Zunes, Stephen. Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism

Arab Studies Quarterly (ASQ), Summer, 2003

Zunes, Stephen. Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism. Monroe, Main: Common Courage Press, 2003. Paper $18.95.

This work presents a cogent argument in its criticism of U.S. Middle East policy. The roots of terrorism are to be sought largely in U.S. practices in the region. The U.S. supported rulers who suppressed human rights of their citizens; it heightened the level of militarization of the region; it sided with Israel against the Palestinians to the detriment of peace; and it was instrumental in the rise of extremist Islamic movements. The whole episode in the Persian Gulf from the Iran-Iraq war to Desert Storm and through the entire era of sanctions against Iraq, also demonstrates that U.S. policy was not designed to help achieve peace and democracy in the region. That history demonstrates that Bernard Lewis' question in reference to Islam and the East: "What went wrong?" is misplaced. Zunes counters that what actually went wrong, was U.S. policy. He argues that the U.S. is prone to attack not because of its values but rather when the U.S. strays from its declared values. Zunes deals with the threat of a U.S. invasion of Iraq (which actually occurred after the book's publication). He also argues that Israel is made less secure by its policies, especially those that tie it to the U.S. The closer the relationship between the two countries, the more vulnerable Israel is. Zunes is of the opinion that Americans would be a lot safer if U.S. policy is "based more on the promotion of human rights, international law and sustainable development and less on arras transfer, air strikes, punitive sanctions, and support for occupation armies and dictatorial governments ... " (p. 219). He presents policy recommendations along those lines. However, the invasion of Iraq demonstrates that U.S. policy is still going astray from those values that are ostensibly American. One issue that Zunes exaggerates is the degree to which the U.S. uses Israel for its larger geo-strategic imperative. He makes Israel to be largely a victim of U.S. policy. While it is true that it is not "the-tail-wagging-the-dog" theory of international relations that governs U.S.-Israeli relations, the fact of the matter is that Israel has much pull over U.S. policy at least on the tactical level. While U.S. policy is not in the interests of the ordinary Israeli, it is true that the Israeli elite sees its interests consonant with that of the U.S. on the strategic level. In addition, significant sectors of the Israeli public (religious and secular) see that their interests are best achieved in an Apartheid system. The book is a welcome and timely addition to the literature.