Perilous Power: The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice

by Chomsky,Noam

• ISBN13: 9781594513121
• ISBN10: 1594513120
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-09-15
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The volatile Middle East is the site of vast resources, profound passions, frequent crises, and long-standing conflicts, as well as a major source of international tensions and a key site of direct U.S. intervention. Two of the most astute analysts of this part of the world are Noam Chomsky, the preeminent critic of U.S, foreign policy, and Gilbert Achcar, a leading specialist of the Middle East who lived in that region for many years. In their new book, Chomsky and Achcar bring a keen understanding of the internal dynamics of the Middle East and of the role of the United States, taking up all the key questions of interest to concerned citizens, including such topics as terrorism, fundamentalism, conspiracies, oil, democracy, self determination, anti-Semitism, and anti-Arab racism, as well as the war in Afghanistan, the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the sources of U.S. foreign policy. This book provides the best readable introduction for all who wish to understand the complex issues related to the Middle East from a perspective dedicated to peace and justice.

Author Biography

Gilbert Achcar teaches politics and international relations at the University of Paris. Noam Chomsky is Professor of Linguistics at the Masschusetts Institute of Technology.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
1 Terrorism and Conspiracies	1	(26)
Defining Terrorism	1	(5)
The Terrorist Threat	6	(4)
Responding to Terrorism	10	(2)
9/11 Conspiracies	12	(5)
Saddam Hussein's Invasion of Kuwait	17	(10)
2 Fundamentalism and Democracy	27	(26)
Fundamentalism	27	(8)
The Saudi Kingdom	35	(4)
Democracy in the Middle East	39	(7)
Fundamentalism and Democracy	46	(5)
Democracy Since the Iraq Invasion	51	(2)
3 Sources of U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East	53	(18)
Oil	53	(7)
Israel, the Israel Lobby, and U.S. Policy	60	(5)
Israel and U.S. Interests	65	(6)
4 Wars in the "Greater Middle East"	71	(72)
Afghanistan	71	(4)
Responding to 9/11	75	(4)
Afghanistan Today	79	(4)
The United States and Iraq, 2003	83	(7)
Other Major Powers and Iraq	90	(5)
The Current Situation in Iraq	95	(8)
The Iraqi Insurgency	103	(7)
U.S. Policy in Iraq Today	110	(5)
What Should the Antiwar Movement Be Calling For?	115	(3)
Will Withdrawal Lead to Civil War?	118	(2)
The Kurds in Iraq	120	(3)
The Kurds in Turkey	123	(5)
Secession, Self-Determination, and Justice	128	(3)
Syria	131	(5)
Iran	136	(7)
5 The Israel-Palestine Conflict	143	(72)
The Legitimacy of Israel	143	(5)
Palestinian Say in Any Settlement	148	(9)
Going from a Settlement to Lasting Peace	157	(1)
Palestinians Within Israel	158	(4)
Mizrahim	162	(1)
The Palestinian Refugees	163	(3)
Efforts to Achieve Peace	166	(10)
The Palestinian View of a Settlement	176	(3)
Zionism and the Palestinians	179	(5)
Israeli Politics	184	(4)
Palestinian Politics	188	(3)
How Can We Support Justice in Israel/Palestine?	191	(4)
Boycotts, Divestment, and Other Tactics	195	(4)
Anti-Semitism	199	(5)
Anti-Semitism in Western Europe	204	(7)
Anti-Arab Racism and Islamophobia	211	(4)
Epilogue	215	(28)
The Situation in Iraq	215	(6)
Hamas in Power	221	(4)
The Israel-Hezbollah-Lebanon Conflict	225	(4)
The Israel Lobby	229	(1)
The United States and Iran	230	(5)
Hezbollah	235	(2)
Confrontation with Hamas and Hezbollah	237	(6)
Notes	243	(24)
Index	267