DeFronzo (Revolutions and Revolutionary Movements
) delivers a straightforward summary of the Iraq war's historical roots and future possibilities. He argues that the war is “best understood within the context of the importance of Iraq's energy resources” and that the “U.S. and British intervention in Iran in 1953 set in motion a series of momentous processes... [that led] eventually to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.” For all his research, the author doesn't prove either theory. He makes frequent statements to the effect that America's need for Iraq's natural resources “appear to have influenced the decision to invade” or that many “suspected” or “believed” as much, and quotes Alan Greenspan saying that the war was about oil (but doesn't note that Greenspan immediately said he'd been misquoted)—but such speculations don't amount to hard evidence. Furthermore, DeFronzo consistently draws a straight line from the events of 1953 to 2003, but there is far too little in the way of explanation or analysis—given the 50-year time span and the sheer number of players and regional upheavals. (Sept.)
