Book Description
In the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, Scott Ritter's War on Iraq was embraced by the antiwar movement in America even though his claims that Iraq had been effectively disarmed were ignored by both the Bush administration and the mainstream media. In the wake of the debacle, Ritter has been vindicated. Now Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector, has set his sights on the White House's hyping of Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. In Target Iran he once again sets the record straight.
This book offers Ritter's “national intelligence assessment” of the Iranian imbroglio. He examines the Bush administration's regime-change policy and the potential of Iran to threaten U.S. national security interests. The author also considers how the country is seen by other interested parties, including the United Kingdom (Tony Blair may once again be called upon by Bush to provide an international “cover” in any confrontation), Israel (the Israelis view Iran as their number one threat today), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (responsible for inspecting the alleged nuclear program).
Customer Reviews:
The story still goes on!.......2007-08-29
This book has many merits and is surely the best you can find if you are looking for a good overview of the Iranian nuclear issue up to the end of 2006. Included is the critical role of Israel, the US policy toward Tehran, the IAEA efforts (and some of its techniques) and many more. The problem is that the story is still going on and none knows how (and when) it will end. Thus I think it's rather premature to buy a book only for a synopsis of the US-Israel-Iran crisis, while new developments happen nearly every day. Mr Scott has also no comments on the possible "military solutions" (except a few lines stating that they will be catastrophic as a choice), something that I found disappointing to say the least.
A must read.......2007-06-10
The subject matter is of increasing importance for Americans and the world. Mr. Ritter once again lays open the myths that surround another nation that is very misunderstood by the U.S. government and the people. As the U.S. moves closer and closer to a possible confrontation with Iran this book becomes increasingly important for Americans to be able to equip themselves with the facts so they can see through the rhetoric that is put forth by an increasingly hostile administration.
It is essential that we are not caught ignorant once again while this administration leads this country into another blunder in the Middle East. Mr. Ritter does an excellent job laying out what the international community has done to confront Iran's intransigence, and how the U.S. has hindered and complicated matters behind the scenes and publicly. His message once again seems prescient hopefully this time his warnings will be heeded, but the only way that will happen is if American's acquaint themselves with the facts so they won't succumb to the fear tactics yet again.
The main criticisms I have with this book is its choppy narrative and the lack of sources noted. The narrative seems to bounce around a lot which can be a little confusing at times. The lack of noting his sources becomes problematic when discussing the book or the issue because you can't point to Mr. Ritter's source and say that's where he gets his information. Mr. Ritter's earlier works gives him the credibility needed to pull this off, but for those that are die hard interventionists it would have helped to be able to see the sources.
These are the reasons I could not give this book five stars, but the importance of the subject makes this book a must read. I would certainly recommend this book to everyone.
Different nation, same US Foreign policy: Regime change.......2007-05-23
Just a few points to consider:
1. Iran was determined to have Nuclear capability by 2006.
2. Ahmadinejad is all bark, and no bite (literally, since he doesn't control Iran's nuclear forces and is NOT the man with the ultimate power in Iran, whic resides in the hands of Khamenie who has declared that the use of atomic bombs under any circumstances is not legitimate under Islam).
The book is well written and not only tells you about the politics involved, but also the technology of developing nuclear capability. The chapters are very long, and I noticed atleast twice that the publisher printed "Iraq" when the author meant to say "Iran" (see top of page 200)
More pics/maps would have been nice.
Great book, but read the conclusion first........2007-02-09
READ THE CONCLUSION AND POSTSCRIPT FIRST.
This is a very important book. Based on its rank in Amazon sales (in the 4000s or so), it's being purchased by quite a few people.
But there are only ten (ten) Amazon reviews. Only ten reviews of a book that gives authoritative, on-the-ground facts about Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Why so few Amazon reviews? Here's our guess. Readers get totally bogged down in the minutiae of weapons inspection, of Mossad spy disinformation, of EU vacillation, of the UN teetering on a Security Council resolution . . ..
But who reads the entire book? It's a total drudge read until you get to the CONCLUSION and POSTSCRIPT on pages 197-219. Those 22 pages tell the whole story.
We strongly recommend that you read these pages first. After you read the Conclusion and Postscript, then go back and read the knowledgeable detail in the first 196 pages. This is a great book, showing what's actually gone on, step by step, in the inspections done by Mohammed EI Baradei, IAEA Director, and his team.
The Iranians are nowhere close to having nuclear capabilities.
This is the conclusion of Scott Ritter, one of the men who took part in the Iraqi inspections, announced that Saddam had NO "weapons of mass destruction," and was completely ignored by a war-hungry Bush administration. And Scott Ritter was completely right. We went to war with Iraq for NO REASON AT ALL.
So, read the conclusion and the postscript first. Here he says with admirable clarity what others are saying--including Stephen Walt and John Mearsherimer (book forthcoming), James Petras, and Jimmy Carter.
We need to take back our country.
Israel and America are two separate countries. Iran is no danger to the US. It's Israel's problem (if it is a threat, which evidently it is not), but, as Ritter says, "Once again [as in Iraq], the world finds itself on the brink of another Middle East war in which the United States is using trumped-up charges centered around false threats of weapons of mass destruction. . ." ( p, 201) As Ritter shows, all these false threats are being orchestrated by Israel and its friends in the United States.
Israel itself has a formidable nuclear arsenal, uninspected by anybody--IAEA in particular. And they are not even members of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty).
Ritter acknowledges Israel's feelings of paranoia, but points out that in this case those feelings will lead to its own destruction.
And what about the United States? What could be the outcome for the US of such a war? This is the most disturbing part of the book. Anyone who is familiar with the location of Iran knows that they are strategically placed to stop the flow of a great deal of the oil that reaches the West. Result? Our economy would grind to a miserable slowdown when the price of oil goes to $150-200 a barrel. Other results, equally horrifying, are described by Ritter.
Scott Ritter is a patriot who knows what he is talking about. He has all the credentials to be credible. We had better listen to him.
We'd better listen to him soon.
The word is out that an attack is being planned for this spring. Let's hope it's not true.
A Must Read!!.......2007-02-08
While the country debates the troop "surge" the administration and its Israeli "Ally" plan the next war right under our noses. Too bad there is such little discussion of this in the mainstream press.
Ritter's book is well written and authoratative.
Book Description
Houses of Healing: A Prisoner's Guide to Inner Power and Freedom is a groundbreaking book (available in both English and Spanish) for prisoner healing and (re)habilitation. Houses of Healing deals directly with root causes of crime, violence, and addiction and offers a practical approach to emotional growth that speaks specifically to the challenges facing incarcerated men and women.
Having worked with hundreds of inmates in Massachusetts prisons for over eight years, author Robin Casarjian, a veteran teacher and counselor, developed the emotional literacy curriculum/ program presented in Houses of Healing.
From the outset of her work in prisons, it was clear to Ms. Casarjian that until prisoners were able to heal issues that were, for many, at the root of their criminal and addictive behavior, they would be unable to extract themselves successfully from the criminal justice system. It was also obvious that resources for prisoner rehabilitation were sorely needed.
In 1992, she founded The Lionheart Foundation for the purpose of making her emotional literacy curriculum/program available to prisoners around the country. To achieve this goal, in 1995 the Lionheart Foundation funded the publication and free distribution of Houses of Healing: A Prisoner's Guide to Inner Power and Freedom. This project, called the National Emotional Literacy Project for Prisoners [link], continues to expand today.
How It Works
Houses of Healing offers an in-depth program in emotional habilitation and personal growth as well as the consistent encouragement needed to engage successfully in this challenging and demanding process. The author draws the reader in by speaking clearly and directly to the situations and feelings that most all incarcerated men and women struggle with. Numerous firsthand accounts of prisoners who have worked the program are interspersed throughout the book.
