A Pretext For War

Starting with the attacks of 9/11, retracing the roots of terrorism to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and following up with the development of a rationale for the invasion of Iraq, James Bamford describes U.S. foreign policy and intelligence as a kind of Keystone Cops tragedy. Richly detailed, Bamford's analysis includes revealing discussions of government plans in the event of foreign attack. Overall, the work provides a skeptical viewpoint for individuals interested in understanding events now at the center of the world's stage. Appropriately unobtrusive, the reading by Robertson Dean ranges from dramatic to professorial in tone. Listen if you want more than the shallow, piecemeal commentary often served up by mainstream media. J.W. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine