Fall books for conservatives

Human Events, Nov 17, 2003 by Rubin, Jeff

With the big New York publishers falling over each other to sign up the next conservative bestseller, this a great time for conservative authors and readers. What's out there now-or due out soon-that should interest HUMAN EVENTS book-lovers? The following list is organized according to a few rough categories. Each book is available at attractive discounts from the Conservative Book Club and from the HUMAN EVENTS Book Service.

The War on Terror

In War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom,(Regnery-a sister company to HUMAN EVENTS) Oliver North he sweeps aside the empty, second-hand chatter of liberal pundits to give you a riveting, eyewitness account of the heroism, courage, and unflagging patriotism of the American military forces that ended Saddam Hussein's bloody tyranny.

Embedded with Marine and Army units for Fox News during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Col. North himself a decorated combat veteran- here vividly tells the whole story that his news camera gave glimpses of during the campaign to liberate Iraq.

From the opening seconds of the war-when North witnessed the conflict's first American casualty-all the way to the takeover of Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, War Stories is an exhilarating day-by-day diary that offers you an opportunity to see the war in Iraq not as the liberal media would like you to see it, but as it unfolded before the eyes of those who fought it.

North's accounts of his adventures are riveting-from his ride in a helicopter through an Iraqi sandstorm and his perilous trip in another that is shot up by Iraqi antiaircraft guns to his dramatic walks down Iraqi highways alongside intrepid American Marines.

At every step of the way he gives you insights into Operation Iraqi Freedom that only a fellow warrior could provide. And unlike most reporters these days, he is unabashed in his admiration for the hardships they endured, and the courage, compassion, and skill they brought to their perilous mission.

He offers here a trustworthy chronicle of the remarkable military force that in Iraq did nothing less than surpass all others in history: no military advance has ever gone so far, so fast, and with so few casualties.

In March 2002, a senior aide to Osama bin Laden named Abu Zubaydah was captured in western Pakistan by American and Pakistani forces. According to two U.S. government officials who served as sources for Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11, (Random House) C.I.A. interrogators manipulated the injured Zubaydah's pain medication to wear down his defenses-then tricked him into believing he was in Saudi custody. Author Gerald Posner describes what happened next:

"What transpired in the next hour took the American investigators completely by surprise. When Zubaydah was confronted with men passing themselves off as Saudi security officers, his reaction was not fear, but instead relief. The prisoner, who had been reluctant even to confirm his identity to his American captors, suddenly started talking animatedly. he was happy to see them, he said, because he feared the Americans would torture and then kill him. Zubaydah asked his interrogators to call a senior member of the ruling Saudi royal family. He then provided a private home number and a cell phone number from memory. 'He will tell you what to do,' Zubaydah promised them."

To the amazement of skeptical U.S. intelligence officials, the two phone numbers proved valid.

The name of that Saudi prince (a prominent figure in both England and the United States), plus other shocking facts gleaned from Zubaydah's interrogation; are just a few of the revelations you'll find in Why America Slept-the result of an 18-month investigation that proves once and for all: The Saudis were in on it.

Foreign Policy

Fighting to send arms to Saddam . . . resisting post-9/11 attempts to toughen visa requirements . . . bending over backwards to keep the Saudis happy despite the Kingdom's clear support for global terrorism . . . doing everything it can to shut down the Iraqi democracy movement-amazingly enough, this is the record of the U.S. State Department, an often out-of-control organization that acts at odds with our nation's best interests more often than most Americans realize.

In Dangerous Diplomacy: How the State Department Threatens America's Security (Regnery), seasoned investigative reporter Joel Mowbray explores the seldom-seen inner workings of the State Department. Relying on exhaustive interviews with State Department personnel and extensive research into State's publications, procedures, and recent history, Mowbray reveals an astounding pattern of shortsighted and misguided policies, compounded by an ingrained resistance to self-criticism and correction.

Mowbray documents a State Department in dire need of reform-and he has helped make that reform more possible by revealing here for the first time just how far State has strayed from its intended role as the primary agent of U.S. interests abroad.

That Man

Bill Clinton has spent virtually every waking minute since he left office aggressively defending his legacy. Hillary plans to run for President on that legacy-at some point. But now, unfortunately for both Clintons, in Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years (Regnery), Rich Lowry proves that Slick Willie's administration was one of the most damaging ever for our nation.