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 enlarge | Author: Peter W. Galbraith
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $4.92
You Save: $10.08 (67%)
New (7) Used (8) from $3.84
Avg. Customer Rating:  61 reviews
Sales Rank: 39019
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 0.8
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
ASIN: B0013L8BJM
Publication Date: June 12, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 "War remains the decisive human failure." April 30, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
The last words in the acknowledgement, written by Peter Galbraith's father, John Kenneth Galbraith, serves as an admirable summation of the central message of this book, and that traditional human failure has been exacerbated in this case by the egregious ignorance and arrogance of the current American administration. Galbraith's book proves to be an excellent confirmation of numerous points made by Thomas Ricks' in his outstanding book on Iraq, entitled "Fiasco."
Ricks made the point that one of the chief concerns of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld was to remove those individuals with actual knowledge of the Iraqi situation from the American governing process, and replace them with ideologically pure neocons. Galbraith fleshes out this contention with numerous sad examples: per Ambassador Tim Carney, the State Department's professional Arabist "weren't welcome because they didn't think Iraq could be democratic." (p 95); during a Pentagon planning meeting on Kirkuk, no one knew the ethic composition of the local police (p94); Margaret Tutwiler, a former State Department chief spokesperson had never heard of the Anfal (Hussain's ethnic cleansing of the Kurds), and told her Kurdish hosts this (p115); the hiring of six young people, with no experience to manage a $13 billion budget in Iraq solely because they had placed their resumes on the conservative think-tank, the Heritage Foundation's, website (p127-128); and how President Bush, in 2003, did not know there were two major sects in Islam, Sunnis and Shiites (p83). Even sadder, the above is just a sample of Galbraith's examples.
Unlike the neocon neophytes, Galbraith has been actively involved in the region for over 25 years, and personally knows many of the key political players in Iraq. Clearly his sympathies are with the Kurds, with whom he has been most deeply involved, and he is an effective advocate for their independence.
"Defer to the peoples of Iraq" (p206) is Galbraith's unsurprising, save to the Washington administration, solution to the Iraq situation. He makes the point on several occasions that trying to force the three disparate former provinces of the Ottoman Empire to function as one country, "Iraq", has been the destabilizing force in the region for 80 years. The people in the area have already established at least two highly autonomous regions, Kurdistan and "Shiastan" in the south, and dissolution of unworkable countries can be a peaceful and optimal solution, citing both Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union as examples. Although it is not a point that Galbraith made, for almost 23 years the United States would not recognize the reality of one billion people in "Red China." The solution to better relations was to recognize this basic fact "on the ground." Similarly, the solution for the United States policy in Iraq is to recognize the reality and the wishes of the people in the area, and forget the ideology, that even included a "flat tax" enacted into law by Viceroy Bremmer.
The book is somewhat marred by redundancy, which could be defended as necessary in order to make the case with the current political leadership. It remains an essential read.
 If interested in truly understanding situation, a very worthwhile read March 26, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
An exceptional work that gives a very good overview of US foreign policy with Iraq over past 28 years. Many valuable insights that helps understanding sectarian conflicts. Heavily weighted to discussion on Kurdistan and its pursuit of independence.
The End of Iraq by Peter Galbraith January 21, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is the ULTIMATE explanation of how we blundered in Iraq from a guy who really knows "where the bones are buried"!
The book was in great shape and concisely written with a huge bibliography. The best book about the Iraq debacle I've read so far.
What a great read though kinda scary to think that all the "smartest guys in the room" could have f---ed up this bad! When you finish you'll want to put the entire administration behind bars!!
 Good Detail and Writing, Absurd Conclusion October 23, 2007
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
As many other reviews have noted, the Author knows a great deal about Iraq and can write very well. Unfortunately, the conclusion he draws would be laughable if it weren't so depressing. Yes, the glue holding together Iraq is gone: no more strongman, no more educated and moderate middle-class, no more secular and religious tolerance en mass. Yes, the three main groups are now committed to protecting their own and keeping out the others. But having a central government representing all three? Working together? Sharing oil revenue? How can a man so intelligent and experienced fail to see the absurdity of dreaming that there can be a functional "central" government? Has he learned nothing about lethal agendas, intransigence, greed, suspicion, hatred and lack of respect that defines "politics" in Baghdad? There is no significant interest in true Nationalism, other than from perhaps some Sunni's who wax nostalgic for their glory days. Talk about a state of denial! The only way I can understand the Author's grip on reality is that he (and other's like Senator Biden, et. al., believes the Central Government idea is a useful red-herring for furthering the disengagement ambitions of Kurdistan. I just can't get over how anyone in their right mind believe in the pipe dream of them all sharing oil revenue. Is their something about Iraq that makes so many people say so much nonsense? Oh, yeah...Oil.
The End Of Iraq? September 16, 2007
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
Was this war truly needed or was it just a fantasy the president decided to play out? Will it help Iraq or will it be the end of Iraq? You read this book and be the judge. Well written and easy to follow.
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