About the Author

Anthony H. Cordesman holds the Arleigh Burke Chair in Strategy at CSIS.

Reviews

Even as American military personnel are struggling with the aftermath of the Iraq War, the debate continues over why and how we became involved, what happened during the war, and more important, what will be the short- and long-term outcomes of the conflict. Cordesman, a national security strategist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and author of numerous books on terrorism and the Middle East, seeks to define these debates in terms of lessons learned. He outlines the success of American forces in becoming a more lethal and effective fighting machine, emphasizing better cooperation among the services, real-time battlefield information, and even greater precision in targeting. Cordesman also argues that the United States still has much to learn concerning human intelligence gathering, coalition building, and nation building. Thorough in his analysis, Cordesman examines the breadth and depth of the war from the strategic to tactical operations as well as from the Iraqi side. This study will no doubt shape many of the national security arguments for the near future as others attempt either to support or to destroy Cordesman's persuasive analysis. Although technical and requiring extensive knowledge of national security and military terminology, the book is highly recommended for academic and military libraries.-Lt. Col. Charles M. Minyard, U.S. Army, Blountstown, FL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.