by Lt. General Thomas McInerney (USAF, Ret.) and Maj. General Paul Vallely (US Army, Ret.)
The authors both have extensive military experience and now work as military analysts for FOX News. Before I go on, let me point out – this book is offered as their opinion on how to win the war on terror. That said, I think their plan has more good points than bad.
The authors advance a policy of regime change. And while this may be an ideal solution (a world where we dictate the leaders of every country would have to be supportive of US interests, although markedly undemocratic), it is somewhat unrealistic. We will soon have to take action to disarm Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs, stop Russian and Chinese aid to rogue nuclear programs, and get Pakistan’s weapons secured, but when we’re taking so much flak already for going after state sponsors of terrorism (cough cough Iraq ) I’m not sure how the authors plan to carry out these campaigns. We’re still in Iraq after 4 years, and I don’t know that we can manage invasions of Iran, Syria, North Korea, Pakistan, etc., while we simultaneously attempt to restore order to Iraq and Afghanistan.
There is a discussion of creating a new alliance, with a specific goal of destroying the web of terrorist groups, but I’m not quite sure how effective that would be. Theoretically, isn’t that what the UN sort of is? Global police? And we all know how effective the UN is (or is not, as the case may be). But even if we did form such an alliance, how many of them would stay with us as we steadily worked through the regimes of the Middle East and Central Asia? Maybe I’m getting too cynical and there are still some countries with guts, but I just don’t know.
Anyway, the authors’ insight into the changes to the military and warfare for the GWOT are interesting, as are the worst case scenarios that may result if we do not act quickly and decisively to disrupt the global network of terror.
The analysis of the status of Iraq is a bit too optimistic in my opinion and seems to ignore the activity of the insurgents there now, but since most of the media is entirely too pessimistic and the book is three years old, I’m willing to give them a break on that.
All in all, a pretty good thought provoking book.
Next on the list… Lone Survivor. It’s going to be amazing, but it will probably make me cry.
