The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq Book

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The most respectable characteristic of this book is the palpable regret with which Mr. Pollack has come to the conclusion that the only good choice the U.S. has left is to invade Iraq to remove Hussein. While many on the anti-war side will seek to target Mr. Pollack personally, attempting to find ulterior motives, there just simply aren't any. Pollack clearly hates the fact that we have come to this, as any civilized person does. But after laying out all the things we have tried: sanctions, embargoes, bombing runs, etc., etc... there just simply isn't any other option left, in his expert opinion. Saddam Hussein is actively working to acquire a nuclear weapon, already has smaller chemical and biological weapons, and is looking for every chance he can get to throw the Middle East and the rest of the world into chaos. Mr. Pollack goes into great detail in explaining how he has done and is doing this, as well as giving numerous facts and details as to how waiting any longer will only make the situation for us and the rest of the world... so much worse.

The crowds opposing the U.S. led removal of Saddam Hussein from power have their roots in the same Left-wing ideologies (as well as a few of the fringe Right) of the leaders that opposed stopping Hitler in 1938. These ancestors of today's Left won the debate in 1938. Millions died soon after because of their victory. Now we are facing a similar situation... and the Left is again clamoring to let Saddam Hussein go on murdering. This is not to say all that oppose the war are of these groups; some that are opposed are very logical, honestly informed and well-intentioned. But the Noam Chomskys of the world simply have none of these traits. Bill Buckley put it well in a recent interview by explaining that people that are opposed to war under ANY circumstance (as these people are) just simply don't believe America is worth fighting for (and driving one's Range Rover to the local college campus rally is not what is meant by "fighting"). Read the anti-American diatribes coming from some of these folks and their underlying vitriol becomes readily transparent. Kenneth Pollack did not write this book for these people. He wrote this book for the general public, and most specifically, for the people that will begin this book with a skepticism and doubts that are genuine and honest, not jaded and cynical. A reader in this position may not be convinced, but he will respect Mr. Pollack's sincerity and seriousness, at the very least.