Description: Richard Haass, a member of the National Security Council staff in the George H. W. Bush administration and the State Department director of policy planning for George W. Bush, reviews the causes and strategies of the first and second Iraq wars while providing a thoughtful examination of the means and ends of U.S. foreign policy.
War of Necessity, War of Choice--part history, part memoir--provides invaluable insight into some of the most important recent events in the world. Additionally, this book provides a much-needed compass for how the United States can apply the lessons learned from the two Iraq wars so that it is better positioned to put into practice what worked and avoid repeating what so clearly did not. In this compelling, honest, and challenging book by one of the country's most respected voices on foreign policy, Haass's assessments are critical yet fair and carry tremendous weight.Brief description: Richard Haass is president of the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher. Until June 2003, Richard Haass was director of policy planning for the Department of State, where he was a principal advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell.Previously, Haass was vice president and director of foreign policy studies at The Brookings Institution. He was also special assistant to President George Bush and senior director on the staff of the National Security Council from 1989 to1993. Haass is the author of The Opportunity: America's Moment to Alter History's Course. A Rhodes Scholar, he holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and Master and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Oxford University.
Review Quotes: "This is not your usual foreign policy tome. It is a vivid, honest account of recent history from the author's unique vantage points inside the White House and the State Department. Richard Haass is always intelligent. In this book he teaches us a great deal about how American foreign policy should be made, what it should seek to accomplish, and how it should be carried out. The result is a fascinating memoir and a primer for the future." -- Fareed Zakaria, editor, "Newsweek International", author, "The Post-American World"