INFORMATION SOURCES

This is a letter, this date, that I sent to the
local paper in answer to a letter published
there (in the Albany Democrat-Herald)
yesterday: Cord Meados asked for the
source of my information on Iraq. I thank
him for the question, and am happy to
share: I google "Iraq war" from time to
time, and find there a gold mine of info
concerning different views. I especially
appreciate the perspectives of our military
veterans who are serving, or have served
there. I honor their sacrifices, and thank
them totally for their service.

Of the many good books on Iraq, one by an
Iraqi heads the list: The Occupation of Iraq:
Winning the War and Losing the Peace, by
Ali A. Allawi. The author served in the first
new government as Minister of Defence, and
now is Senior Advisor to Mr. Maliki, the P. M.
He saw it all, and tells it with skill and polish.

The best book I've seen on Iraq by an American,
is The End of Iraq, by Peter Galbraith. He is an
expert who has spent a lot of time there over
many years and keeps close touch with friends
in the country. He believes Iraq will have to be
split three ways to survive. I don't necessarily
agree with that, but it may be so if we won't
work with the surrounding countries (all of
them) to stabilize the country and keep it whole.

For an authoritative military analysis of the war,
Fiasco, by Thomas Ricks is excellent. He is the
military reporter for The Washington Post. His
regular beat is the Pentagon, and he has good
sources there.

I believe the key to understanding Iraq and
what's happening there, is knowledge of the Shia-
Sunni split and the splits within those groups.
The best on that and the regional politics
involved (which we have largely ignored) is The
Shia Revival, by Vali Nasr, an Iranian-born
American Muslim professor of international
affairs, of growing recognition here and abroad.
He expertly fits the Iraq pieces into the total
Middle eastern puzzle, as we have failed to do.
It's a must-read!

Along similar lines, another brilliant book by an
Iranian-born American Muslim professor is No
God but God, by Reza Aslan. It is simply a
masterpiece on the history and basic teachings
of Islam, and sets straight, from the Koran,
many of the current and popular misunder-
standings about that unjustly vilified religion.

I hope this is helpful. For further (and valuable)
insights, check Juan Cole's regular updates on
Iraq and the Middle East as a whole, on the
Internet. He's a professor at the U. of Michigan,
and a widely recognized expert on that part of
the world and its history. Also check the foreign
press on the Internet. Newspapers are available
(free for the most part) from many parts of the
world. The Brit's papers are more objective and
more factually accurate than ours, generally
speaking. The Israeli papers are much more
balanced and objective on their part of the world
than are ours. If you want to know how Iraqis
think and feel about our presence there, and why
70-80% of them want us out now, read their blogs!
There are lots of them, with a wide range of views
and information. The truth is widely and easily
available, so there's no excuse for ignorance.
But there is a price! It's lives: theirs and ours!

jgoodwin004@centurytel.net