Iraq is shattered; in the north is Kurdistan, a state independent by all standards except in name. In the south, Shiite religious parties have formed an Islamic state with certain areas managed with strictness reminiscent of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Sunni central regions of Iraq experience a political vacuum. Where there is any authority, it lies in the hands of tribal sheikhs, former Baathists, and al-Qaeda, as Iran emerges as Iraq's strongest ally despite being a former arch-enemy. The book 'The End of Iraq' sheds light on how Bush’s invasion plans led to these outcomes. It shows how the U.S. invaded Iraq convinced that the regime could be decapitated so people would return to work the next day. The book also explains how the Iraq model intended to scare rogue states like Iran, North Korea, and Syria into abandoning their WMD programs and support for extremists. However, the American experience in Iraq clearly encouraged, rather than intimidated, Iran and North Korea. Planners failed to consider the consequences if the invasion didn’t go as planned, such as societal collapse, insufficient oil revenue, the country’s disintegration, or a successful insurgency from remnants of the old regime. They did not anticipate failure repercussions and lacked an alternative plan. Currently, the core issue for the U.S. and its allies, including Britain, is how to withdraw. 'The End of Iraq,' written by a highly experienced and influential expert on Iraq, an ex-American ambassador and defense specialist, who has written about Iraq internally for over a decade, provides a detailed account of a failed U.S. political initiative that resulted in the disintegration of the country and a more dangerous Middle East.

Publishing house: Arab Scientific Publishers/Lebanon

Number of Pages: 278

Year of publication: 2007