In Houses of Healing, prisoners learn how to confront issues such as childhood wounding, grieving, managing anger, facing the impact of crime, and taking ultimate responsibility for themselves and their actions. The program offers guidance in stress management techniques and healthy, practical coping strategies. It addresses, in depth, the necessity of self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others - subjects that are often overlooked and misunderstood despite the fact that they are essential to the cultivation of empathy and emotional and spiritual maturity.
Guiding prisoners toward a restored sense of self in a context of respect, encouragement, and inspiration, Houses of Healing combines essential tools for change with a deep understanding of the challenges facing the offender population.
Houses of Healing: A Prisoner's Guide to Inner Power and Freedom can be used, as thousands are using it today, independently or in group courses in many settings and formats. Prisoners use the book for self-study over months and even years. Counselors and chaplains use Houses of Healing to complement their treatment programs and/or create entirely new programs. Houses of Healing courses are led by mental health and substance abuse counselors, chaplains, volunteers, and even prisoners. (For additional guidance or assistance, they often use The Houses of Healing Training Manual and the Houses of Healing Educational and Training Video Series.)
Customer Reviews:
Angels to the rescue.......2007-01-29
I am the mother of an inmate who is doing time on Collins Correctional Facility on NY. My son who loves to read is on a program that are using this kind of literature. He had changed so much that he insisted that I have to read this book. I ordered from Amazon and I am trilled, I could not stop reading. Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!
I am also the executive director of a community based organization with a mission of promote spiritual transformation and a purpose to provide educational opportunities through seminars, workshops and special events. I am helding a workshop on emotional healing for my community, based on the book. I am also ordering another copy to send it to a relative that is incarcerated at Northern State prision in NJ. He told me that they do not have any program nor even books like that one.
A Guide for Ending the Cycle of Hurt.......2003-04-29
This frank and loving guidebook provides a rare ray of hope to people who might otherwise remain stuck in a pattern of self-defeating behaviors. I have personally observed the changes in prisoners who have used this book with the corresponding workbook as a guide for personal growth groups. The results are nothing short of miraculous. The book is clearly written and easy to follow, making it accessible for people with all levels of education. The case examples that Ms. Casarjian uses to illustrate her points are at once deeply personal and universal. I recommend this book to anyone who is in prison or working with those who are in prison.
Amazon.com
John Lewis is an authentic American hero, a modest man from the most humble of beginnings who left a rural Alabama cotton farm 40 years ago and strode into the forefront of the civil rights movement. One of the young people who brought the teachings of Ghandi and King to the lunch counters of Nashville in 1960, Lewis suffered taunts and threats, beatings and arrests. He spoke at the historic 1963 March on Washington and became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The nation, tuned to the nightly news, watched in horror as state troopers clubbed him viciously, fracturing his skull as he led a march in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. Today, he's the only member of Congress who can be proud of having been carried off to jail more than 40 times. With the help of a collaborator, journalist Michael D'Orso, this remarkable man has written a truly remarkable book. Walking with the Wind is a deeply moving personal memoir that skillfully balances the intimate and touching recollections of the deeply thoughtful Lewis with the intense national drama that was the civil rights movement.
Book Description
Forty years ago, a teenaged boy named John Lewis stepped off a cotton farm in Alabama and into the epicenter of the struggle for civil rights in America. The ideals of nonviolence which guided that critical time of American history established him as one of the movement's most charismatic and courageous leaders.
In Walking with the Wind, John Lewis recounts his life with the fierce simplicity for which he is known, both in public and private. It began in rural poverty but within the bosom of a loving and resilient family. It has ranged across almost every battlefield in the most dramatic struggles for racial justice -- from Selma to Montgomery to Birmingham and beyond.
Lewis's leadership of the Nashville Movement -- a student-led effort to desegregate the city of Nashville using sit-in techniques based on the teachings of Gandhi -- established him as one of the movement's defining figures and set the tone for the major civil rights campaigns of the 1960s, from the Freedom Rides of 1961, during which Lewis was repeatedly brutally beaten and imprisoned; to the 1963 March on Washington, where his fiery speech thrust him into the national spotlight; to his selection as the national chairman of SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), which he helped shape and guide; to the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" attack at Selma, where Lewis suffered a fractured skull during a tear gas attack by Alabama state troopers. Lewis, as a participant in the movement, was to be, and remains, utterly true to his boyhood hero, Martin Luther King Jr., as a believer in the philosophy and discipline of nonviolent social action.
In 1966, Lewis was ousted as SNCC chairman by Stokely Carmichael, who represented the emerging militant "Black Power" direction of the movement. Two years later, Lewis joined Robert Kennedy in his 1968 campaign for the presidency. He was with Kennedy moments before he was assassinated.
Lewis, committed to the principles of nonviolence, spent the next decade organizing and registering four million voters in the South. In 1986, he sought a United States congressional seat in a campaign against his old friend, comrade, and former SNCC colleague Julian Bond. Lewis won the seat in a great upset and serves in Congress to this day.
John Lewis tells his story of struggle in the civil rights movement, of comradeship in that community, of its battles and triumphs, and of his own persevering faith with great charm, candor, and humor.
Customer Reviews:
A Walk with the Wind not a Work of Art.......2007-08-02
The junior standard-bearer for civil rights during the era of segregation recounts his rise through those times toward his own national recognition. It's an intimate and introspective offering. It's a unique perspective.
After his Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, crashes, he self-imposes exile as an "invisible man" in New York working as a grant officer for a private charity:
(p398) "New York was just too big for me. I didn't feel as if I could get my hands around it. In the South, communities seemed comprehensible, manageable, workable. You could see where things started and ended. You could get a grasp of the place and the people, as well as their problems. And you could respond to those problems with solutions that might work...."
He always has the South on his mind where there remains "a spirit instilled by the civil rights movement that is still felt and remembered today, a spirit that was not and is not felt in the same way in the North. That, I believe, is the huge difference between the legacy of the civil rights movement in the North and the South. All the great battlegrounds of the civil rights movement were in the South. That fact is cherished and remembered by the people there." (p 208).
There is confusion in "Feel Angry with Me". The chapter describes the fall of Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney. Their violent deaths in defense of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law during Freedom Summer (1964) fixed the nation's eyes on racist brutality in Mississippi. The confusion is in character casting and mixing the ridiculous partying with his friend, actress, Shirley MacLaine and his virginity in the same chapter with the sublime. Here, especially, the book sacrifices continuity to rigid chronology.
In and out of church - and on both sides of the pulpit - his cast of characters is most colorful, including a prominent one (not MacLaine) today facing bizarre criminal charges. So many stories within the author's story could make for a better book than a strict chronology.
The author alludes to his motivation to influence the masses, (p 400) "I felt the spirit, the hand of the Lord, the power of the Bible -- all of those things -- but only when they flowed through the church and out into the streets. As long as God and His teachings were kept inside the wall of a sanctuary, as they were when I was young, the church meant next to nothing to me." Like a good, "whooping" preacher, he is, at times, poetic. It's some of his best stuff.
Congressman Lewis is no great hero, though he has a measure of both -- greatness of association to the movement he led until the times turned violent -- and heroism for holding to his sometimes politically incorrect beliefs, though not sufficiently incorrect for this reviewer. And his book is not great literature. It is his gift to us with an interest in non-violent social change.
