Steve Coll's new book, "The Achilles Trap," delves into the complexities of Saddam Hussein's personality, portraying him as a trained assassin and rural tribesman who was at times sharp and worldly, yet often erratic and paranoid. The book examines the psychological dynamics and misunderstandings, including Hussein's fascination with gun stores and the tragic miscommunication over non-existent weapons of mass destruction, that led to the U.S. war in Iraq. Reviews by Noreen Malone and Gideon Rose emphasize the book's insightful analysis into the lead-up to the conflict and its implications for Middle East policies today.
In @nytopinion "Why did Mr. Hussein sacrifice his long reign in power — and ultimately his life — by creating an impression that he held dangerous weapons when he did not?" Steve Coll writes. https://t.co/74WLJ16m1Q
Earlier, @TheEconomist's Steve Coll traced the relationship between Iraq's leader and the U.S. and how misunderstandings and miscommunications led to war over non-existent weapons of mass destruction, and the implications for today's Mideast policies. https://t.co/ep6XeH5oqx
“When the Iraqi president and his top aides considered the attractions of America,” Steve Coll writes in his new book about Saddam Hussein and the lead-up to the Iraq war, “they thought of gun stores.” Noreen Malone reviews. https://t.co/uKlKUaV0XP
Steve Coll’s new book, “The Achilles Trap,” analyzes the psychological dynamics and misunderstandings that fueled the U.S. war in Iraq. Read Gideon Rose’s review: https://t.co/rGgE3ljbrq
Steve Coll’s “The Achilles Trap,” a new book about Saddam Hussein and the lead-up to the Iraq war, “captures a trained assassin and rural tribesman who could be sharp and worldly, but was more often erratic and paranoid,” writes Noreen Malone. https://t.co/xBd5o5YIQV