Before & After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis

By Phyllis Bennis and Noam Chomsky

Book Overview

Americans were uniformly shocked by the lethal ferocity of the September 11 attacks. Around the world, people and governments were appalled at the human carnage and extended unstinting sympathy--but many made it clear that their sympathy for the victims did not equal support for Washington's response to the terror attacks. Before & After examines the role of US foreign policy in the terrorism/anti-terrorism crisis that began--publicly--with the attack on the World Trade Center, but which in fact has roots that began long before that September day. It dissects not only the specific Middle East policies long identified with public opposition in the region (for example: support for Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, economic sanctions responsible for widespread deaths of Iraqi civilians, and support for repressive monarchies and dictatorships throughout the Arab world), but also provides context to these issues and the legacy of US unilateralism. Washington's contempt for international law as well as its disdain for the United Nations, are seen internationally as evidence of the US upholding a law of empire from which the rest of the world is excluded. Paramount is the creation of a US-forced "coalition" to wage a brutal war against an already impoverished and disempowered people, instead of a truly international cooperative effort to find and bring to justice the perpetrators of this crime against humanity. In light of this attitude, Before & After traces the decisions made by the Bush administration in the wake of the September 11 attacks, analyzes the choices ignored, the options discarded, and the international laws violated--and the likely consequences.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156656462X
• ISBN13: 9781566564625
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Olive Branch Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A Bit of Clarity amidst Obscurity

In 'Before & After,' Phyllis Bennis has provided Americans with an essential book on 9.11. Her points are well-documented and enumerated in a clear and jargon-free language. Moreover, she discusses each of the required topics: Oil and Israel, Palestine and human rights, American and international politics, regional and world domination, unilateralism and the rule of law. She easily exposes the Bush administration as a blunderbuss implementing an overt and unapologetic imperialism while she also argues, convincingly, I would add, that the Bush administration has used 9.11 to provide coverage for a pre-existing foreign policy (unilateralism and militarism) that would not have gained widespread acceptance otherwise.In sum, her book is required reading for anyone wishing to understand the pre-history and after-life of the horrific event and, additionally, the reasons the US will soon invade Iraq.

A must read for an informed US and global citizen

This is a very important book for anyone wishing to be an informed citizen of today's America and the world. This book gives us the chance to understand US foreign policy and begin to change it. Becoming informed is the first crucial step. I can't recommend it highly enough. It is clearly written and very easy to read.

A Real Eye-Opener!; A Must Read!; Now!

This book will tell you everything that you truly need to know about recent U.S foregn policy as it relates to September 11th and our involvement with Mideast countries and events. To read this book is to understand how the dominating focus of the current Bush administration is to protect and expand our oil interests in the Mideast. Any civil or international interest or action that might possibly distract from this dominant focus is cast aside by the Bush team. The mass media have not adequately informed us of the very disturbing nature of this focus and its consequences. Reading this book is essential for everyone who wants to understand where we currently stand, as a nation, as a people, and as a member of the global community. Reading this book will enable you to clarify where you stand, as a citizen of the most internationally dominant nation in the history of the world. The book is sufficiently detailed, yet very clearly written. I believe that Before and After may be the single most important book that you can read at this particular point in history.