Pesonal journey in Civil Rights Era.......2007-07-12
John Lewis's powerful and moving retelling of his journey through the
Civil Rights years, much of it in leadership positions, is a walk through
important American history. His clarity of purpose, values, honed by the
beatings and jailings of those years shine through it all. This personal
insight into events we read about in history makes it real, and makes us
admire the courage and persistence of people like John Lewis. In our present
times of struggle over issues of war, environment and economic fairness,
we need both a reminder of this historical struggle and a next generation
to press us to make changes, to make a difference. A must read for anyone
concerned about our present times.
Walking With The People.......2007-06-13
Ever since I came to the U.S. I learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his philosophy of non-violence, I always wanted to learn more about the civil rights movement because of the way African American citizens overcame their obstacles in a non-violent way.
Walking with the wind is a memoir of the author John Lewis, the book begins at his home town where he was raised and learned the meaning of discrimination at an early age. The book describes his whole life how he was discriminated and how became involved with the movement, and how he later on became chair man of the SNCC.
The book also has a part where it only describes the life of John Lewis after the movement, what he does and what happens to all of his close friends, this is at the end of the book, but also talks about how he tries to become something important in U.S. politics.
My favorite part of the whole book is when John Lewis is watching the presidential elections of 1976, when he sees that Jimmy Carter was elected he begins to cry because like he says, he finally sees the hands that picked cotton, picking a president, he cries because he sees that all his hard work pays off, by the government counting the black vote.
The knowledge that John Lewis wants to pass down to readers is the struggle of all African American people to gain freedom and rights, he wants the new generation of people of color to know how much the old generation had to go through to gain all the freedom kids posses these days.
This book is boring, there is almost no action, it is mostly talking about politics, so do not read this book if you are not hooked by memoirs. It takes time to get into the good stuff, like for example, there are parts where the author describes the way police responded in a violent way to a non-violent protest, there are many occasions like this through out the whole book.
First-hand account of the student civil rights movement.......2007-06-04
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Civil Rights Movement. Lewis' broad range of experiences gives the reader a glimpse into nearly every facet of the 1960's part of the movement. However, it is also useful for the specific study of the Nashville student movement and the study of SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee).
It all comes together here.......2005-12-03
John Robert Lewis "You are the man" Best book on civil rights movement I have read. The story seems to come full circle.
Average customer rating:
- First Unit Responder
- "Excellent start for novice or those interested in CSI"
- Rookies or veterans, Cops to firefighters to EMT's
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First Unit Responder: A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers
Mark R. Hawthorne
Manufacturer: CRC
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ASIN: 0849300231 |
Book Description
"Physical evidence cannot be wrong; it cannot perjure itself; it cannot be wholly absent. Only its interpretation can err. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value." -Presiding Judge, Harris v U.S., 331 U.S. 145 (1947) HOW TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE CRIME SCENE WHILE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION First Unit Responder: A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers is a training guide and reference for patrol officers and criminal investigators, who conduct preliminary investigations of crime scenes, to aid in identification, collection, and booking of physical evidence. Written by a veteran of 24 years of law enforcement, the book stresses the importance of understanding the critical nature of physical evidence and preservation of the crime scene as part of the case against a criminal defendant. This book is an important tool for police academies that train recruits and veteran patrol officers, as well as for students of criminal justice who seek guidelines for proper collection and handling of physical evidence.
Customer Reviews:
First Unit Responder.......2007-01-11
Very good and detailed. A good compilation and overview if you have read or use other crime scene guidelines. It hits the highlights and provides good review tests.
"Excellent start for novice or those interested in CSI".......2002-04-08
Mark R. Hawthorne's "First Unit Responder," CRC Press 1999, ISBN 0-9493-002-1, is a 6 chapter 98-page guide book for uniformed officers working in the field who frequently are the first to arrive for a potential crime scene investigation(CSI).
Hawthorne gives us an easy-to-read introduction to basic CSI response that includes definition of various physical evidence characteristics (individual versus class), implementation of CSI response protocol (ARISN), identification & documentation of evidence, evidence collection (do's & don'ts), fingerprint/glove appreciation, case review with ADA and testimony tips for the non-specialist officer & a 12-page illustrated appendix showing evidentiary items. Each chapter didactic is followed with a (dozen or so) basic question & answer section with explanations.
The author's impressive credentials in both field and teaching experiences helped condense important basic CSI issues into a short and easily-read synopsis that includes 20 good bibliographic entries and a thorough 6-page index. A few trivial grammatical flaws are readily discharged, but difficult to justify given computers with spell-checkers, etc.
Rookies or veterans, Cops to firefighters to EMT's.......2001-04-18
As a law enforcement instructor at a police training facility, I found this book to be fantastic for the new recruits we train. As a retired police officer/Crime Scene Analyst, I also realized it would be great for some veteren officers and non-law enforcement personnel to review. Mark Hawthorne has kept the technical information on an easily understandable level. He has covered, in 90 pages, what would take hours of personal instruction. I found the test questions and answers extremely helpful in preparing reviews. This book can be picked up by the patrol officer, and if READ, could furnish much of the information to properly document most any crime scene. I would recommend this book to any basic law enforcement instructor or new police officer.
Book Description
Though much has been written about the machinations of the Bush Administration and the recent failures of the Central Intelligence Agency, there is still a great deal of information that remains unknown to the American public. In this eye-opening new book, former CIA division chief Tyler Drumheller explores the gradual erosion of the agency's independence over the past 30 years, witnessing its decline through the prism of his own experiences.
A dedicated intelligence professional, Drumheller worked for several administrations, from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush, rising through the ranks to become head of the agency's European division. From that privileged position he watched with growing dismay as the CIA descended into bureaucratic inertia and later, with anger as ideological powerbrokers used the agency to achieve their own political goals.
At Langley, Drumheller had a front row seat alongside Dick Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, Colin Powell, and George Tenet. As only a few insiders can, he offers first-hand insight into the agency's relationship with the Bush Administration, sheds new light on how America propelled itself into war with Iraq, and explains how it has had a detrimental effect on our abilities to defend ourselves.
Customer Reviews:
Raises more questions than it answers.......2007-06-16
This is a rather rambling personal account by a former senior executive service member of the CIA. It also includes a fascinating "Episodes from the Life of a CIA Family" by co-author Elaine Monaghan as well as her Afterward which includes extensive excerpts from the Silberman-Robb report (with online URLs) which investigated the issues raised in this book. It's obvious that the author's operational division/group disagreed with its intelligence counterparts in CIA's WINPAC & other intel agencies. The tragedy was that the ops folks were right (this time). Of course, we have no idea how this one event fits into the overall scheme of things statistically. Apparently, the relatively lower level ops folks didn't have the credibility or juice needed on this issue. It's impossible to ascertain whether the fault lay with President & advisors or with CIA top executives (who voluntarily took the blame) since the text seems to disagree with the Silberman-Robb report in this regard. I think it was admirable that Monaghan included such extensive reporting on it. Still, one wonders at this fiasco--not that such a thing could happen, we're all human and this is after all human intelligence = humint, but at the apparent lack of creativity. For example, though the Germans initially denied US agents access to Curveball (they got access eventually--but too late), they could have asked to see him behind one-way glass (done all the time by police during questioning and for lineups) or at least provided the questions to the Germans to ask. It was the questions asked (after access was given) that provided the inconsistencies proving that Curveball was a fabricator. Most appalling, however, was the lack of any integration of intelligence data, even for a particular issue or source. Further, the data provided to users lacked context (i.e. the source WAS considered questionable by some CIA personnel--whether you agreed with them or not). Thus, they had a black & white, all-or-nothing approach to information & data--and they only provided those, NOT knowledge (which requires context). Only knowledge is actionable--not data or information (something out of context is valueless).
No Way to do Business.......2007-03-27
If one is a careful reader, this book provides a fascinating window on how CIA went about its business in the period prior to the tragic attacks of 9/11 and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This, one would suspect, was an unintended consequence of the book. The book is rather disjointed and episodic, but this is probably due to the fact that it is really the informal personal narrative of veteran CIA Officer Tyler Drumheller.
In order to look into the window on CIA activities, one has to sort through the narrative for interesting pieces of information. For example, early on in the narrative the reader learns that prior to 9/11 Drumheller, as chief of the European Division of CIA's Directorate of Operations and his leaders had agreed to "press harder on counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation issues in Europe" and that he "wanted to be more aggressive" in this effort. We are then told that this was really hard because the European security services had a different approach than we did. As an example, Drumheller noted getting a telephone tap in Germany was much more difficult than in the U.S. because the German services had to get taps cleared through a committee of parliament. Yet if the Germans didn't routinely tap telephones there would scarcely have been a legal procedure for doing so in place. Nonetheless one is left with the impression that this was a show stopper for CIA. Also apparently only after his retirement in 2004, did it occur to Drumheller that CIA could have attempted to recruit informants from the large expatriate Muslim population then living in Europe. Country to Drumheller's contention, the risk to CIA relations with their European counterparts would have been minimal, if the recruitment was handled properly. Again this risk was apparently a show stopper for CIA. Finally it is clear from this book that, as late as 2004, CIA still had only a minimalist understanding of the structure and nature of the al Qaeda terrorist movement and, according to Drumheller, was unable to determine if the target should be worked by the geographic divisions or as transnational issue by the Counter-Terrorism Center. This is pitiful.
The issue of Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and the role of a dubious informant called Curveball are also enlightening. Apparently the CIA office for non-proliferation (WINPAC) chose to accept Curveball at his word that the Iraqis had mobile biological warfare laboratories and weapons. Since Curveball was a German asset, Drumheller's division got involved and a nasty fight developed over Curveball's reliability. It is astonishing that in this fight it apparently did not occur to anyone to use CIA's all source charter to look for actual evidence to support or refute Curveball. Indeed apparently no one even bothered to check with bio-warfare experts such as those at Fort Dietrich to see if what Curveball claimed made any sense. Is this what our inflated intelligence budget is buying us?
All the meat is in the first 90 pages, and its mostly sour grapes.......2007-02-22
I've read a few books by ex-CIA folks now and they all seem to have an overblown sense of arrogance and self-importance. Drumheller makes the case that the CIA was made the scape-goat in the lies that supported the Iraq invasion by providing faulty intelligence. The critical point being the Iraqi informant called "Curveball" that was being protected by German intelligence. Drumheller laments that Curball's self-serving claims where used without proper vetting out, that he (Curveball) had been long declared a "fabricator", and that no American intelligence professional had even been allowed to speak with him before Colin Powell used the unproven claims to construct his now famous "mobile biological labs" speech delivered to the UN as the 'foundation' of the WMD case. Drumheller makes this case within the first 90 pages of his book, but also convinces you that while he might be right, he could have been a little more proactive when it mattered. For example, after he reached his epiphany that the administration was molding the intelligence to fit the politics, he should have started talking to the press right then and there. Drumheller's entire mission in this book was to say "the CIA is a good organization, we did our job, but we where wronged". Maybe so, but you took an oath to protect and defend the constitution, you saw it being trashed, and you did nothing when you could have made a difference.
Tyler Drumheller Tells it Like it is.......2007-01-11
On The Brink, is a fascinating look at life inside the CIA, with many insights into the operation of the Bush administration and other presidencies. Drumheller makes a convincing case, about the subtle ways the CIA was led to favor pro war evidence and suppress contrary information. This book is an excellent read and well worth it; Drumheller is a very good writer: Subtle and Intelligent, and a true patriot.
A Big Step in the Right Direction.......2007-01-04
If you care at all about the politicization of intelligence in the runup to this war you must read this book. It's true that there are no blockbuster revelations but this is an insider's story of how the intelligence process was manipulated and abused and how good people got sucked into bad reporting.
The decision to go to war was a foreign policy disaster of still incalculable proportions. It is important that we try to learn what put us on this path. How did the CIA get it so wrong? Tyler Drumheller, the recently retired Chief of the European Division offers a first -hand account of the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to faulty and misleading intelligence reports. This is not a mea culpa for much of what went wrong was far beyond his purview. It is a story of human frailties in the face of power and the over zealous influence of the Cheneyites in the intelligence process
Drumheller reluctantly lays a lot of the blame on his friend George Tenet whose most grievous human failing was to love his job too much. He paid the price under the pressure of Cheney and Scooter Libby. He was the good soldier, but the "yes" men in good times are the villainous collaborators in bad times.
Much of the junk (sorry, no more appropriate word) that the Agency churned out in the runup to the war came from WINPAC, an arm of the Directorate of Intelligence of the CIA. Some of what WINPAC was using came from Curveball, an unreliable source in Germany run by the German Intelligence. Curveball was an alcoholic and his reporting was not corroborated by any other sources. Yet, this was the drunk who provided Secretary of State Powell with much of his dramatic information in his now infamous speech at the United Nations. Unfortunately, the Germans did not allow us direct contact to do our own vetting of this guy until it was too late
In the end Drumheller comes down on the side of those who believe that the Agency was used but he also makes it clear that analysts in the DDI were also responsible for not doing their homework and recognizing that Curveball was a single source, that Tenet was manipulated, that safeguards were missing that should have been there. Drumheller feels that Tenet "over-empowered" analysts at WINPAC by interrupting the chain of command. Analysts knew that their reporting was going through Tenet to the White House without any intermediate -level staff checking. This was a setup for disaster as relatively low level analysts could see the opportunity to make a splash for themselves. There was no firewall.
One sixth of this book was excised by the Agency This reviewer surmises, but has no proof, that all the passages pertaining to renditions and secret CIA prisons in Europe are on the cutting room floor in Langley. However, with the Democrats taking control of both the House and Senate, it is more than likely that Drumheller will have the opportunity to be heard on those subjects when asked to testify before a Senate or House committee in the coming months.
At its inception the CIA was envisioned as a truth teller to all the presidents, even when the truth is uncomfortable. However, on p.152 Drumheller observes that "Intelligence services react to the goals and prejudices of the political leadership". Nowhere in this book does Drumheller try to make the case that intelligence was deliberately distorted or omitted. What is clear is that there was a culture of intimidation and a pervasive sense that this Administration did not want to hear news that didn't fit into its agenda. In the end, the Agency failed in its mission and it is now paying the price. It must regain its credibility, its raison d'etre, or it will never be the same again. This book is a step in that direction.
Book Description
Here is the last work of Barbara Olson, tragically killed in the Terrorist attacks of September 11. This book reveals the Clintons' shocking excesses in their final days of office.
Customer Reviews:
What politicians will do to cling onto power.......2006-12-10
Conservative commentator Barbara Olson, who perished when the hijacked Flight 77 dove into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, reminds us with "The Final Days" precisely what sort of leeching parasites politicians can be. This is not a strict "Republican" or "Democrat" kind of thing, nor is it an issue pertaining to just "conservatives" or just "liberals." The book is not biased just because it reports only the Clinton wrongdoings, even though the author is a self-proclaimed conservative. In fact, the flip side to Olson's coin is the recently released "State of Denial" by Bob Woodward, who similarly documents the slime coursing through the current Bush administration and the ongoing war in Iraq. No, "The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House" merely reiterates a well-worn fact of life dominant in today's world: Power corrupts.
