Iraq and the War of Sanctions: Conventional Threats and Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Since the Gulf War, Iraq has attempted to win through confrontation, diplomacy and bluster what it could not achieve on the battlefield. Defence analyst Anthony Cordesman suggests that this "war of sanctions" be a struggle that Iraq has begun to win. Saddam Hussein's regime remains aggressive and ambitious, and its military capabiliites cannot be judged solely by the current state of Iraq's armed forces. Most dangerous of all is Iraq's continuing effort to build an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Cordesman analyzes Iraqi strategic intentions and diplomatic opportunities, and assesses the options available to the international community to counter the Iraqi threat. Iraq has effectively used diplomatic means to divide the United Nations and exploit Arab sympathies, while using its oil wealth as an incentive to win support for an easing of sanctions. The military potential of Iraq, and especially its development of weapons of mass destruction, must be considered as much for its intimidation value as for any actual utility in a possible war. A realistic assessment of Iraq's future capabilities, says Cordesman, must take into account these political and strategic factors as purely military considerations.

Reviews

Cordesman's documentation is thorough....analysis of the IRGC and of Iran's problems in integrating the regular army and IRGC are excellent.-Int.Journal Middle East Study
Relying on myriad Western sources, Cordesman dissects Iraq's conventional force structure, its missile capabilities, and its past and future chenical, biological, and nuclear weapons capabilities....this is a very useful source for Persian Gulf regional as well as those interested in issues of weapons proliferation in today's world.-Social and Behavioral Sciences
The disturbing lesson of Anthony Coredsman's Iraq and the War of Sanctions, an authoritative study of American bombing of Iraq's chemical and biological and nuclear installations after 1991, is that using high-tech weaponry merely slows down, but cannot halt, a determined attempt by a rogue nation to create deadly arsenals.-New York Review of Books
The Iraq War: Strategy, Tactics, And Military Lessons is an extensive study of the second war against Saddam Hussein's regime. Expert military analyst Anthony Cordesman knowlagably dissects the course of the war as well as the interaction of joint forces day by day. Hethen draws lessons from the forces, naval forces, including intellegence concerning weapons of mass destruction. A thorough, information-laden presentation, The Iraq War is a very highly recommended and timely addition to Military History reference collections and reading lists.-Internet Bookwatch
"Cordesman's documentation is thorough....analysis of the IRGC and of Iran's problems in integrating the regular army and IRGC are excellent."-Int.Journal Middle East Study
"Relying on myriad Western sources, Cordesman dissects Iraq's conventional force structure, its missile capabilities, and its past and future chenical, biological, and nuclear weapons capabilities....this is a very useful source for Persian Gulf regional as well as those interested in issues of weapons proliferation in today's world."-Social and Behavioral Sciences
"The disturbing lesson of Anthony Coredsman's Iraq and the War of Sanctions, an authoritative study of American bombing of Iraq's chemical and biological and nuclear installations after 1991, is that using high-tech weaponry merely slows down, but cannot halt, a determined attempt by a rogue nation to create deadly arsenals."-New York Review of Books
"The Iraq War: Strategy, Tactics, And Military Lessons is an extensive study of the second war against Saddam Hussein's regime. Expert military analyst Anthony Cordesman knowlagably dissects the course of the war as well as the interaction of joint forces day by day. Hethen draws lessons from the forces, naval forces, including intellegence concerning weapons of mass destruction. A thorough, information-laden presentation, The Iraq War is a very highly recommended and timely addition to Military History reference collections and reading lists."-Internet Bookwatch

Author Bio

ANTHONY H. CORDESMAN is Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a military analyst for ABC News. A frequent commentator on National Public Radio, he is the author of numerous books on security issues and has served in a number of senior positions in the US government.