Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal

by Anthony Arnove, Howard Zinn (Afterword)

Three years after the start of the war in Iraq, violence and misery continue to plague the country, and conservatives and liberals alike are struggling with the question of when—and under what circumstances—U.S. and coalition forces should leave. In this cogent and compelling book, Anthony Arnove argues that the U.S. occupation is the major source of instability and suffering for the Iraqi people. Challenging the idea that George W. Bush has ever been interested in bringing democracy to the country—as well as the view held by many on both sides of the political spectrum that it would be more damaging to leave prematurely—Arnove explores the real reasons behind the invasion. He shows why continuing the occupation is both a wildly unrealistic and reckless strategy, one that is making the world a more dangerous place.

Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal concludes by laying out a clear vision for the antiwar movement, one that constructively involves soldiers, military families, and the many communities affected by the occupation, who together, Arnove argues, can build the needed coalition to bring the troops home.

Nearly forty years ago, historian, activist, and bestselling author Howard Zinn—whose foreword and afterword frame Arnove’s book—published Vietnam: The Logic of Withdrawal, which argued with remarkable foresight that getting out of Vietnam was the only realistic option. Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal will likely prove equally prescient.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Middle East

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arnove’s call for immediate withdrawal expresses an urgent, impatient call for resistance against the special interest groups which have caused the deaths of millions. This is essential reading.

[Kelly Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slim book lays out eight reasons why the US should leave Iraq immediately. Admittedly, I already agreed with most of these assertions before reading the book. The one lingering doubt I did have about when we should stop the occupation was the 4th point. This book didn't go into great detail on that point (it's less than 120 pages), but it did give some examples of how the US authorities are actually pitting factions against each other in the formation of the Iraqi government -- the ol' divide and conquer approach. The book inspired me to go read more on the subject, and I am now convinced that our *presence* in Iraq alone is the source of most of the agitation. I am not naive -- I don't believe that as soon as we pull out, the violence will stop. But I do believe that by continuing to be an occupying presence and contributing to the culture of violence, we are only rubbing the wound raw.

Another key part of the book for me was a list of five factors that brought about an end to the Vietnam war:

* Mass resistance of the Vietnamese people to US intervention
* Resistance of US soldiers and veterans
* Domestic opposition on a scale that forced elites in the US to recognize that they had lost the war at home
* International protest and opposition that isolated the US politically
* Growing economic consequences of the war, which led to inflation and deficits that undermined the position of the US economy

Holy crap, I thought after reading it for the first time. A lot of ridiculously big stuff has to happen to stop a war. But what gave me hope is knowing that we *did* stop an unjust war in our nation's history, with citizen outcries being a major factor in doing so. And hey look -- we have a roadmap for doing it again! A roadmap with crazy zigzag roads criss-crossing every millimeter, making it unbelievably hard to get where you want to go -- but a roadmap nonetheless.

In the last 2 weeks, I've seen 2 movies that have inspired me to do more in my daily life to work against this war: "The War Tapes" http://imdb.com/title/tt0775566/ and "The US vs. John Lennon" http://imdb.com/title/tt0478049/ They were inspiring for very different reasons -- one is raw and upsetting, the other hopeful and admiring.

These movies and this book made me realize that if I care deeply about something, I can't just send an electronic pre-written letter to my representatives when I happen to get a reminder to do so. If you truly care about something, it should be part of your daily life. If you can devote a few minutes (or more) each day to surfing the web, watching TV, or generally just killing time, certainly you can devote a few minutes to writing a real letter or reading an article to learn more or sharing an article with friends and family or volunteering for your local anti-war group or any of the countless things you can do to contribute to the cause in your own way.

Sure, nothing I do is going to stop the war tomorrow. Nothing will. You don't beat back a war machine overnight. To do that requires constant and *creative* pressure from all types of people. So if writing a letter doesn't seem useful to you, sit down and think about what does seem useful to you. Maybe working against in-school military recruitment is something you feel makes the most difference. Or maybe you want to learn more about the issue so you can make an effective argument with friends and family. Or maybe you have an idea for a new type of action against the war. Just do something, anything. And do it regularly. Ending this war will require more than just one-off efforts from everyone who's against it. It will require us to weave our efforts into our daily lives. People are dying unnecessarily every day in this war. The least we could do is devote a tiny part of our days to honoring that in our own way.

As a wise man once said: "Whatever you do may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it." -- Mahatma Gandhi

[Alex Clermont · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a well organize, detailed counter point to all the lies that the public was told concerning the U.S.'s intentions in Iraq. Though a bit small it's meant as an easy read to convice those in the anti-war movement that yes, they were right, this war IS horrible, it MUST be stopped, and WE have to be the ones to do it. It's also meant to convice those not in the movement that they should be a part of it.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's just something about military occupations that get in the way of democracy and liberation and freedom. Oh yeah! It's the MILITARY OCCUPATION part. Read this book for the history of America's role in the region - from CIA coup to today's occupation - to better learn how to win reparations for the Iraqis, and finally end America's role in the region.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

this "book" is full of quotes. not factual quotes but opinion quotes. and the bulk of the original content serves to introduce the quote or explain it afterwards. there arent really any original ideas in here at all, and when you get to the crux of the book, his 8 reasons for immediate withdrawal, he does not write convincingly at all.

[Phạm N. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agree with Arnove's call for immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq but find his language of argument a bit tame and his research not as insightful as other authors who are concerned with US wars such as Tom Engelhardt, Michael Schwartz, Johnathan Schell, Bruce Franklin, etc.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

you won't learn anything new from this book

[Rafael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pedestrian but sometimes useful book on Iraq. Worth reading if you need a quick rundown on the issue, but I doubt anyone will remember about it in a couple of years.

[Matthew M.]

Another top-notch journalist at the height of his powers. The title of the book comes from Howard Zinn, who was writing his case for withdrawal during Vietnam.