Olson's final account about the closing of doors in the Clinton administration should send alarm bells screeching through the minds of the American electorate, especially in a time where a Hillary Clinton run for the presidency seems almost inevitable. Olson reveals with painstaking accuracy the core tenets of Clintonism: Deny the accusations, play the helpless victim, and attack the enemy with relentless savagery. And, of course, it is permissible to lie whenever the chance arrives. When many liberal Democrats pressured him truthfully to explain everything behind the pardon of Marc Rich and his associates, President Clinton acknowledged that those he pardoned, who evaded millions in taxes and maintained connections with the Castro and Gaddafi regimes, simply had been wrongfully persecuted by the Justice Department. It is a classic example of the `victim hood' phenomenon so popularly paraded by the Clintons. Everyone seems to be a poor, pitiable victim, especially if their names end with "Clinton" and the persecutor is that dang "right-wing conspiracy." I'm afraid the term you're looking for, Mr. and Mrs. President, is "vast critical-thinking conspiracy." Or perhaps the "concerned American citizen conspiracy."
Like "State of Denial," "The Final Days" wields sharp facts to counter the myths surrounding popular politicians. Clinton may have presided over the largest economic expansion in U.S. history, but the shameless "For Sale" sign dangling around his neck during the closing days of his administration calls into question his serious character and moral flaws. Similarly, Bush may have stated "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq, but the fact that we are still there waging a failing campaign at the expense of American and Iraqi blood does not make his acts justifiable. I highly recommend both books to spark in your head the idea that maybe we need to rethink seriously the decision of putting these kinds of people in power.
A book about two topics: pardon and donation........2006-05-26
I listened to the audio version of this book. While most of the things said in this book may be true, it appears a bit biased. In addition to facts, the author uses some adjectives which show her personal dislike of the famous couple.
In the end, I had an impression that this book grew out of author's frustration upon Mark Rich pardon. Many chapters are dedicated to that case.
A disproportionately large portion of the book is devoted to two topics: pardon and donations. At one point the audio book spends a large amount of time only listing names of who donated what item. It goes on and on and on with names that make no sense and contribute nothing much to the story. That could have been moved to the appendix to keep the flow going.
I was hoping to find details about mischievious behavior by Clinton staff during the last days. There was no mention of that.
FAILING TO CROSSOVER.......2006-04-15
"The much talked about Marc Rich pardon has become an appropriate symbol of the entire eight years, but Mrs. Olson does a commendable service by clearly detailing the effrontery of his (Rich's) misdeeds, and an even more skillful demonstration of the President's specious and insulting attempt to justify this shocking act. To add fuel to her raging fire, she quotes former President Jimmy Carter who openly stated "I don't think there is any doubt that some of the factors in his pardon were attributable to his large gifts. In my opinion that was disgraceful."
Naturally, given her neo-con bent, Ms. Olsen failed to mention the extremely salient point that the attorney representing Marc Rich's pardon application was none other than Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney's aide.
Excellent and bloody right!.......2006-03-18
All of you Clinton lovers should actually learn to not turn the blind eye on many of these things Clinton did during his presidency. The last few minutes before he was impeached.
I can admit George Bush is a bad president himself but I can also admit what Bill clinton stood for. Corruption!
See the pardons such as the nationalistic terrorist group from Puerto Rico plus the tax cheat and a whole list of other losers that Clinton pardoned.
A Catalogue of Iniquities. .......2004-07-28
The last days of the Clintons were an occasion for the country to witness just how corrupt this two for the price of one team actually was. They took furniture and gifts that were not their's for the taking, and appeared to be granting pardons on the basis of what law breakers held the most influence within their circle of friends and family. From arsenic to Mark Rich, the whole squalid tale is recounted by the superlative Barbara Olso, who sadly is no longer with us.
Amazon.com
The perilous ramifications of the September 11 attacks on the United States are only now beginning to unfold. They will undoubtedly be felt for generations to come. This is one of many sad conclusions readers will draw from Craig Unger's exceptional book House of Bush House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties. As Unger claims in this incisive study, the seeds for the "Age of Terrorism" and September 11 were planted nearly 30 years ago in what, at the time, appeared to be savvy business transactions that subsequently translated into political currency and the union between the Saudi royal family and the extended political family of George H. W. Bush. On the surface, the claim may appear to be politically driven, but as Unger (a respected investigative journalist and editor) probes--with scores of documents and sources--the political tenor of the U.S. over the last 30 years, the Iran-Iraq War, the war in Afghanistan, the birth of Al Qaeda, the dubious connection between members of the Saudi Royal family and the exportation of terror, and the personal fortunes amassed by the Bush family from companies such as Harken Energy and the Carlyle Group, he exposes the "brilliantly hidden agendas and purposefully murky corporate relationships" between these astonishingly powerful families. His evidence is persuasive and reveals a devastating story of Orwellian proportions, replete with political deception, shifting allegiances, and lethal global consequences. Unger begins his book with the remarkable story of the repatriation of 140 Saudis directly following the September 11 attacks. He ends where Richard A. Clarke begins, questioning the efficacy of the war in Iraq in the battle against terrorism. We are unquestionably facing a global security crisis unlike any before. President Bush insists that we will prevail, yet as Unger so effectively concludes, "Never before has an American president been so closely tied to a foreign power that harbors and supports our country's mortal enemies." --Silvana Tropea
Book Description
Newsbreaking and controversial -- an award-winning investigative journalist uncovers the thirty-year relationship between the Bush family and the House of Saud and explains its impact on American foreign policy, business, and national security.
House of Bush, House of Saud begins with a politically explosive question: How is it that two days after 9/11, when U.S. air traffic was tightly restricted, 140 Saudis, many immediate kin to Osama Bin Laden, were permitted to leave the country without being questioned by U.S. intelligence?
The answer lies in a hidden relationship that began in the 1970s, when the oil-rich House of Saud began courting American politicians in a bid for military protection, influence, and investment opportunity. With the Bush family, the Saudis hit a gusher -- direct access to presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. To trace the amazing weave of Saud- Bush connections, Unger interviewed three former directors of the CIA, top Saudi and Israeli intelligence officials, and more than one hundred other sources. His access to major players is unparalleled and often exclusive -- including executives at the Carlyle Group, the giant investment firm where the House of Bush and the House of Saud each has a major stake.
Like Bob Woodward's The Veil, Unger's House of Bush, House of Saud features unprecedented reportage; like Michael Moore's Dude, Where's My Country? Unger's book offers a political counter-narrative to official explanations; this deeply sourced account has already been cited by Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer, and sets 9/11, the two Gulf Wars, and the ongoing Middle East crisis in a new context: What really happened when America's most powerful political family became seduced by its Saudi counterparts?
Download Description
"Newsbreaking and controversial -- an award-winning investigative journalist uncovers the thirty-year relationship between the Bush family and the House of Saud and explains its impact on American foreign policy, business, and national security. House of Bush, House of Saud begins with a politically explosive question: How is it that two days after 9/11, when U.S. air traffic was tightly restricted, 140 Saudis, many immediate kin to Osama Bin Laden, were permitted to leave the country without being questioned by U.S. intelligence? The answer lies in a hidden relationship that began in the 1970s, when the oil-rich House of Saud began courting American politicians in a bid for military protection, influence, and investment opportunity. With the Bush family, the Saudis hit a gusher -- direct access to presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. To trace the amazing weave of Saud- Bush connections, Unger interviewed three former directors of the CIA, top Saudi and Israeli intelligence officials, and more than one hundred other sources. His access to major players is unparalleled and often exclusive -- including executives at the Carlyle Group, the giant investment firm where the House of Bush and the House of Saud each has a major stake. Like Bob Woodward's The Veil, Unger's House of Bush, House of Saud features unprecedented reportage; like Michael Moore's Dude, Where's My Country? Unger's book offers a political counter-narrative to official explanations; this deeply sourced account has already been cited by Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer, and sets 9/11, the two Gulf Wars, and the ongoing Middle East crisis in a new context: What really happened when America's most powerful political family became seduced by its Saudi counterparts?"
