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3+ Works 29 Membros 1 Review

Obras de Arash Azizi

Associated Works

Unpublishable (2020) — Contribuinte — 2 cópias

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Sexo
male
Nacionalidade
Iran (birth), USA
País (para mapa)
Iran
Local de nascimento
Tehran, Iran

Membros

Resenhas

This was a very interesting book about the enigmatic and controversial person of IRGC Quds commander, general Soleimani. Through the entire book I am still not clear what author wanted to depict here - patriot fighting for ideals of his country or opressive hidden blade in hands of the Iran's government?

And this is main issue with the book.

When you look at the content, actual talk about Soleimani is maybe a quarter of it. Rest is related to the background - political scene and violent armed struggle in the Middle East and South Asia - both those that affected general's life and those affected by him.

Presentation is not dry historical facts, but facts expressed in a rather dynamic novelesque way. This makes the book definitely more readable but also loses some of the elements that should be part of the historical presentation - and this is bias. Same as book I read before this one, bias is heavily present, but unlike that book, I am not clear what was the author's goal here.

Book shows few tendencies I noticed in other works on the same subject:

Veneration of Arab Spring, revolutionary wave that in my opinion was single most cataclysmic event for local people (diaspora was obviously cheering for the change, but diaspora usually has no idea what is actually going on in the old country, this is common to all countries with very large diaspora comunity) that left almost entire North Africa and Middle East in shambles - Algiers and Tunisia faring better than others, Lybia destroyed and brought back to middle age fiefdoms, and Syria pushed to bitter ethnic/religious civil war but still managing to survive as a state. To call this progress .... I would just say to all these viewers from outside, please go live and enjoy the revolution. I think very soon you will lose taste for it. Hopefully some day we will get to know what was Arab Spring actually all about.

Again claim that Sunni Shia schism is artificial. In a part of the world where grudges etween same religious groups go back millenia? Not to mention that events from crusades are as alive in peoples minds as if they took place last month? Ridiculous.

And finally, author needs to decide if Shia's are minoriy in Iraq, or minor majority - having these two definitions within two pages was so funny. And I wish author would decide to stop talking about exiles fighting wars on their own land as 'they decided to fight their own country' (Iraqi Shia's) - what, MEK is not fighting against their own country? Every political exile that joined other nation to fight for what they think is just for their homeland are always fighting against their own country (i.e. French resistance). So is it necessary to write something like this?

Author constantly intertwines various social movements in Iran (communists, socialists, radical religious leaders) mixed with ever present wars (Iraq-Iran war, Lebanon, Yemen etc) as a backdrop to rising career of general Soleimani. Did Iran use the events and turmoil to pursue national goals, definitely. Did they ride on the wave of religious zealotry and used other groups for their own advancement, definitely. But what did they do that is so different from others? Who is to judge them? Alliance that is more concentrated on rewriting maps and countries, that destroyed Lybia and stepped away, destroyed Iraq (I mean, people, Poland and Japan were part of forces invading Iraq!) for nebulous reason (and in that fine retroactive mea-culpa manner said after couple of years, darn we made a mistake)? Saudi Arabia with their own meddlings in the region and multi decade involvement in Yemen? Unfortunately we live in a world where who has power also finds ways to use it. We can paint it rosey as much as we like but facts remain facts. I wish things were different but if anything history tought us that it does not work with single power approach, there needs to be ablance but with that balance there are more players pushing their national interests and as a result we end up in conflicts. This is why diplomacy is required.

In general very interesting presentation becomes a bit preachy and skips a lot of hot topics (everyone involved with Iran is dictator and bloodthirsty but how did all the parties got involved in the first place? hmm, not that much details here which is shame; no mention on how Shia's were hunted and persecuted by both ISIS and AlQaeda in Iraq and Syria (AQ was part of the rebel forces fighting in Syria against Assad and Iran supporters - I mean, go figure) or any potential upside of for example keeping Assad's regime alive and avoiding current Lybian scenario) but then delivers a lot when it comes to:

- Christopher Hitchens and his stand on war in Iraq (greatest disappointment ever)
- Very complex national structure of Iran and points of contention with their Arab neighbors
- Israel's support to Iran during the war with Iraq
- openess of Iran to talks with the West but West's (with Israel) continuous rejection of any discussion, especially after fall of Soviet Union and rise of single dominant power characterized by US neocon movement
- Initial joining of forces between US and Iran for activities in Afghanistan that US neocons (bane of the world, as future events will prove) sunk because They Are The Masters of The Universe!
- Cooperation between US/NATO and Iran against ISIS in Iraq and Syria

In background of all of this we follow general Soleimani as eponymus shadow building his career as IRGC commander in Iraq-Iran war, fighting drug cartels on Afghanistan and Pakistan border and finally becoming the person who builds the Quds into deadly weapon it is now. He starts as a very likeable hero, capable commander able to turn the tide of war by being present on the very frontline and then in last third of the book he becomes Ernest Blofeld ...... which does not make sense. This was rather a let down and another proof of author's rather unbalanced presentation. While trying to say nothing as a conclusion, we are constantly on the edge, wondering are we to condemn Soleimani for his radical views or treat him as a highly capable patriotic military commander?

It says a lot when one side dedicates a whole book about the general that caused them whole lots of pain. Rommel comes to mind although for your average non-Middle Eastern reader, Iran is here-are-dragons country, arch enemy of everything, unfortunately even more than was German army in WW2 with its ties to Nazism. General Soleimani was definitely a very capable commander although lots of things he was involved in are still secret and might come up in future history books. Was he a zealot? Definitely, after all he was a high ranking commander in what is for all means and purposes theocraticaly led society, but arent high ranking military commanders usually zealots when it comes to their country, one they give oath to serve and guard? In all honesty if somebody asked me what I think of Soleiman after reading the book, I would say very successful general that stepped on too many toes in the end and ended killed by remote control. Not that different from Patton or MacArthur when it comes to eccentricities in the end. They all aimed at utter destruction of their enemy, no matter the civilian casualties and became too much involved in politics that made them dangerous.

Very interesting book that tells a lot about a very complex history and interactions in the area and about country that is still treated as a comic book villain by West. If only author did not decide to be preachy and instead opted to stick to his opinion with a conclusion on the character of general Soleimani (instead of chosing the 'and he went mad' approach) it would be much better book.

Because of this lack of general course I am giving book three stars.

Recommended to military history buffs and everyone interested in history and politics of Middle East and South Asia.
… (mais)
 
Marcado
Zare | Jan 23, 2024 |

Estatísticas

Obras
3
Also by
1
Membros
29
Popularidade
#460,290
Avaliação
½ 3.5
Resenhas
1
ISBNs
5