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Title: Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror by Richard A. Clarke ISBN: 0-7432-6024-4 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 22 March, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.77 (431 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Split Decision
Comment: Richard Clarke has managed to make himself into such a polarizing figure that it is virtually impossible to approach his book without prejudice. Against All Enemies manages to confirm the prejudices of both his supporters and his detractors.
The book has two personalities.
The good book begins with a fascinating insider's look at the White House on September 11, 2001. It then proceeds to educate us about the recent history of US involvement in the Middle East and the rise of terrorism as the replacement for the Soviet Union as the main threat to the security of the United States. The book is well worth reading just for this, to say nothing of the fact that its notoriety has made it required reading anyway. The story is immensely important, and Clarke tells it very well.
The bad book is all about Richard Clarke, a man whose talents and contributions have obviously never been suitably appreciated. For instance, we are informed that as the youngest Assistant Secretary of State he single-handedly was responsible for Israel's agreement to abide by the UN sanctions on arms sales to South Africa during apartheid. It turns out that every event in the Middle East for the last 30 years has Clarke's stamp on it ... his doing if it worked out, someone else's fault if it didn't.
What about the substance of his charges? First, the headline is different from the story.
The headline is "Three Republican Presidents irresponsibly ignored terrorism; one Democrat tried his best but was crippled by partisan attacks by Republican adversaries." This is nearly verbatim from the preface and is a fair representation of his public remarks before the 9-11 Commission and on TV.
The story itself is actually more balanced. He credits Reagan's response to Afghanistan as paving the way to subsequent support for Saudi Arabia and Kuwait against Iraq and he is quite complimentary of Bush 41's coalition building and the decision not to occupy Iraq afterwards. He argues that another 72 hours of warfare would have been appropriate in the first Iraq war and he contrasts Bush 43's Iraq preparations unfavorably with those of Bush 41.
Not until the last chapter does Clarke's book resemble Clarke's public statements. Here, he loses the appearance of thoughtful objectivity and lapses into partisan polemic. It may be the case that some, much or even all of what he says here is correct, but he turns off any reader who is looking for the truth rather than for material to use in a political attack. Many of his policy proposals are persuasive, but like the space-shuttle engineers who knew the O rings would fail, it is not enough to be right.
Richard Clarke has testified under oath that the Bush 43 administration irresponsibly disregarded the threat of terrorism. Condi Rice has testified under oath to the contrary. At the moment, the country is riven along these lines and is about to express its views in a Presidential election. It will take years for an informed consensus to develop both about the facts and about their meaning. Everyone is very likely to look back on these events as the most momentous in 30 or 40 years; in the mean time everyone, both red and blue, should read this book: despite its significant weaknesses it is informed and thought-provoking.
Rating: 4
Summary: Mad or Gospel? You be the judge.
Comment: Political exposes are typically sensationalized accounts of a former politico's experiences as told to an unwitting biographer. The latest and greatest, AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, is much more than just abuzz, it is literally on fire as its release was concurrent (timed or no?) with the 9/11 Commission hearings. And, whether you find Richard Clarke (the former terroism czar under Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II...and Reagan) credible or not, many of the revelations from ENEMIES are alarming at best.
ENEMIES approaches each President and amplifies the approach to terrorism led by each man but, without any doubt (as is splashed all over the airwaves), Clarke saves his harshest criticism and indictments for Bush II and his advisors. His charge? Failure to take terroism and, in particular, Al-Qaeda seriously. He further charges that Bush II and team were laser focused on Iraq from the outset although certain reports and intelligence indicated otherwise.
Although terrorism relative to domestic and foreign/U.S. targets became a growing phenomenon in the Clinton/Bush II times, Clarke details how Bush I ignored the terrorism threat and cites his failure to eliminate Saddam Hussein, thus 'necessitating' Bush II to take up where Bush I failed.