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-09-26
Craig Unger has connected a lot of the dots! I think this should be required reading. It is depressing to read about all the crap that is going with our government and know that there is nothing that can be done about it. Left feeling outraged and helpless. At times it felt like a thriller and I am sorry that it is not fiction!
Politically correct!.......2007-07-26
It was during the 1930's that American geologists informed President Roosevelt about the immense oil resources of Saudi Arabia. Aware that the future of nations would greatly depend on oil, Roosevelt quickly established friendly diplomatic relations with the Saudi Royal family.
Then in 1974 a Texas aircraft broker named James Bath sold an F-27 turboprop to Salem bin Laden, Osama's older brother. (As a footnote, Salem bin Laden died in a small general aviation aircraft that he was piloting in Texas). From that moment onwards developed the "Houston-Jeddah Connection" which allowed wealthy Saudis to gain access to powerful Texas politicians and the Bush family that still lasts up till today.
The Saudis' ultimate goal was access to the inner sanctum of the US presidency. Businessmen such as BCCI's bin Mahfouz rescued American politicians' companies that were in financial distress. The author puts a price tag on the Saudis' contributions to the Bush family at a staggering $1.4 billion! Furthermore, $860 billion were invested by the Saudis in the US.
Then there is the Bush-Carlyle relationship. The Carlyle Group put George W. Bush on the board of one of its subsidiaries, Caterair, in 1990. From that moment on, the Bush family's relationship with the Carlyle Group began to become substantive. Key figures at the Carlyle Group included such powerful figures as James Baker, Frank Carlucci, and Richard Darman.
With former Secretary of Defense Carlucci guiding the acquisition of defense companies, Carlyle began making a lot of money from the Saudis, both through investments from the royal family, the bin Ladens and other members of the Saudi elite, and through lucrative defense investments.
The author shows how US leaders repeatedly chose to ignore the warning signs of Saudi extremism and corruption, in return for access to material wealth the Saudis promised them.
The Saudis also assisted the US in arming the Contras and Iraq.
According to the author, George W. Bush's narrow victory in the contested 2000 presidential election was due to the American-Arabs in Florida voting for Bush. They tipped the balance of the vote!
Many will find this Saudi-US relationship repugnant, especially when fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were Saudi nationals. Despite this latter fact, the White House helped about 140 Saudi royals and bin Ladens to fly out of the U.S. only days after 9/11 when all commercial and private flights were grounded. At first, the FBI denied this fact. Later, it was substantiated. The author contends that, contrary to FBI's insistences, the Saudis weren't screened as required by the FBI. All this was happening behind closed doors when no one else was allowed to fly. Former President Clinton was stuck in Australia, and former Vice President Al Gore was stuck in Austria.
Craig Unger's book shows how world Presidents and politicians are more than just elected officials -- they are members of circles of family and friends out to serve their own purposes and goals.
This book might deceive the reader in believing that the powerful Saudi Royals can and do influence the US Government. This is absolutely not true, but rather the other way around. The US holds the Saudi Royals in a strait-jacket, and they know very well that should the US decide to remove them from power, they can easily do so. Seeking to maintain power at all cost, the Saudi Royals are nothing more than a US puppet regime making a strong effort to please the Americans at all cost. It's all about personal favors - you scratch my back and I scratch yours. To illustrate, Crown prince Abdullah was shocked when he saw a picture of an Israeli soldier with his foot on the face of a young Palestinian girl. He called his nephew, prince Bandar, then the Saudi Ambassador to the US, and asked him to deliver a personal message to Bush condemning the Israelis. The message used strong language and did not carry a friendly tone. Bush junior was shocked. He immediately replied with a handwritten letter, stating that he supported an independent Palestinian State and asked that the Saudi-US friendly relationship continue. Crown Prince Abdullah boosted about this letter to Arab leaders, displaying the power the Saudi government had over the US. This boosting was short lived, for days later the events of 9/11 unfolded, and the Saudis found themselves on the defensive. They could not influence the US; it was the other way around. The US now held the Saudis by the throat!
You might ask how was it possible for all planes to be grounded after the 9/11 attacks except for those planes that were carrying Saudis? Bush has a lot to gain personally to extend favors to his rich friends!
This book is also an expose of the US role in the creation of the Mujahedeen or "Holy warriors", Osama bin Laden, and of Saddam Hussein. The Mujahedeen were created by the US to fight for the American cause under the pretext of fighting in the cause of Islam against the atheist foreign invaders. One of these Muslim "Holy warriors" was Osama bin Laden, who was transformed from a spoiled rich kid educated in the US to the Mujahedeen leader. The US was not bothered by the Mujahedeen as long as they served the US goal of weakening the Soviets.
Saddam Hussein was created by the US to fight the Iranians who were viewed as a threat to the US. At first, under the Shah of Iran, the US supported Iran and armed it to the teeth. When the Shah of Iran was overthrown by the Ayatollah Khomeini and the US Embassy at Tehran was taken hostage, the US changed positions. Carter encouraged Saddam Hussein to attack Iran to ultimately free the US hostages. However, America soon realized that Iraq was gaining strength, so they once more changed positions and financed Iran. The US was giving Iran and Iraq conventional, chemical, and biological weapons to use on each other! This ping pong policy went on during Carter's presidency.
Reagan and Bush senior supported Saddam Hussein, even after they found out he was using chemical weapons against his own Kurdish citizens. Bush senior, during his Vice Presidency, went to the Middle East to give Iraq weapons of mass destruction and the media showed the meeting as "moving the peace process forward".
Of course the US was not bothered by Saddam Hussein as long as he served the US goal of weakening Iran. Saddam may have been a brutal dictator, but he was the US-made dictator. This is how the age of terrorism was born, sculpted by no other than the United States of America.
Saddam's relationship with Bush senior quickly deteriorated after Saddam invaded Kuwait and threatened to invade Saudi Arabia, thus endangering the global market for petroleum. The US asked King Fahd of Saudi Arabia to offer it bases in order to strike Saddam. Osama bin Laden, now viewed as a hero by all Arab nations for defeating the Soviets, asked King Fahd to deny the US request. King Fahd refused, and allowed the US to establish bases on Saudi soil. This angered Osama, and he declared a jihad against the United States because U.S. soldiers were being based in Saudi Arabia, the holy land of the two holy mosques in Medina al-Monawara and Mecca. Osama viewed the American bases as a blasphemy against Islam, with the "infidels" now standing on the "sacred soil". This rupture caused the King to send Osama into exile and confiscated his passport. Osama was therefore no longer a Saudi citizen. However, the other members of the wealthy bin Laden family remained close to the Saudi royals.
With its bases now in Saudi Arabia within easy striking distance to the Iraqi forces, the US, with the help of an international army, expelled the Iraqi army from Kuwait and imposed strict sanctions on Iraq as punishment. As a footnote, the author claims that Saddam Hussein did not amass a large army into Kuwait. The author alleges that two Soviet commercial satellites showed no Iraqi troop buildup in Kuwait except America's own troops.
Time went by, and Clinton was elected president. He continued the sanctions against Iraq and on several occasions bombed Iraq. But no crippling attempts were made against Iraq or removing Saddam from power. But when Bush junior came into power, he was determined to finish off what his father had started in Iraq. His goal also involved a highly personal grudge, as Saddam had previously attempted to have Bush senior assassinated while he visited his troops in Kuwait.
