Skip to content

Americas Secret War

Metadata

Highlights

the U.S. had to demonstrate just how serious and frightening it could be, and then be in a position to put massive military and political pressure on the Saudis. This was the origin of the U.S. decision to invade Iraq. — location: 3594 ^ref-11287

In January 2002, while the United States was focusing its attention on dealing with both the nuclear crisis and the assault on Al Qaeda, the Saudi government quietly informed the United States that it would like U.S. forces to be removed from its land. — location: 3664 ^ref-6083

U.S. troops were moved into all of the countries surrounding Saudi Arabia—Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait. All of these countries feared Saudi power, and their rulers feared Saudi fundamentalism as well. — location: 3673 ^ref-58321

From a purely military point of view, Iraq is the single most strategic country in the Middle East. — location: 3798 ^ref-5014

Like its predecessor Mesopotamia, Iraq is the pivot of the Middle East. — location: 3801 ^ref-32309

All nations, especially democratic ones, are torn between the realities of foreign policy and the need to mobilize public opinion around ideals. — location: 4107 ^ref-28038

the U.S. was not demanding action because Iraq had WMD. Rather, it was demanding action because the Iraqis weren't cooperating with inspections. — location: 4221 ^ref-34515

The Iraq crisis was going to be the nucleus out of which a unified European foreign policy would emerge. — location: 4277 ^ref-38742

the French regarded Bush as an uncontrolled cowboy, while Bush read Chirac as an impetuous bumbler and was counting on him to overreact. It was Chirac who couldn't control his public behavior. — location: 4308 ^ref-58542

As in Europe, the idea that being antiwar meant being pro-French was a genuine political force. — location: 4314 ^ref-1420

The sense of victory, however, sometimes makes the victor careless. — location: 4842 ^ref-10516

A ruling class that sends the children of others to fight, but not their own, cannot sustain its power for very long. — location: 5209 ^ref-29407