Product Description

On the tenth anniversary of Desert Storm, a leading commentator on the region investigates events in Iran and Iraq since the war ended, uncovering the mutual deception and intrigue that have marked America's protracted conflict with Iraq.
In Neighbors, Not Friends, Middle East expert Dilip Hiro blows the cover on how Iraq cheated the UN inspectors on disarmament, and how the US conversely manipulated and infiltrated the UN inspection teams to gather intelligence on Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein. Combining first-hand journalistic accounts with political expertise, Hiro assesses the checkered past and future of these embattled nations. He also investigates Hussein, who shows no signs of relinquishing office despite the devastating deprivation suffered by the Iraqi people. He simultaneously tracks the recent upheavals and the development of domestic politics in Iran, where a liberal government strives for authority against a conservative religious right wing.
Hailed as "perceptive," "balanced," and "definitive," Hiro's previous books The Longest War and Desert Shield to Desert Storm won rave reviews for taking us from the trenches of the Iran-Iraq war to its inevitable climax in the Desert Storm campaign. Completing the trilogy, Neighbors, Not Friends continues Hiro's trenchant analysis, yielding the first, full balanced account of Iran and Iraq and their pivotal position for the US and the world today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #870126 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

From Library Journal
It has been ten years since Operation Desert Storm's defeat of the Iraqi army. Although the Gulf War is now a distant memory for many in the West, the devastating effects of that conflict are felt by the Iraqi people on a daily basis. In neighboring Iran, 13 years after the end of the Iran-Iraq War (the first Gulf War), a new form of political struggle has pitted reformists against conservatives. The outcome of this ongoing conflict will undoubtedly have a profound effect on Iran's relations with its Arab neighbors and the rest of the world. In this engaging, readable, and jargon-free book, Hiro (Sharing the Promised Land), a veteran journalist and leading commentator on the Middle East whose previous books have been highly regarded, covers developments in Iraq and Iran in the past decade. He combines firsthand information with a keen sense of political knowledge of the region to give us an informed, objective, and up-to-date analysis of political developments in two key countries in the Persian Gulf. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Nader Entessar, Spring Hill Coll., Mobile, AL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
...I highly recommend this book for its comprehensive coverage of events and its even-handed approach to issues that do nto always recieve objective treatment in the West. -Nader Entessar, Spring Hill College.

A blow-by-blow account of how two wars have affected the fortunes of two nations. Drawing on myriad sources, from newspapers to interviews, Hiro presents a good primer on contemporary Iraqi and Iranian history..
–Kirkus Reviews

A blow-by-blow account of how two wars have affected the fortunes of two nations. Drawing on myriad sources, from newspapers to interviews, Hiro presents a good primer on contemporary Iraqi and Iranian history..
–Kirkus Reviews

...I highly recommend this book for its comprehensive coverage of events and its even-handed approach to issues that do nto always recieve objective treatment in the West. -Nader Entessar, Spring Hill College.


Hiro...presents a good primer on contemporary Iraqi and Iranian history. -- Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2001

About the Author
Dilip Hiro is a journalist and commentator who has reported on the Middle East for twenty years. His articles have appeared in The New Republic, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Economist. His 21 books of fiction and nonfiction include The Longest War: The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict (1991), Desert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf War (1992) and The Middle East (1996).

Customer Reviews

Another Great Book by Hiro
Dilip Hiro is one of the best authors out there for Middle Eastern politics. This book deals with Iraq and Iran during the nineties with an eye towards life inside the countries as well as U.S. policies.

Hiro can be critical of Western policies, but overall he is a very balanced, thoughtful writer. A lot of misinformation has been put out there by the government and right leaning authors about what happened during the weapons inspections process, but Hiro is an excellent place to start if you want to get a better grasp of what happened during the nineties, and how it has affected the current problems with Iraq.

Overall, the book is well written, and easy to understand. I would put it in my top ten list of books on Iraq to recommend to read.

Ages like a good wine
I bought this book while preparing to write on political changes in Iraq during 2003. It was one of many.
At first it seemed somewhat biased in its tone (pro Saddam), when compared to the rest of the bunch but it was well written, with a lot of background research visible. As time passed, most of the reasoning in it got validated, unlike a good portion of the official mumbo jumbo.
Made me want to read some more of Dilip Hiro!

Will Podmore's Political Agenda
Will Podmore's review concentrates more on the current situation with Iraq than a review of the book. Keep to the facts Willy.