The Achilles Trap - Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America s Invasion of

“Excellent . . . A more intimate picture of the dictator’s thinking about world politics, local power and his relationship to the United States than has been seen before.” -- “Another triumph from one of our best journalists.” -- "Voluminously researched and compulsively readable." -- From bestselling and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Steve Coll, the definitive story of the decades-long relationship between the United States and Saddam Hussein, and a deeply researched and news-breaking investigation into how human error, cultural miscommunication, and hubris led to one of the costliest geopolitical conflicts of our time When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, its message was clear: Iraq, under the control of strongman Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction that, if left unchecked, posed grave danger to the world. But when no WMDs were found, the United States and its allies were forced to examine the political and intelligence failures that had led to the invasion and the occupation, and the civil war that followed. One integral question has remained unsolved: Why had Saddam seemingly sacrificed his long reign in power by giving the false impression that he had hidden stocks of dangerous weapons? Calling on unpublished and underreported sources, interviews with surviving participants, and Saddam’s own transcripts and audio files, Coll pulls together an incredibly comprehensive portrait of a man who was convinced the world was out to get him and acted accordingly. A work of great historical significance,

Product details

• Authors: Steve Coll, Coll Steve
• Publisher: Penguin Books USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 25.02.2025
• EAN: 9780525562283
• ISBN: 978-0-525-56228-3
• No. of pages: 576
• Dimensions: 140 mm x 214 mm x 29 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Contemporary history (1945 to 1989); Non-fiction book; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Security (National & International), military history, HISTORY / Middle East / Iraq, 21st Century, 21st century history: from c 2000 -, Warfare & defence, Middle Eastern history, Iraq, Warfare and defence, Military history: post-WW2 conflicts, Early 21st century c 2000 to c 2050, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / Iraq War (2003-2011)