Road to Iraq: The Making of a Neoconservative War

by Muhammad Idrees Ahmad

The Iraq war its causes, agency and execution has been shrouded in an ideological mist. Now, Muhammad Idrees Ahmad dispels the myths surrounding the war, taking a sociological approach to establish the wars causes, identify its agents and describe how it was sold. Ahmad presents a social history of the wars leading agents the neoconservatives and shows how this ideologically coherent group of determined political agents used the contingency of 9/11 to overwhelm a sceptical foreign policy establishment, military brass and intelligence apparatus, propelling the US into a war that a significant portion of the public opposed. The book includes an historical exploration of American militarism and of the increased post-WWII US role in the Middle East, as well as a reconsideration of the debates that John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt sparked after the publication of '"The Israel lobby and US Foreign Policy'."

Genres: Politics, History, Middle East, Nonfiction, War, The United States Of America

337 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Yas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre-emption is the central policy guide to understanding how the zionist neo-conservatives think, strategize and advance their agenda and shape the nation discourse on security and foreign policy. It Is without a doubt that without 2 dozen zionist elites; the 2003 war on Iraq would not have happened. That is a terrifying testimony to the the israel lobby ability in gearing a nation for wars and deals against its interests.

Because of their dedication, relentlessness, money, organization, vast media empire and their unethical use of disorientation the nation and its people's feelings during times of crisis. The neo-conservatives were able to manufacture a toleration for the idea of going to war against a nation that truly was not a threat to the US on behalf of another.

in the first chapter, the author refuted the arguments(called them rightfully so, as red herrings) that the US went to the war for oil interests in a very convincing manner, citing that the main beneficiaries of oil contracts post war were NON-US companies.

In the 2nd chapter, the author explains the origins of neo-conservative "ideology" and organization. The author believes they are grouped on the basis of interests(protecting israel and ensuring its primacy) more than shared economic ideology. their organization is more of a "flex net" with a gravitational core and people-elites- who interchangeably mix their private and public loyalties to advance certain agendas. This flex net helps them affect even hamstrung the executive branch of the state while protecting them from its accountability.

In the 3rd chapter, the author explains how the iraqi war was sold to both the state institutions and the public based on flimsy evidence, the clout over the state-department, creating parallel institution to circumvent the CIA and provide the fabricated reports needed to sell the war. the 9/11 so-called connection, the hoax anthrax, the iraqi defectors who were fed lies. stumbles and problems occurred, but they were successful at pursuing the war they always egged for at the end.

In the last chapter, the author refuted long-held neo-conservative arguments about the "one-ness" of the israel and american interests. mainly stating that it is an engineered view built on successive efforts of the israeli lobby in the US. The author gave plenty of examples were interests not only were dissimilar but actually harmful to the US(the oil sales and military hardware sales, the trade embargo on certain nations).

a generous, must read book on Iraq and the neo-conservatives.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did the United States invade Iraq? In The Israel Lobby, by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, the authors attribute much of the responsibility to the neoconservatives. The Road to Iraq is a must-read book for those wanting a more detailed analysis of this neoconservative involvement.

According to Stephen Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard University, The Road to Iraq is 'a superb analysis of how and why a small band of neoconservatives helped push the United States into a disastrous war,' and Ahmad's 'analysis is nuanced, his research comprehensive, and the story he tells is profoundly disturbing.'

[Malcolm Murrell-Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without the neoconservatives in power and the influence of zionism from Israel and within the US, the Iraq invasion would not have happened. American interests do not align with Israel. We must acknowledge that Israel is not a democracy and they continue to weaponize Holocaust to justify their perspective that the whole Arab world is anti-semitic. Anti-Semitism is not Anti-Zionism.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb analysis of how and why a small band of neoconservatives helped push the United States into a disastrous war. Far from being tough-minded patriots, Ahmad reveals them to be deceitful and manipulative self-promoters who remain influential in policy-making circles, despite the enormous cost of their past follies. His analysis is nuanced, his research comprehensive, and the story he tells is profoundly disturbing.

Stephen Walt, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

The Road to Iraq is one of the most insightful and instructive books for anyone wanting to know why the United States launched the Iraq War, one of the biggest blunders in the history of US foreign policy. The Road to Iraq is an illuminating read about one of the most disturbing episodes in recent US history. What the neocons did in hijacking US policy was the closest thing to a coup that the United States ever experienced, and this book does an excellent job of explaining how the coup-plotters pulled it off.

Paul R. Pillar, Center for Security Studies, Georgetown University

This forcefully argued and meticulously researched (with no fewer than 1,152 footnotes, many of which are full-blown paragraphs) book turns out to be enormously relevant to the present moment … Let me reiterate the enormous significance and relevance of The Road to Iraq.

It is a work of tremendous intellectual diligence and moral seriousness. We are all indebted to Ahmad for undertaking this major contribution to the debate on one of the central events of this century, whose aftershocks continue to unfold daily, to disastrous effect. With the neocons poised to make a comeback, this book serves as a cautionary tale of bracing urgency. It is a must-read guide to the history of the present.

Danny Postel, Associate Director of the Center for Middle East Studies, University of Denver




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The Iraq war – its causes, agency and execution – has been shrouded in an ideological mist. Now, Muhammad Idrees Ahmad dispels the myths surrounding the war, taking a sociological approach to establish the war’s causes, identify its agents and describe how it was sold.

Ahmad presents a social history of the war’s leading agents – the neoconservatives – and shows how this ideologically coherent group of determined political agents used the contingency of 9/11 to overwhelm a sceptical foreign policy establishment, military brass and intelligence apparatus, propelling the US into a war that a significant portion of the public opposed.

The book includes an historical exploration of American militarism and of the increased post-WWII US role in the Middle East, as well as a reconsideration of the debates that John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt sparked after the publication of 'The Israel lobby and US Foreign Policy'.