A Brutal Friendship: The West and The Arab Elite

by Saïd K. Aburish

In A Brutal Friendship , Said K. Aburish traces the true origins of the region's present turmoil to the manner in which corrupt Arab rulers have subordinated the welfare of their subjects to their cultivation of cozy relationships with the West. Using direct evidence from his unrivaled range of Arab sources, he describes how the West -- mostly the CIA -- sponsored Islamic fundamentalism in the 1950s and '60s in an effort to contain Nasser and thwart Soviet designs on the region, how American and British leaders have turned a blind eye to repressive governments when they suit their interests (and toppled them when they do not), and how it is these very machinations that set Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on his bloody road to power.

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

416 pages, Hardcover

First published July 3, 1997

About the author

Palestinian journalist and writer.

Saïd K. Aburish was born in the biblical village of Bethany near Jerusalem in 1935. One of his grandfathers was a Muslim judge of the Islamic High Court and a lecturer at the Arab college; the other was a village headman.

Aburish attended school in Jerusalem and Beirut, and university in the United States. He returned to Beirut as a reporter for Radio Free Europe and the London Daily Mail. He consulted for two Arab governments and written several books.

Reviews

[Kamil Salamah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bold, courageous, and brilliantly written book for all to read to be able to appreciate the Middle East for REAL.

The region has never been allowed to mature ever since 1917 with the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire by the West; with the support and assistance of the local sycophants who were promised the "moon", to become the Kings, etc. The book clearly demonstrates how the West never( to this date) had a clear geo-strategic/ geopolitical plan for the region other than total hegemony to extract its abundant resources and prevent it from the pseudo myth of turning communist. The author exposes how the governments of the West left matters( to a great extent) in the hands of their local field agents to draw policies and agendas; as the peoples region never were held in high regard: uncultured, uncivilized, incapable, and worthless to waste time to learn of or appreciate. What mattered is the view of these Orientalists who painted fantastical "Hollywood-like" images. Accordingly, only the subservient clients were cultivated and lured into the trappings set for them; turning on their own even if it meant selling their nations to the colonizing enemies.

The book takes the reader step by step of how the Middle East has been continuously subdued to present times. At no time has it been allowed to gain independence. Subsequently, what one sees today is a consequence of this approach by the West towards the region. In fact events happening now on a daily basis has its roots to almost a century of meddling in the region's business.

He correctly concludes that more catastrophic events await the people of the region and the world.

I truly believe it is a MUST read for everyone. The title captures the reality without a shadow of a doubt.

[sologdin · Rating 3 out of 5]

states at one point that all coups d'état in southwest asia during the cold war were US operations in some way--with the exception of the 1958 coup in Iraq wherein qasim oustered the monarchy.

[Rashad Raoufi]

this book has taught me alot and made me understand middle eastern politics. its a very good, balanced and well researched book.

[maoppw · Rating 3 out of 5]

disjointed; never the less, still valuable information in here

[Yas · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed this book. My favorites were the part 4 and part 5.

The author's assessments and predictions are spot on. Aburish spares no arab regime or figure in his scathing criticism and makes a compelling case that western interests-governments for the most part stood in opposite of the arab people aspirations and supported the politics and personas that were regressive to keep its financial(read oil) flowing and to safeguard the security of israel.