As the United States withdraws its combat troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, politicians, foreign policy specialists, and the public are worrying about the consequences of leaving these two countries. Neither nation can be considered stable, and progress toward democracy in thema principal aim of America and the Westis fragile at best. But, international relations scholar Mark N. Katz asks: Could ending both wars actually help the United States and its allies to overcome radical Islam in the long term?Drawing lessons from the Cold War, Katz makes the case that rather than signaling the decline of American power and influence, removing military forces from Afghanistan and Iraq puts the U.S. in a better position to counter the forces of radical Islam. He explains that since both wars will likely remain intractable, for Washington to remain heavily involved in either is counter-productive. Katz argues that looking to its Cold War experience would help the U.S. find better strategies for employing America's scarce resources to deal with its adversaries now. This means that, although leaving Afghanistan and Iraq may well appear to be a victory for America's opponents in the short termas was the case when the U.S. withdrew from Indochinathe larger battle with militant Islam can be won only by refocusing foreign and military policy away from these two quagmires.This sober, objective assessment of what went wrong in the U.S.led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the ways the West can disentangle itself and still move forward draws striking parallels with the Cold War. Anyone concerned with the future of the War on Terror will find Katz's argument highly thought provoking.
Acknowledgments Prologue: The Beginning of the End of the War on Terror? The War on Terror in Perspective The Second Decade of the War on Terror What Exactly Is the War on Terror? Understanding What Went Wrong in the First Decade Assessing the Bush Strategy Why Couldn't the United States Foster Democracy in Iraq? Why Couldn't the United States Foster Democracy in Afghanistan? Democratization and the Legacy of History in the Muslim World Assessing the Obama Strategy Opportunities after Withdrawal Consequences of Withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan Regional Opposition Radical Repression Rifts among the Radicals Withdrawal Need Not Be Defeat Beyond Iraq and Afghanistan Regional and Local Conflicts in the War on Terror The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Iran Yemen Pakistan Decoupling Regional and Local Conflicts from the War on Terror New Factors and Broader Contexts The Death of Osama bin Laden The Arab Spring The Geopolitical Context The Historical Context The Bush and Obama Legacies Works Cited Index
""A well-written and well-organized presentation of possibilities and angles that counterterrorism policy makers and analysts should consider.""