According to Clarke, Clinton had the best grasp of the terroism issue and Al-Qaeda's growing presence and control. However, Clinton's plans to address this threat were undermined by the Lewinski sex scandal and subsequent impeachment proceedings.
Clarke's rendition is very believable regardless the dubious timing of this book's release. This will be a hotly debated issue for some time to come and, as I write this review, Condi Rice's "sworn" testimony is less than one week away in front of the Commission. While she will no doubt douse some of Clarke's sizzle, ENEMIES is a very readable account of a career man who feels very strongly about the lack of action taken by the last 20+ years of sitting Presidents.
Rating: 4
Summary: A bit self centered, but riveting nonetheless
Comment: The (many) strengths and (very few) weaknesses of Richard Clarke's book, "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror," are evident from Chapter 1 ("Evacuate the White House"). On the "strength" side, we've got the follwing: gripping; detailed; extremely knowledgeable; fascinating; insightful; and candid. Also on the "strength" side of the equation, we've got a narrator who's obviously very bright, articulate, accomplished, competent, and professional. Reading this book, the thought that kept springing to my mind is, "thank god for Richard Clarke." Or, alternately, "if there was a huge crisis going on and I could only choose one person to be in charge of handling it, I would choose Richard Clarke in a heartbeat." At least, I would choose the Richard Clarke as self-portrayed in this book.
And there's the weakness of "Against All Enemies": it's all Clarke, all the time, so you either find him: a) credible and not too self-serving (at least by Washington DC standards); or b) conceited, self-righteous, even insufferable. Personally, I found Clarke to be some of both ("a" and "b"), but overwhelmingly "a." Let's face facts; anyone who writes a memoir is going to try hard to make himself look good, unless h has a really low opinion of himself and a very small ego. Something tells me that Clarke suffers from neither one of these problems!
So, what we have here, as the book's title declares, is an account of 9/11 and the years leading up to it from a true insider perspective. But not just any insider; Richard Clarke is probably the foremost expert in the world on the subject he covers.
Is Clarke perfect, neutral, unbiased? Nope, he's human, and a very smart/competent/accomplished human to boot. As such, Clarke's got opinions, sometimes contrary to popular belief, sometimes exactly what you'd think. For instance, that the Clinton Administration was actually pretty good when it came to dealing with terror is different than most people probably think. Whatever you believe about this issue, I suggest that you read Clarke's account of events and make up your own mind.
On the Bush Administration, Clarke also has very strong opinions -- bound to enrage Bush partisans and thrill Bush opponents. For instance, Clarke all but labels Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as a complete nutcase (and not too bright, either), spouting bizarre and discredited conspiracy theories in which Saddam's behind everything but the common cold (hmmm...come to think of it!). Dick Cheney comes off as simply frightening, in a Doctor Strangelove sort of way. And George W. Bush comes off as someone not quite fully in charge of things, being subtly manipulated by the more intelligent, wily, clever, and powerful men around him. Is this true or false? Accurate reporting or partisan axe-grinding by Clarke? Again, I suggest you read the book and make up your own mind.
In the end, though, what's really fascinating about this book is that it gives you a feel for events, a ringside seat at how things get done in the White House during a crisis, and, as importantly, during "business as usual" times too. Whether or not you like Richard Clarke, what he gives us in "Against All Enemies" is a complete, fascinating, gripping, credible account of 9/11, the years leading up to it, and what we should be doing now to fight terror. All in all, this is an important, historic book, if self-centered at times. I strongly recommend it.
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Title: Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward ISBN: 074325547X Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 19 April, 2004 List Price(USD): $28.00 |
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Title: The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill by Ron Suskind ISBN: 0743255453 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 13 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush by John W. Dean ISBN: 031600023X Publisher: Little, Brown Pub. Date: 06 April, 2004 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right by Al Franken ISBN: 0525947647 Publisher: Dutton Books Pub. Date: 29 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush by Kevin Phillips ISBN: 0670032646 Publisher: Viking Books Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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