Prior to Bush junior's election, a policy favoring the overthrow of Saddam had already been written up by a neo-conservative group called "Project for a New American Century". Now Bush was waiting for any excuse to invade Iraq. This excuse came after 9/11. Bush junior grabbed this opportunity to invade Iraq, even though no Iraqis were on any of the airplanes in the terrorist attacks of 9/11; no al-Qaeda camps were present on Iraqi soil; and no weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq.
On March 28, 2002, Abu Zubaydah, a top al-Qaeda operative, was arrested in Pakistan. He was interrogated, and named three Saudi princes, including Prince Ahmed bin Salman, as al-Qaeda's link to the Saudi royal family. Zubaydah said Ahmed knew of 9/11 in advance. Prince Ahmed bin Salman died suspiciously on July 22, 2002, and the other Saudi princes named by Zubaydah mysteriously died as well by the end of the year.
Here are a few interesting comments by some reviewers on amazon.com:
"It goes without saying that the current Saudi monarchial regime is better than the alternative -- a radical Islamist theocracy."
"So what the heck are we doing dealing with these people? Three words: oil, oil, oil."
"How can you expect Bush to protect us from terrorism when he hangs out with the main financial backers of terrorism?"
"Have you ever wondered how the Saudi elite can be the playboys of the Western world, have homes in the United States, and still be the rulers of a strict Islamic nation that openly and vehemently despises anything Western and especially American?"
"Why was the Bush Administration opposed to an official investigation of 9/11? Remember, the 9/11 hijackers were mostly Saudis, and a few Egyptians -- no Iraqis or Afghans. Why did the Bush Administration censor 26 pages in the Congressional investigation of 9/11 about the U.S.-Saudi relationship? What secrets are the House of Bush and the House of Saud hiding from their respective peoples and the rest of the world?"
This book will leave you scratching and shaking your head in disbelief at the inner workings of governments. It will certainly change the way you think about politicians!
It Connects the Dots - Every Little, Bitty One........2007-07-08
I've been researching the "House of Bush" personally for over 20 years - peaked by the Iran-Contra Affair.
This copiously noted and researched book will put you on the top of the info wave....just in time for Bush43rd's turn at the helm of a Titanic ofa presidency.
With this information in hand, I am sure the Congress will be able to make their case for investigation of any and all trade agreements and security arrangements that Bush43 has been arranging with the House of Saud and their friends.
Great book for a long summer week out camping. Just remember to bring along Post-Its....you will be bookmarking every other paragraph for 'future reference'.
An Insightful Investigation Revealing a Lucrative Relationship .......2007-06-04
I must praise Unger for breaking down every detail for a clear understanding. I especially appreciated him jumping back to the roots of a secretive relationship between the "Bush Dynasty" and the wealthy elites of the desert monarchy of Saudi Arabia, to reveal the unknown wealth transferred between the two friends and how that money landed into the hands of the most notorious terrorist known to the modern world. Knowing the history of any relationship, event and or situation does enlighten ones eyes to the truths that lay hidden to citizens of the world, and Unger does just that, by revealing the secrets of the money transferring through the BCCI. I did enjoy the first half of the book more than the last half, only because Unger seemed to get wordy with descriptions, and declined to share with the readers critical information about the first gulf war (this is just one example: how Bush senior didn't want to invade Iraq itself, after deeming Saddam as dangerous not because he didn't want to start a war but because Iran would end up controlling the potentially weakened, Shiite majority country, and that is exactly what is happening today) Overall personally Unger was not as tell all as I thought he would be, and was a bit too conservative for my radical point of view.
The frightening truth.......2006-11-27
This is a must read for all. After reading this, if you still want to vote republican, fine. At least you are informed. For those who can really stand by the PNAC, go for it. The rest of us would like a democracy.
Average customer rating:
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The Grey House Homeland Security Directory, 2006 (Grey House Homeland Security Directory)
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Book Description
Princes of Darkness is a highly critical expose of Saudi Arabia and attacks the elite inside that country as enemies of the western world. By extension this is also a criticism of the U.S. foreign policy that has supported the royal family. It should be noted that the genesis of this book comes from the author's intensely controversial and subsequently leaked Defense Department briefing in July 2002, while serving as a senior international policy analyst at RAND.
Customer Reviews:
Author Isn't an Expert in the Field.......2007-10-01
As Patrick Claswon observed, Murawiec gave a 2002 briefing to the Defense Science Board that carried the provocative title "Taking Saudi out of Arabia," in which he advocated extremely tough pressure on the Saudi government concerning the involvement of Saudis in terrorism. When it leaked to the press, the uproar was so loud that President George W. Bush personally called Saudi crown prince Abdullah to emphasize that he rejected the content of the briefing--a remarkable reaction to a think-tank study. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld also weighed in with denunciations. Murawiec was promptly fired by Rand.
With credentials like that, one would hope for much from Murawiec, and he does make some telling points. He nicely captures the Saudi ambition to dominate world Islam, including the depth of the rivalry between the Saudi Wahhabi clerics and Egypt's venerable Al-Azhar University.
But, alas, he is no expert on Saudi Arabia. For example, while many complaints can be made about the Saudi government's encouragement of radical Islam, it is hardly the case that Saudi charitable organizations are under the same degree of government control that the Soviet Union exercised over its pet peace movements, as the author contends. There are many extremely rich Saudis who feel a religious obligation to fund Islamic causes and, while they certainly listen to government guidance, they are acting independently and out of conviction--which was hardly the way that Soviet peace groups worked.
Another problem: Murawiec gets carried away in places, undermining the credibility of his account. It is quite a stretch to say that Saudi Arabia "has modernized nothing." Besides the vast improvement in material living standards, the kingdom has extended education to women and has built a media empire, ignoring objections by obscurantists. And Princes of Darkness suffers from peculiar organization. After 145 pages about contemporary Saudi support for terror groups, we are suddenly transported back 200 years for a history lesson lasting eighty pages. Both the earlier part on support for terror and the later part on history also contain within them abrupt jumps from one topic to another.
After the publicity coup from his Rand firing, Murawiec would have been the logical person to write a definitive book about Saudi connections to terrorism. Sadly, this is not that book.
A Possible Scenario from the Author's 2002 Premise.......2007-05-04
Mr. Murawiec's defense-department briefing on Saudi Arabia in 2002 helped inform the premise of a newly released novel set in this influentional, Middle Eastern Kingdom: "Saudi Match Point". The book examines in one of its plotlines what might happen if the U.S. were to seize Saudi oil fields.
The novel is available at www.blacksmithbooks.com for ten dollars, which includes the cost of international shipping. It's a quick and enjoyable read.
A courageous book.......2006-05-27
"If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck" - In a world too much dominated by the force of the petro-dollars, Laurent Murawiec brings us a very courageous and straight-forward reminder about the difference between democracy and totalitarism. Ethics in World politics may be seen as naive, but the history (Munich agreements) also shows us differently.
This book is a warning to all Democracy's lovers. A must to all students of Politics and International Relations. It is also the reflection of our dirty collaboration with a powerful enemy, hopefully soon neutralised by the scientific advance in the field of alternative energies.
A convincing rant.......2006-04-05
The author lays out a great deal of densely-detailed information about the intertwining of extreme fundamentalist Islam, Saudi royal culture and arrogance, oil, politics, and influence-buying. He makes an effective, infuriating case for the incestuous relationship the House of Saud has with leaders -- male leaders -- of US government and corporations. Murawiec convincingly points out how badly that is going to bite us in our vulnerable national rump very soon, and that leading politicians from both parties have no investment in doing anything about the looming mess. (They have invested elsewhere, using money generously donated by the Sauds.)
