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IMPERIAL HUBRIS: WHY THE WEST IS LOSING THE WAR ON TERROR1
Americans are asking, why do they hate us? They hate our freedoms-our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote. - President George W. Bush
Only when U.S. leaders stop believing and preaching that bin Laden and his allies are attacking us for what we are and what we think, and instead clearly state they are attacking us for what we do, can we put aside our ill-advised and hallucinatory crusade for democracy.4
I. Introduction
Everyone reading Imperial Hubris will agree on one point, and perhaps only one point: Imperial Hubris is a bold and provocative work. This is especially true, because it is written by a senior intelligence officer in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),5 not by an outside critic or a detached academic. Yet, Imperial Hubris should not be read because of its courageousness (or, some might argue, imprudence). Rather, military officers should read Imperial Hubris, because it offers brilliant insight into the Islamic mindset and offers persuasive analysis of how America is faring in the current war on terrorism. While Imperial Hubris is a fascinating and compelling work, it is also intemperate, disingenuous, and in many instances, outright foolish. Despite these weaknesses, Imperial Hubris is essential reading for anyone who truly wants to understand the complex issues facing America in its fight with Islamic terrorism in the twenty-first century.
II. The Good
Imperial Hubris begins with a clear, direct thesis that goes against the political conventional wisdom: contrary to popular belief, Osama bin Laden and his followers are not attacking America for what America is, or what America thinks, but instead for what America does.6 Accordingly, defeating al Qaeda and winning the war on terror requires Americans to understand that American policy decisions, not American values, are fueling anti-American sentiment and increasing support for al Qaeda throughout the Muslim world.7 From this controversial starting point, Scheuer offers a thought-provoking argument that America's failure to understand al Qaeda is causing America to lose the war on terror.
Imperial Hubris argues that American leaders do not understand who al Qaeda is or what al Qaeda wants. While government officials continue to portray bin Laden and al Qaeda as fanatical...