The high cost of peace : how Washington's Middle East policy left America vulnerable to terrorism / Yossef Bodansky.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bodansky, Yossef.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Middle East--Foreign relations--United States.

Middle East.

International relations.

United States.

United States--Foreign relations--Middle East.

United States--Foreign relations--1981-1989.

United States--Foreign relations--1989-.

Arab-Israeli conflict.

Physical Description:

xvii, 652 pages : maps ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Roseville, Calif. : Forum, 2002.

Summary:

Since the Gulf War, three U.S. administrations have tried desperately to negotiate peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Crafted through a series of policy missteps, the tenuous accords have done little except leave Israel compromised and vulnerable while drawing the ire of militant Islamists -- culminating in the catastrophic show of force against the West via terrorist attacks on American soil and renewed violence in the West Bank and elsewhere in the Middle East. In The High Cost of Peace, terrorism expert Yossef Bodansky uncovers the bitter legacy of a peace process that has cost tens of thousands of lives, emboldened such outlaw countries as Iran and Iraq, enriched Arab militaries with billions of U.S. dollars, and mobilized an underground network of terrorist cells around the globe. He reveals in engrossing detail the political undercurrents and secret deals that have shaped and destabilized the region, the confluence of events leading up to September 11, and the inside story of a dangerous quest for peace that has led to a war unlike any the Middle East has seen before -- the details of which rarely make the anti-Israeli-tinged evening news. You will discover: Why Arafat said in 1972 of the Palestinian aggression against Israel, "Peace for us means the destruction of Israel and nothing else". How President Clinton's zeal for peace was motivated by his desire to divert national attention away from his domestic scandals, and why his administration completely ignored the growing threat of militant Islamism. What secret preparations and military build-up Saddam Hussein ordered for the next war with, and terrorist strikes against, the United States and Israel. And many more shocking revelations.

At the heart of the failed peace negotiations is the utopian notion that Israel's militant enemies even want peace. This book proves once and for all how the United States is put in perpetual danger of terrorist attack because of its repeated blunders in dealing with the Arab world and the vital contributions of Israel -- America's staunchest ally in this turbulent region -- to U.S. security interests. Meanwhile, as many Arab leaders play to American and European news cameras with empty promises of peace, they are secretly conspiring with terrorists to fulfill their ultimate goal: the complete annihilation of the Israeli state.

Contents:

1. The Seeds of the Conflict (1948-1988): The Establishment of Israel; the Evolving Arab Challenge 1

2. The Iraq Factor (1988-1990): Saddam's War Against Israel and the West; the First Seduction of Israel 16

3. The Gulf Crisis (1990-1991): "Infidels" on the Sacred Soil of Arabia; the Last Hurrah of the Old Regional Order 41

4. The World War That Almost Was (1990-1993): Tehran's Call to Arms and the Creation of the Islamic Bloc 67

5. Pipe Dreams and Deceptions (1992-1994): Israel's De Facto Recognition of the PLO; the Clinton Administration's Double Game 89

6. "Like the Wings of a Bird" (1994-1996): Rapprochement Between Arafat and HAMAS; Dynasty Building in Tehran, Damascus, and Baghdad 114

7. Violence on the Road to Peace (1996-1997): Clinton Versus Netanyahu; the Widening "Circle of Confrontation" 137

8. "A Contract Is a Contract, and a Vow Is a Vow" (1997): Mubarak's Claim to Lead the Arab World; Arafat's Way of Fighting Terrorism 162

9. "Legacy" and Vindictiveness (1997-1998): Clinton Seeks His Legacy as Peacemaker; Netanyahu Stands His Ground 184

10. "Partners in Peace" (1998-1999): Resumption of Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations; Continuance of Palestinian Incitement 203

11. A Toy Story (1999): Barak's Capitulations; Arafat's Growing Confidence 224

12. The Road to Damascus (1999-2000): Switching to the Syrian Track; Lebanon Heats Up 242

13. Jumping from Track to Track (1999-2000): Clinton and Barak Grow More and More Frantic; the Islamists Calmly Plot Their Future 265

14. "Lebanon Today

Palestine Tomorrow!" (2000): The Failure of the Clinton-Assad Summit; the Betrayal of Lebanon 284

15. Self-Induced Blindness (2000): Arafat Prepares for His War of Independence; Clinton and Barak Blindside Themselves 306

16. The March Toward War (2000): Clinton Attempts to Grasp His Legacy; Arafat and the Islamists Jockey for Position 325

17. The Outbreak of the Intifadah (2000): Sharon's Visit to the Temple Mount; Arafat's Cautious Steps Toward War 348

18. "The Price of Legacy" (2000): Riyadh's Dilemma; Enter the "Chechens" 373

19. A Winter of Fire (2000-2001): Clinton's Last Hurrah; Enter Bush, Exit Barak 399

20. Sharon Strikes Back (2001): Egypt and Saudi Arabia Declining, Iraq and Iran Surging 429

21. Nakba Day (2001): Arafat's Double-Speak; Jockeying on the Northern Front 455

22. "Kill a Settler Every Day" (2001): The Lebanonization of the Intifadah; Bush's Saddam Fixation 480

23. New Beginnings (2001-2002): The War on Terrorism and the War in Israel 503

24. Facing Reality (2002 and Beyond): Operation Defensive Shield: Toward "a New Middle East" 524.

Notes:

Maps on lining papers.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 597-619) and index.

ISBN:

0761535799

OCLC:

49530004