Iraq: In the Eye of the Storm

George Bush Sr. described Saddam Hussein as the “new Hitler,” while his son, George W., during a recent state of the union address, accused Iraq of being part of an “axis of evil.” Since 1990 few places have inspired such high dudgeon in U.S. political circles as Iraq, a country easily demonized, simplified or even obscured by the formidable Saddam Hussein. In this short, pithy primer, the celebrated journalist and historian Dilip Hiro looks beyond the spin of both the Bush administration and Saddam’s Ba-athist regime to explore Iraq in all its complexity. Combining case histories and searching political analysis, Hiro explores everyday life in Iraq now, describing the lives of the Iraqi “street” and the effect sanctions have had on their lives.