It is not 'balanced' or 'even-handed,' but frankly, I haven't seen a single book about Saudi-US relations, or Saudi royal leadership, which has anything positive to say. There may just be a very good reason for that. (After I read this I happened to pick up Jean Sasson's "Princess" about the appallingly restrictive lifestyle of even royal Saudi women -- hard to imagine two more different books with the same essential message and impact: at times both had me so angry I was nauseous.
The style is choppy and occasionally hard to follow, probably due to the translation from French. I also got the feeling he had to work to make the book a little broader than his usual think-tank analysis, and as a result he has an odd mix of solid sources and rather lighter-weight sources. Bottom line, definitely worth reading.
A Factual, if passionately biased, analysis of Saudi Arabia.......2006-02-20
Mr. Murawiec's book is a detailed account of Saudi practices and policies. He names names; provides dates; and gives a blow by blow analysis of why the House of Saud, the ruling oligarchy of Saudi Arabia is an avowed enemy of the West and of the United States of America.
One can sense the frustration that Mr.Murawiec feels at the duplicity and outright evil machinations of the Saudis. This often comes out in a rather sneering tone in this book, which undermines the passionately real data that he gives over. It is one thing to castigate the al-Saud regime for financing and manipulating the terrorism of radical Islam all over the world, it is another thing to add the figurative "And I spit on you," that Mr. Murawiec often implies.
Nonetheless, this book is a complete and detailed list of the House of Saud's damning sins and manipulations. I would suggest that these other equally resourceful books should accompany any reader's analysis of Saudi Arabian history; goals; and political policies:
Hatred's Kingdom : How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism - by Dore Gold
The Age of Sacred Terror : Radical Islam's War Against America - by Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon
And (really - it's a decent, factual book that pulls no punches yet does not villify Saudi Arabia),
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Saudi Arabia by Colin Wells
Book Description
How did the Democratic Party-party of JFK, LBJ, and civil rights-fall from glory? How did Texas, home of its most promising players, become Bush territory? What do politicians on either side need to do today to get our country back on track? Ben Barnes has the answers.
Barnes had a front-row seat through it all. His political savvy and bravado made him a standout in the rough-and-tumble world of Texas politics. He won a seat in the Texas Legislature in 1960, at the unheard-of age of 22, and four years later became the youngest Speaker of the House since the Civil War. In 1968, he helped Congressman George Herbert Walker Bush get his son into the National Guard-a controversy that would rage during the 2004 presidential election. In 1970, Lyndon Johnson told the public that Ben was destined to be the next U.S. president to hail from Texas.
How did his party lose its place in Texas . . . and the nation? How did Barnes-affectionately dubbed the "51st Democratic senator"-remain a force on the Democratic scene despite his departure from public office? In this exciting new book, Barnes takes readers inside the rise and fall of the party he loves. Pulling no punches, he uses lessons learned in the Texas trenches as a guiding light for a new generation of lawmakers and political hopefuls, and a calls for a return to bipartisan consensus building for our nation. Barnes's rollicking memoir recalls the glory days of his Texas past and blazes a trail for our country's future.
Customer Reviews:
Rise and Fall.......2007-08-23
I was drawn to this book when I read in the obituaries for Lady Bird Johnson that the blurb she wrote for Barnes' book was the last thing the talented former First Lady wrote for publication and that, oddly enough, the blurb he has on the back of the book from Ann Richards was the last thing SHE wrote as well. It shows you, don't write blurbs for Ben Barnes I guess! Now I'll be waiting for the other blurbers to kick off, a new version of the internet "Death Pool," and I'll tell you, neither of them are spring chickens and one of them--Walter Cronkite--is already in the top 75 of the Death Pool list.
Oh well, in any case the book is a good read, particularly for those of you who, like me, don't know much about Texas politics. Barnes was a mere boy when he was elected to the Texas Legislature, when he quickly became the pet of aging speaker Sam Rayburn, the man they called "Mr Everything," and befriended Governor John Connally and President Lyndon Johnson. Ben came from the hill country, in the days before electricity came in and changed everything, and in this book he gives us a quick glimpse of what Camelot was like for a really young man with a lot on the ball and a lot of ambition. Texas Democrats were riding high back then, but within ten years it was all to change, and this story, which of course mirrors the larger political story of the bigger US, is sobering indeed. Barnes doesn't hesitate to name names, and he blames LBJ for pushing civil rights issues so hard that he alienated the conservative element that might have given in with more grace if given more leeway. At the same time he knows that it was the right thing to do, just a path that led to unfortunate developments which the Democrats' traditional enemy found a way to exploit and overturn.
At the beginning of the book, Rayburn whispers to Barnes that the significant event of the 1960 election was not that JFK won the thing, but that "Richard Nixon got hisass beat." Like a phoenix however, Nixon was to rise again and by the end of the book he had destroyed the Democratic hegemony of Texas and it has never really recovered. Barnes outlines the incredible "dirty tricks" campaign that brought him down. Strange to think that this rising young star, a young man whom LBJ said he would support "money, marbles, and chalk" became a hasbeen by the time he was 33--sort of like a rock star. He had red hair, sort of like Opie, but that crinkly kind so that in black and white newsphotos of the 1960s his head looks like it was topped with a waffle cone, the kind they sell at Carvels. He pleads with us to return our nation to the spirit of generosity and non partisanship that led to the creation of the Peace Corps. He has a whole "back to good government" program which will not please the Bush family, but so be it.
A captivating and inspiring tale of a life in American politics.......2006-10-09
Ben Barnes, together with Lisa Dickey, produces a whirlwind political autobiography covering Barness twelve years in elected office. In a quick, engaging style Barnes tells of the events that inspired him to contemplate the political life, and how he, an unknown 21-year-old, defeated a popular local war hero to win a seat in the Texas house. The narrative flows in a modest, vernacular style, providing an insiders account into some of the most pivotal moments of the twentieth century. Barnes, through his roles as associate to Jim Connolly, governor of Texas, and leading member of the planning committee, reveals details of the incidents that led up to President Kennedys tragic trip to Dallas. The only other person in the room when Gov. Connolly let loose on Hubert Humphrey, he provides an inside account of the dramatic Democratic convention of 1968. Later, Barnes witnesses Connolly browbeat Pres. Nixon into resurrecting the political career of George H.W. Bush. And finally Barnes provides a first-hand account of the dirty politics of Nixon, who used all the power at his command to end his political career, defeating LBJs confident predictions that Barnes would become President.
Among these historical events, Barnes provides an entertaining and eye-opening account of his political life as member of the Texas house, then Speaker, and finally as lieutenant governor. Through it all, he emphasizes his observations of what works in politics, and what doesnt. He shares his wisdom about the need of Democrats to engage business leaders to join in the efforts of creating progressive policy in response to social needs. Barnes stresses the necessity that politicians think not just of their immediate needs and projects, but to think of the peoples long-term needs and goals, and what must be done to reach them. His prime example of this is LBJ, who wounded his own Democratic party for the greater good of advancing civil rights. Finally, Barnes laments todays incivility and breakdown in communication between parties, a hostility which results in policies detrimental to our long-term, and even short-term, inter
Iraq Confidential: The Untold Story of the Intelligence Conspiracy to Undermine the UN and Overthrow Saddam Hussein
The Power of Israel in the United States
Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic (American Empire Project)
Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid
Waging Peace: The Art of War for the Antiwar Movement
