Step back in time

Iraq

By Dilip Hiro. Granta. 271pp.

Reviewer: Pte John Wellfare

It can be easy to become overwhelmed by the immensity of an issue and lose sight of the smaller picture.

Written just before last year’s war, Dilip Hiro’s look at Iraq from the inside is a worthy reminder of war’s effects on the ordinary people who happen to live in an “enemy s-tate”.

This uncompromisingly objective account begins by discussing the effect of UN sanctions on Iraqi citizens, moving on to look at a number of events in the country’s recent history, as well as drawing attention to some of the key factors and influences on the troubled nation.

It concludes with the build-up to the push to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

While acknowledging the faults of the Iraqi regime, Hiro presents a number of little-known facts about the role of other nations in creating circumstances that ultimately led to two wars.

Some could see the publication date as the biggest fault with Iraq, as it was written just before the war.

But many of the assessments made about possible outcomes have since been proved correct, adding significantly to the overall validity of Hiro’s work.

Iraq is an enlightening and thought-provoking read that presents “evil” as a matter of opinion and war as a non-solution.
Hiro’s only sympathy is with the Iraqi people, who found themselves in a no-win situation as a result of cutthroat politics and public, political and commercial manipulation from all sides.