a couple of them. I respect them for being very very good at what they do. That is completely separate from the fact that much of what they do is off the scale on criminal.
  
  How Israelis look.
  
  
• Israel is an invented nation. Every Arab (and every Jew) should read the following book: The Invention of the Jewish People at below URL:
  
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1844676234/ossnet-20
  
  what about Jonathan Pollard?
  
  
• Pollard is a traitor who has been mythologized by Israel. He tried to sell secrets to several other countries until Israel bought him. If I were president and Israel asked me to free Pollard, I would hang him on the front lawn of the White House and leave his body to rot--and then expel the entire Israeli Embassy from the USA.
  
  Kuwait and Iraq.
  
  
• I have no direct knowledge. I do believe the US Ambassador Gillespie made a mess of things. However I also observe that the US Congress allowed itself to be lectured by the daughter of the Kuwaiti Ambassador about babies being thrown from incubators as if she had been there, and I have to marvel at the stupidity of all of us in allowing such fraud to take place.
  
  Abu Gharib ?
  
  
• Abu Gharib is an eternal shame on every American. The US Government broke the social contract with the National Guard, and in invading Iraq on the basis of 935 now-proven lies (truth-dig), cost the US citizens over three trillion, then a broken economy, and the loss of legtimacy in the eyes of anyone with a brain. Combined with the CIA's rendition flights and torture, and now the CIA drone program, I must confess to being very ashamed of all that is done in our name and at our expense. There is a great deal of good in the USA, there is still an America the Beautiful, but the chasm between We the People and those who kill and torture others in our name has never been greater.
  
  why does some americans support the female?
  
  
• Most Americans do not support the female. She looks like a moron with no intelligence and no integrity. In breaking the social contract with the National Guard the US Govenrment also put tens of thousands of people into Iraq who were not fully professional. Our flag officers have also sacrificed their integrity for several generations. We have too many of them and most of them care more about their rank than their mission.
  
  Iraq roads
  
  
• The best book I can recommend is this one:
  
  We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People
  
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805094369/ossnet-20
  
  Terrorists
  
  
• It is known that both Israel and Iran has an interest in making it difficult for the Americans to succeed in Iraq, but Americans are their own worst enemy. General Garner was intent on getting us out of Iraq within 90 days, but Dick Cheney committed treason, in my view, by firing Garner and sending in Bremer.
  
  Finally, ... how come no US military wether low or average rank is waking up
  
  
• Many of them have. I have no direct knowledge but Private Manning is an example of both a severely vulnerable US system of communications, and of what can happen when a lower ranking person has a chance to do something. We have eighteen veterans a day committing suicide, that is the best indication to me of their realizing they were screwed by their own government.
  
  why is it the west call us backwards but when we show them buildings and education also entertainment they call us Show Offs ? and ignore the positive and useful for negative and useless ? why cant they say good job and well done?
  
  
• The West is not known for its grasp of multi-cultural nuance. The Ugly American has been with us for a very long time, and sadly, it only takes one Ugly American (Blackwater hires them by the thousands) to undo the good of the many Peace Corps and AID and other good people we send out.
  
  why do they always ask for prostitiution, alcahol and nudity? instead of asking for a meeting and having normal conversations, drink pepsi and wear just clothes that does'nt show cleavage and ass?
  
  
• Cultural ignorance. Have you seen the photo of the completely naked Arab girl protesting her government's lack of legitimacy? There are some who believe that Arab men mistreat their women. This would be a good subject for an open space technology discussion.
  
  why is that they say boohoo poor women in middle east but when she visits she gets snarled at ?
  
  
• Americans are conflicted. They mean well. Women wearing veils in the US or France makes the Western men react in a very negative way.

I don't have the will nor time to go that deep into it... but the basics was the Iraq was off the rails, threatening neighbors, ramping up military, and undermining America's sphere within the region. Radicalism was on the rise, and instability was on the horizon which would take out all our allies and position within the region.

If you have the will or care there are two sides to this issue:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/41148401?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.amazon.com/Threatening-Storm-Case-Invading-Iraq/dp/0375509283

Both of which can be found on the high seas of a pirate.