The wide scope of the book stymied me in my attempt to write a single review of it. The information and the insights Sen. Webb presents are so important that, instead, I'm going to write a series of reviews of different chapters.
In the chapter of the book entitled "How Not To Fight a War," Sen. Webb lays out in some detail what has been wrong with the Bush administration's approach to foreign policy, diplomacy, and war.
As Webb so cogently puts it, "In the international arena, its policies toward adversaries, real and potential, have bordered on adolescent behavior, but with grave, adult-world consequences."
Following the trauma of September 11, the consequences of the administration's over-reliance on military power exerted in the wrong places and a lack of a foreign policy which understands the realities of a world where China is our greatest long-term strategic threat have put America, Webb points out, in a perilous situation.
By chance, James Webb was at the Pentagon early on the morning of September 11. After leaving there and returning to his writing office not far away, Webb heard an "odd, metallic thunk." Going to the office balcony which overlooked the Pentagon, he saw remnants of the American Airlines plane that had crashed into the building and the smoke and flame rising from it.
Later that day, Jim Webb received a call from the editor of the Wall Street Journal opinion page asking him to write a piece stating how the nation should respond to 9-11. Ironically, even though the article Webb produced contained the very response that might have saved us all the heartache of the later Bush debacles, the paper did not publish it.
Webb explains that he knew why. "I had no doubt that the neoconservatives were again intent on going after Baghdad." Webb had argued in the article he wrote that terrorists did not operate within any one nation-state. They must be fought in the same way. Above all, he said, we should not make the strategic blunder of occupying and trying to defend territory in the volatile region. As he stated, to do so "would simply give the enemy more targets."
This chapter of Sen. Webb's book makes fascinating reading for anyone wishing to understand more fully one of the most dangerous situations at present for American interests: the growing closeness between China and Iran.
Iran is now China's largest oil supplier, and Tehran gets major arms systems from Beijing. That relationship will surely complicate international efforts to push Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. Meanwhile, the Bush administration's occupation in Iraq has resulted in a government there that is closely aligned with Iran.
Webb ends with what must be done to begin to repair the damage done to the nation by the Bush foreign policy. He starts by saying, "A war begun recklessly could not and will not be turned around without great care. The eventual goal of the United States must be a complete removal of our combat military forces from Iraq."
If I did not already believe that Sen. Jim Webb is the best choice to be Sen. Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate, this one chapter of Webb's book would convince me. What a powerful, intelligent, informed voice he would be in an Obama administration!
Thanks!
Steve
I've been reading the book, too, and remain impressed with Webb's near-clairvoyance about how the Administration's bumbling, aggressive reaction would play out.