(This book review was originally written by my friend Tom.)
Imperial Hubris written by Michael Scheuer is a fair analysis of US policy in the “Global War on Terror” and what we are doing wrong. As a former CIA analyst on the Middle East with a focus on Islamic terrorism, he is in a unique position to provide meaningful criticism on US foreign policy in this area.
In the first section of the book he gives his view of the Islamist mindset and how that leads to a fanatical, yet calculated, enemy of the United States. He points out that devout Muslims are primarily motivated to attack the United States not for what it is but for what we do in the Islamic world. Compare this to Bush’s many statements to the contrary. Scheuer also points out that Osama Bin Laden’s strength is that he recognizes which issues will motivate Muslims to action. For example, America’s attempted interference in Muslim schools in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, our public support for dictatorships in Muslim countries, our occupation or military presence in Muslim nations are perceived by them as attacks on Islam no matter what our “real” intentions may be.
The next section he then goes on to point out some very fundamental mistakes the US Government made before invading Afghanistan. The most fundamental one was not using the most valuable resources available to the US at the time; people with real contacts and regional experience. These people had gained their experience during the US support of the mujahadeen against the Soviet Occupation. He then goes on to point out how failing to, in his words, “Check the checkables,” has led to the failure of getting the Afghan population [as a whole] to support either the US invasion or the current, installed government.
With later chapters, Scheuer goes on to point out how the US Media and Government have failed to understand just how the Muslim world views Osama Bin Laden differently than he is portrayed in the American media. He emphasizes that Bin Laden repeatedly has publicly stated exactly why he is attacking the US and the West, and repeatedly it is the result of US action not “what we are.” This means clearly that we as a country need to understand that if we are going to continue to pursue these policies, we better understand how they are perceived and what are the ramifications of those perceptions.
In the final section of the book he points out how our misunderstanding of the enemy and the type of war we are fighting will ultimately make it impossible for us to defeat the terrorists without a change in strategy. The current reporting on Iraq is a perfect case in point where there is little distinction made in the public debate between foreign Arab fighters and indigenous Iraqis.
Whether or not you agree with Scheuer’s conclusions, anyone who wants a comprehensive starting point for understanding why the current “War on Terror” is failing [and will likely continue to fail] will find this book useful.