The Iraq Papers

This uneven compendium of primary sources on the Iraq War grew out of a course that the editors taught at Long Island University, where all are political science professors. The hundreds of documents—an eclectic selection ranging from official government documents to op-ed pieces, press releases and religious fatwas—are organized “around the key analytical theme of preemptive war,” and the editors introduce each chapter with an interpretive essay with a clear political bent: they roundly condemn Bush for cynically exploiting the tragedy of 9/11 and regard the invasion as a tactic to gain access to Iraq’s oil, a move that has effectively “destabilized international politics, brought chaos to the Persian Gulf, strengthened international terrorism, devastated Iraqi society, damaged the U.S. economy, threatened its democracy, and made the United States an international pariah.” As rigorously as the authors make their case, their reluctance to seriously engage with dissenting views might ensure that the collection will find an appreciative audience only among the converted. (Jan.)