Understanding Iraq
by William R. Polk
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Description
Iraq will continue to be a major issue and involvement for the United States into the foreseeable future ... Iraq sits on the world's largest supply of oil, and with the world's energy requirements continuously rising, Iraq will play an ongoing role in the global economy and the political environment throughout the Gulf region and the Middle East. [In this book, the author's] overview of Iraq's history shows how the pattern of outside intervention was established first by the Ottoman Turks show more and the Persian Safavids and later by England, Russia, and Germany. After World War I came British rule, followed by a brief and uneasy period of independence that sparked Iraqi nationalism, leading Saddam Husain to power with American military and financial aid and covert CIA involvement. The Iraq-Iran War and the invasion of Kuwait was followed by the Gulf War, the sanctions period, and the Bush administration's decision to invade. Finally, there is the American occupation and the challenges, opportunities, and options that Iraqis and Americans face now and in the future.-Dust jacket. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Reason read: War Room; American Follies. This is a great way to fill in the blanks. The author gives the history, the culture as well as the politics of the area in this concise, easy to follow book.
William Polk opened my eyes to many hidden truths of Iraq and surrounding areas, including Syria. Once a member of the State Department’s Policy Planning Council; he provides profound insight. He lived in Iraq, knows the language, and has met with men of power to discuss relations with America. I was unaware of how similar American involvement now, is to British involvement of 90 years ago. Interesting book in all aspects. I enjoyed reading about language differences of Arabic and English. Sources within the footnotes provide further proof supporting his claims.
Short and easy to read, this book is nonetheless written by an expert in the Middle East. Essential reading for any American wanting to understand the war in Iraq.
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Author Information
29+ Works 961 Members
William R. Polk served in the Kennedy administration where he supervised American policy on the Islamic world and was a member of the Crisis Management Committee during the Cuban Missile Crisis. As professor of history at the University of Chicago, he established the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Later, as president of the Adlai Stevenson show more Institute of International Affairs, he helped to organize the "Table Ronde" meeting that laid the groundwork for the European Union and worked on nuclear weapons issues for the Pugwash organization. He was called back to the White House during the 1967 Middle Eastern War to write a draft Peace Treaty and to act as advisor to U.S. National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy. A senior director of the W.P. Carey Foundation, he lives in Vence, France. show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Understanding Iraq
- Important places
- Iraq
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 219
- Popularity
- 148,160
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.66)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 3
