Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism

by Stephen Zunes

foreword by Richard Falk

A critical overview of the modern history of United States policy in the Middle East designed for the non-specialist, with chapters on human rights, militarism, the Persian Gulf region, Israel-Palestine, radical Islam and the “war on terrorism.”.

Monroe, Maine:  Common Courage Press   $18.95

www.commoncouragepress.com

See comments about the book from leading scholars below.

 

Nonviolent Social Movements

Edited by Stephen Zunes, Lester Kurtz and Sara Beth Asher

A collection of inspiration case histories and analyses written by Stephen Zunes and other scholars and activists on mass nonviolent action for freedom and social justice in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the United States

Malden, Massachusetts:  Blackwell Publishers  $42.95

www.blackwellpublishing.com

See comments about the book from leading scholars and activists, below.

 

 

To purchase, you may either order copies from the publishers’ websites (above) or ask for an autographed postage-free copy from the author. 

 

For that latter option, please send a check made out to “Stephen Zunes” along with your mailing address to:

            Stephen Zunes

Department of Politics

University of San Francisco

2130 Fulton Street

San Francisco, CA  94117

 

 

 

Praise for Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism:

 

“Tinderbox is exactly what we have needed—a concise, intelligent account of American policy in the Middle East. Bold and persuasive, buttressed by careful research.”

                Howard Zinn

                Professor Emeritus, Boston University

                author, People’s History of the United States

 

“A careful, informed and perceptive reconstruction of major historical forces in the Middle East and the world power nexus in which it is enmeshed. Zunes provides very valuable background for analysis and comprehension of what is at stake and where policy choices can be expected to lead. A very useful handbook to the complexities of this disturbed and fateful region.”

                Noam Chomsky

                Professor of Linguistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

                author, Manufacturing Consent

 

“This book does a wonderful job of explaining the tragedy of U.S. policy in the Middle East. Professor Zunes powerfully illustrates how the more the United States has militarized the region, the less secure we have become.  Perhaps more importantly, he shows how we have become the target of terrorists not because of our values but because our foreign policy has strayed from those values. It is particularly refreshing to find someone who not only recognizes that Palestinian rights and Israeli security are dependent on each other, but understands how U.S. policy has harmed the prospects for both. The list of tragic blunders and policy debacles Zunes details is a long one, yet he concludes with clear policy alternatives and a sincere hope that, through citizen action, our government’s pursuit of Pax Americana will some day be replaced by a quest for justice and sustainable peace.”

                Rabbi Michael Lerner

                Editor, Tikkun Magazine

 

“This is the book that Americans should read to really find out ‘why they hate us.’  An essential guide, perhaps the most useful book on the actual record of US foreign policy in the region.”

                As`ad AbuKhalil

                Professor of Political Science, California State University-- Stanislaus
author, Bin Laden, Islam, and America's New "War on Terrorism"

 

“Nobody has a better grasp of the impacts of U.S. policies and practices on the Middle East than Stephen Zunes.  Nobody states the case for a fundamentally different US policy in a more compelling way.”

                Scott Kennedy

                Chair, National Council, Fellowship of Reconciliation

 

Clearly written, timely, and wise, making complex history understandable even for those without previous background on these issues. For years, Stephen Zunes has been ahead of the curve. We need to listen to him now more than ever.”

                Paul Loeb

                author, Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time

 

“His clear exposition exposes the fallacies and contradictions of U.S. Middle East policy and suggests reasonable alternatives.”

                Joel Beinin

                Professor of Middle East History, Stanford University

                former President, Middle East Studies Association of North America

 

“A holistic and multi-faceted interpretation of the failures and follies of U.S. policy by one of the most insightful, independent-minded, and prolific Middle East analysts in the United States today.”

                Martha Honey
Senior Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies

“Scholarly analysis at its best.  Provocative and perceptive.”

Naseer Aruri
Chancellor Professor (Emeritus), University of Massachusetts

 

Zunes provides a rare service in combining insights on U.S. policy in the Middle East with a cogent analysis of the current war against terrorism. This book should serve as a textbook for students and a guide for citizens.”

                Saul Landau

                Director of Digital Media and International Outreach Programs

                California State Polytechnic University--Pomona

 

Zunes has a scope and sweep that are impressive. A must read for anyone who would understand how others see us, the negative impact of many of our policies in the Middle East, and the root causes of terrorism against us.”

                Kathleen Christison

                author, Perceptions of Palestine: Their Influence on U.S. Middle East Policy

 

 

 

Praise for Nonviolent Social Movements:

 

“An excellent collection of case studies knitted together by the editors’ presentation of a sound set of theoretical issues.  Both help us understand the dynamics of nonviolent social movements.”

                Paul Joseph

                Professor of Sociology

                Tufts University

 

“A passionate treatise on the effectiveness of nonviolence as compared to armed initiatives – a book worth reading and using.”

                Matt Myer

                War Resisters League

 

“This book demonstrates that many brave people in diverse political situations are effective because they have decided that the means are as important as the ends, that one does not defeat evil with more evil, repression with repression, violence with violence. Scholars and activists alike will find much to ponder in this collection. I commend it to everyone with an interest in the future of the human species.”

                Kevin Clements

                Director, Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict

                University of Queensland