How to frighten enemies and influence dictators. According to the neoconservative doctrine of preemptive deterrence, it’s better to be feared than liked. In the months preceding the war in Iraq, America forfeited the congeniality prize, but enemies were more angry than they were anxious.
Then came the war in Iraq. Dictators everywhere saw their faces on the now famous felled statue of Saddam Hussein. And when the Bush Administration hinted that Syria might be the next candidate for regime change, rogues got worried. Proponents say…that’s the idea. But critics warn that no less than global stability is at stake. What comes next after Iraq, and a check-in with Dick Gordon, who will join us from Baghdad.
Guests:
Gary Sick, Director of the Middle East Institute at Columbia University
Peter Huessy, President of the National Defense University Foundation.