Book Review: John Keegan's The Iraq War (2005)

Overview of Keegan's Iraq War

John Keegan tackles what he admits to be one of the most controversial wars in recent American history in The Iraq War. However, Keegan's first edition was published in 2004, meaning that the author penned most of his observations not long after the invasion began. When Keegan extols the victories of the coalition forces in the book's opening chapters, readers may wonder whether he is referring to the same Iraq War that 24-hour cable news networks were still reporting on in 2008 — the same war that has sullied the reputation of the United States, and the same war that has not been characterized by "ending victoriously," as Keegan claims on the opening page (p. 1). Keegan was ultimately compelled to add a postscript and a new subtitle for the publisher's second edition: The Iraq War: The Military Offensive, from Victory in 21 Days to the Insurgent Aftermath. Even so, the postscript cannot offer any closure to the issues at large in the ongoing conflict.

Keegan begins by introducing Iraq through its history, tracing its ancient roots as the Mesopotamian cradle of civilization through the birth of Islam, then the Ottoman Empire, and finally the British colonial occupation at the beginning of the twentieth century. The historical analysis culminates in his explication of Saddam Hussein's role in destabilizing the nation. Keegan proceeds to describe Saddam's invasion of Kuwait and the American response with the First Gulf War during the first Bush administration. Following September 11 and the crises of 2002 and 2003, the American and British coalition launched their invasion amid much international objection. Ultimately, Baghdad was captured and Saddam arrested, leaving Iraq's future dreadfully uncertain. The insurgent aftermath serves as a glaring reminder of the need for greater sensitivity to the historical, cultural, and religious issues that plague Iraq and prevent peace throughout the entire Middle East.

Historical Background and Saddam Hussein

Crucial to Keegan's historical analysis is a brief biography of Saddam Hussein, which comprises several chapters of the book. Saddam was a sadistic megalomaniac, Keegan notes, whose use of chemical weapons was akin to that of the Nazis. Hussein's invasion of Kuwait was what kick-started international intervention in Iraqi affairs and exposed the disorder that had been made of Mesopotamia. Keegan points out that Iraq was a troubled nation even before Saddam rose to power, because the British artificially assembled it without concern for the rights of its people. Iraq was — and still is — composed of three distinct ethnic groups that the Ottomans had ruled separately. Those groups also differed sharply in their views of Islam, most notably between the Sunni and the Shi'a.

Keegan spends a sufficient portion of the book explaining the domestic conflicts within Iraq. Unfortunately, he justifies the 2003 invasion using much of the same rhetoric touted by the Bush administration, without paying adequate attention to the glaring lack of foresight that characterized Operation Iraqi Freedom. His position throughout the book is clearly pro-war and sympathetic to the neo-conservative ideology that motivated it. For example, he uses the word "deprived" to describe the way President Clinton refused to subscribe to the doctrine of pre-emption (p. 96).

Pro-War Bias and Neo-Conservative Rhetoric

Keegan can barely conceal his sympathy for the neo-conservative point of view when he writes about their "highly traditional American cast of mind" and their desire to save the world from its ills by "transforming absolutist, monarchical and autocratic regimes into free-enterprise democracies" (p. 96). Keegan makes the Americans sound exactly the way they wished to be perceived: as liberators, as heroes, and as a superpower saving the world from tyranny.

To underscore his support for the war, Keegan spends considerable time depicting the menace of Saddam Hussein and the state of disrepair in which Iraq was found upon invasion. Saddam was a brutal dictator who massacred countless people as a means of consolidating and demonstrating his power. The First Gulf War failed to remove him or achieve any lasting stability in the region. After devoting roughly half of the book to describing Saddam's brutalities, Keegan introduces Operation Iraqi Freedom as being easily justifiable, especially given the fear that gripped America after September 11. To his credit, Keegan also offers some explanation of the neo-conservative ideology that formed the political backdrop of the war, noting that the desire to create peace in the region was partly driven by the need to protect Israel.

Reference

Keegan, J. (2005). The Iraq War: The Military Offensive, from Victory in 21 Days to the Insurgent Aftermath. Vintage.