Alliance Against Babylon: The US, Israel and Iraq - Hardcover

Cooley, John K.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0745322824 ISBN 13: 9780745322827

Publisher: Pluto Press, 2005

Synopsis

The ruins of ancient Babylon still stand in Iraq. They are a reminder that today's conflict is only one of many that have engulfed the country, and the wider Middle East, over the centuries.

John Cooley, a former correspondent for ABC News and the Christian Science Monitor, argues that America's new invasion and occupation of Iraq marks a turning point in the West's relationship with the Arab world, and alters the balance of power within the Middle East.

He argues that the crucial factor in this new development is the relationship between Israel and the United States. Examining today's problems from this unique perspective, Cooley covers a broad sweep of history, from biblical Babylonian times until now. He shows how US and Israeli interests in the Middle East were contradictory at first. He explains how and why the US-Israel alliance gradually evolved.

Drawing from unpublished sources, as well as from John Cooley's personal encounters with principal players such as David ben-Gurion, the Shah of Iran, Anwar al-Sadat, King Hussein of Jordan and Saddam Hussein himself, this book gives a uniquely valuable perspective on the complex history of Iraq and why it continues to be at the heart of world affairs.

About this title

About the Author:

John K. Cooley is a correspondent for ABC News and has written widely on the Middle East and North Africa. In 1996 he received the coveted George Polk Memorial Award from Long Island University for a distinguished career achievement in international reportage for more than 40 years of reporting and living in the Middle East and North Africa. He is the author of five other books on the Middle East, including Payback: America's Long War in the Middle East (1991) and Libyan Sandstorm: Qaddafi's Revolution (1981).

Review:

"John Cooley's understanding of the Middle East is almost second to none." John Pilger -- z

'A major contribution... [This book has] a depth and a vitality that will captivate many people.' -- Ray Close, former CIA Station Chief in Saudi Arabia

'A masterpiece.' Edward W. Said -- Praise for John Cooley's previous book, Unholy Wars:

'Cooley has been right so often he has few equals. ... This book is typically Cooley: much needed and brilliant.' -- John Pilger

'The Iraq war is unintelligible without the history John Cooley's brave new book provides.' -- Brady Kiesling, former US Diplomat in various Arab capitals who resigned in protest against George W. Bush's middle east policy

About this edition

• Publisher: Pluto Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0745322824
• ISBN 13: 9780745322827
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 278