War Without End: The Rise of Islamist Terrorism and the Global Response

Rating:
Summary: A Good Start
Review: A great primer on the political situation in the Middle East as it relates to terrorism. Hiro begins with the history of Islam and its great schism (between Sunni and Shi'a)that has caused much violence itself. Hiro then discusses the origins of political violence in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan, with much attention paid to the US support for the Mujahidin. There is also a good description of the early stages of the war against terror (from the 1998 Embassy Bombings onward), the 9/11 attacks, and the future. A great overall book, it took a while to read, but I heartily recommend it. Look especially at the Select Bibliography at the end for recommendations on other books to read for more information.

Rating:
Summary: Dense, readable; inconclusive
Review: The latter part of the title of this book is accurate. It is about the rise of Islamist terrorism (especially this) and the reaction of the rest of the world. The first part of the title, War without End, is an interpretation of the effect of that response, especially by the United States. On page 411 Hiro quotes President George W. Bush as saying "So long as anybody is terrorizing established government, there needs to be a war." Hiro's belief is that unless the root causes of terrorism are eliminated, "This is a recipe for war without end."

I think he is mistaken on two counts. One, the root causes of terrorism are not easy to identify and they vary substantially from country to country. To say that poverty and repressive governments are the root cause, as Hiro apparently does (quoting French Foreign minister Hubert Vedrine on page 411), is mistaken (although they may be contributing causes) since there are many places in the world where poverty exists along with repressive regimes and yet there is no terrorism. Furthermore, one of the most brutal terrorists of them all, Osama bin Laden, was a privileged and extravagantly rich Saudi son with millions of dollars and four wives. What is the root cause of his terrorism? Insanity or just plain old hatred, jealousy, and prejudice?

Two, a universally agreed upon definition of terrorism, as Hiro points out on page 412, is lacking. The Arab world, for example, believes that Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel are not acts of terrorism, but acts of self-defense. Since it is not clear just what is and what is not terrorism, it is difficult to work on the "causes." Clearly there has been since the time of the Prophet (and before) "a war without end" in the Arab Muslim lands regardless of circumstance.

Consequently, the only viable response to terrorism is the same as any civilized society has toward violent crime. Until we have a universal justice system (with enforcement) or until all countries in the world cooperate against terrorism, individual nations will do what they can to protect themselves and their people.

But these arguments aside, the central fact is there is no justification for terrorism. Indeed there is no justification for the use of violent force against anyone except in self-defense. This is the view of most people in the world; indeed it stems from such universally-agreed upon precepts in the Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments, and the tenets of all religions. The problem in the world today is that it is not so easy to determine where self-defense actually begins. Thus we have the emerging doctrine of unilateral preemptive strikes against terrorists which may very well be acts of self-defense.

What Hiro does well in this book is to give us a thorough modern history (in so far as one can in a single 513-page volume) of the conflicts within and among the Arab states, particularly in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, leading up to the situation as it exists today. His report is fairly well balanced, revealing an almost continuous climate of murder, revenge, armed conflict, war, repression and assassination by various Islamic and not-so Islamic groups, tribes, organizations and governments in the Middle East. He makes it clear (to me at least) that it is not Islam, per se, that is responsible for the continued carnage so much as the various violent and war-like interpretations of the Quran and the Hadith by assorted mullahs and any alim with a website. The tribal mentality that still exists in much of the Arab world is also clearly shown as a factor. This is a view of the world that highly values the effective use of force and violence; and a mentality that so fears women (or its own inability to live equally with women) that they must be controlled by making them subservient and hidden from sight. One also sees at fault the Muslim mind that believes that Islam is the only true religion. Such narrow-minded prejudice and stupidity, along with a reliance on authority instead of the scientific method as a test of truth, leaves many in the Middle East in ignorance and poverty. Imagine what it must be like to live in a society in which to change your religion is to invite a sentence of death.

Hiro identifies the rise of Islamist terrorism with Egyptian President Sadat's signing a bilateral peace treaty with Israel in 1979. (p. 422) I would suggest that perhaps the violent inspiration of Sayyid Qutb and other Islamic extremists who inspired the militant Muslim Brotherhood which arose against the Egyptian government and spread from there may be a better focus. Hiro has Qutb argue on page 67 "that once the Brothers had declared someone to be jahil (infidel), they had the right to attack this person or property, a right granted in Islam."

A recipe for War without End is to imagine that this sort of thinking has any legitimacy in a civilized world.

For my part it is a sin (if sin there be) to presume to speak for God. Those who pretend to be God's conduits are merely trying to increase their personal power and prestige. Hiro quotes from the Quran (3:164) as justifying suicidal martyrdom in the eyes of "radical Islamists" with these words: "Count not those who were slain in God's way as dead, but rather living with their Lord..." (p. 270) Such an interpretation to my mind depreciates the believer's God to the point that there is no difference between God and men. Any God that needs people to kill other people for reward isn't much of a God.

