Back Cover copy
At the outset of the Gulf War, US leaders resolved that 'Iraqi's will pay the price', so long as Saddam Hussein remained in power. This book shows in chilling detail just how terrible that price has been. Eleven years ago Saddam was caught off-guard by the allied attack; his preparations since September 11 show that lessons have been learnt. In a substantial new prologue the authors analyse Saddam's preparations and the terrifying consequences of a military invasion of Iraq.
'The most detailed look available at what has happened in post-Gulf War Iraq ... Because of Patrick Cockburn's contacts in Baghdad, [the book] brings light to a political system that most writing leaves shrouded in darkness.' Washington Post Book World
'The picture that emerges ... is among the most coherent and accessible of any book on Iraq to date.' New York Times Book Review