[Politically Incorrect Guides 01] • The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Middle East by Sieff, Martin -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Page Dedication Introduction Chapter 1 - BRING BACK THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

The Middle East a century ago Ottomans exit, instability and strife enter The secrets of Ottoman success World War I could have skipped the Middle East Gallipoli: Underestimating the Turks Europe’s “sick man” has some teeth

Chapter 2 - THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT

The creation of Israel: An anti-Muslim U.S. conspiracy? How it all began The rise of Haj Amin al-Husseini Churchill in Cairo: 1921 Emir Abdullah of Transjordan Herbert Dowbiggin: Unlikely prophet How British imperialist weakness sparked the Arab-Israeli conflict The Hebrew Bible: A book of war The true story of Israel’s creation

Chapter 3 - THE MESS IN MESOPOTAMIA

Just like today: A bad beginning Democracy in Iraq: 1925–1958 A Jewish base for the Allies Where America went wrong After Saddam: “Better Tiberius” Banking on a bank swindler Birth of the Iraqi insurrection The insurgents: Not just a few troublemakers Bombing the Golden Mosque: The point of no return It isn’t a civil war; it’s a splinter war Why the surge couldn’t tame Baghdad

Chapter 4 - THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM

The wisdom of Prince Turki The cycles of Arab history The Middle East gets religion: 1977–1980

Chapter 5 - IRAN

The Persian Empire: When Iran was good Clash of empires: U.S. vs. Britain Liberal busybodies spark the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khomeini: The fruit of American meddling Carter and the hostage crisis Post-revolution Iran Moderation (relatively speaking) in Iran Democracy’s bitter gift: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Iran on borrowed time

Chapter 6 - THE ISRAELI-ARAB WARS 1947–1973

Death almost at birth The tide turns Who’s a Palestinian? The real Yasser Arafat Egypt’s fight to destroy Israel The Soviet Union vs. Israel The miraculous victory Results of the Six-Day War Nixon: Israel’s best friend 1973: The Israelis mess up big Results of the 1973 war

Chapter 7 - THE SAUDIS ARE PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM

The enemy of my enemy is my friend Michael Moore’s mania: The Saudis were behind September 11 Why separation of mosque and state is folly How to fight Muslim terrorists: Build walls and monitor the mosques The Saudis and Arafat: From appeasement to realism Understanding the Saudis Saudi Arabia’s three threats

Chapter 8 - MIDDLE EAST WARS AND PEACE 1975–2007

Arabs can fight The Ba’ath Party’s socialist roots Arab tyrants: Assad and Saddam Ford’s Middle East successes Yitzhak Rabin: The dove who armed Israel Did Jimmy Carter really bring peace to the Middle East? Clinton: Carter all over again

Chapter 9 - THE HISTORY OF SEPTEMBER 11

Clinton’s team missed the al Qaeda threat Bush drops the ball on al Qaeda too Heroes and lessons The Saudis weren’t complicit in the attacks Why did it happen?

Chapter 10 - PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Hope at the end of the millennium They are here to stay Arab democracy = extremist rule Why solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict won’t solve the problems The American pipe dream: A world without oil Good fences make good neighbors The Saudi solution A safer Middle East

Acknowledgements INDEX Copyright Page