This is a formidable read, packed with information and clearly written; but perhaps Hiro's weakness is a blindness in interpretation as though he were unaware of the very history he is describing.

Rating:
Summary: Dense, readable; inconclusive
Review: The latter part of the title of this book is accurate. It is about the rise of Islamist terrorism (especially this) and the reaction of the rest of the world. The first part of the title, War without End, is an interpretation of the effect of that response, especially by the United States. On page 411 Hiro quotes President George W. Bush as saying "So long as anybody is terrorizing established government, there needs to be a war." Hiro's belief is that unless the root causes of terrorism are eliminated, "This is a recipe for war without end."

I think he is mistaken on two counts. One, the root causes of terrorism are not easy to identify and they vary substantially from country to country. To say that poverty and repressive governments are the root cause, as Hiro apparently does (quoting French Foreign minister Hubert Vedrine on page 411), is mistaken (although they may be contributing causes) since there are many places in the world where poverty exists along with repressive regimes and yet there is no terrorism. Furthermore, one of the most brutal terrorists of them all, Osama bin Laden, was a privileged and extravagantly rich Saudi son with millions of dollars and four wives. What is the root cause of his terrorism? Insanity or just plain old hatred, jealousy, and prejudice?

Two, a universally agreed upon definition of terrorism, as Hiro points out on page 412, is lacking. The Arab world, for example, believes that Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel are not acts of terrorism, but acts of self-defense. Since it is not clear just what is and what is not terrorism, it is difficult to work on the "causes." Clearly there has been since the time of the Prophet (and before) "a war without end" in the Arab Muslim lands regardless of circumstance.

Consequently, the only viable response to terrorism is the same as any civilized society has toward violent crime. Until we have a universal justice system (with enforcement) or until all countries in the world cooperate against terrorism, individual nations will do what they can to protect themselves and their people.

But these arguments aside, the central fact is there is no justification for terrorism. Indeed there is no justification for the use of violent force against anyone except in self-defense. This is the view of most people in the world; indeed it stems from such universally-agreed upon precepts in the Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments, and the tenets of all religions. The problem in the world today is that it is not so easy to determine where self-defense actually begins. Thus we have the emerging doctrine of unilateral preemptive strikes against terrorists which may very well be acts of self-defense.

What Hiro does well in this book is to give us a thorough modern history (in so far as one can in a single 513-page volume) of the conflicts within and among the Arab states, particularly in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, leading up to the situation as it exists today. His report is fairly well balanced, revealing an almost continuous climate of murder, revenge, armed conflict, war, repression and assassination by various Islamic and not-so Islamic groups, tribes, organizations and governments in the Middle East. He makes it clear (to me at least) that it is not Islam, per se, that is responsible for the continued carnage so much as the various violent and war-like interpretations of the Quran and the Hadith by assorted mullahs and any alim with a website. The tribal mentality that still exists in much of the Arab world is also clearly shown as a factor. This is a view of the world that highly values the effective use of force and violence; and a mentality that so fears women (or its own inability to live equally with women) that they must be controlled by making them subservient and hidden from sight. One also sees at fault the Muslim mind that believes that Islam is the only true religion. Such narrow-minded prejudice and stupidity, along with a reliance on authority instead of the scientific method as a test of truth, leaves many in the Middle East in ignorance and poverty. Imagine what it must be like to live in a society in which to change your religion is to invite a sentence of death.

Hiro identifies the rise of Islamist terrorism with Egyptian President Sadat's signing a bilateral peace treaty with Israel in 1979. (p. 422) I would suggest that perhaps the violent inspiration of Sayyid Qutb and other Islamic extremists who inspired the militant Muslim Brotherhood which arose against the Egyptian government and spread from there may be a better focus. Hiro has Qutb argue on page 67 "that once the Brothers had declared someone to be jahil (infidel), they had the right to attack this person or property, a right granted in Islam."

A recipe for War without End is to imagine that this sort of thinking has any legitimacy in a civilized world.

For my part it is a sin (if sin there be) to presume to speak for God. Those who pretend to be God's conduits are merely trying to increase their personal power and prestige. Hiro quotes from the Quran (3:164) as justifying suicidal martyrdom in the eyes of "radical Islamists" with these words: "Count not those who were slain in God's way as dead, but rather living with their Lord..." (p. 270) Such an interpretation to my mind depreciates the believer's God to the point that there is no difference between God and men. Any God that needs people to kill other people for reward isn't much of a God.

This is a formidable read, packed with information and clearly written; but perhaps Hiro's weakness is a blindness in interpretation as though he were unaware of the very history he is describing.