Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East

For more than a century successive US and UK governments have sought to thwart nationalist, socialist and pro-democracy movements in the Middle East. Through the Cold War, the ‘War on Terror’ and the present era defined by the Islamic State, the Western powers have repeatedly manipulated the region’s most powerful actors to ensure the security of their own interests and, in doing so, have given rise to religious politics, sectarian war, bloody counter-revolutions and now one of the most brutal incarnations of Islamic extremism ever seen. This is the utterly compelling, systematic dissection of Western interference in the Middle East. Christopher Davidson exposes the dark side of our foreign policy – dragging many disturbing facts out into the light for the first time. Most shocking for us today is his assertion that US intelligence agencies continue to regard the Islamic State, like al-Qaeda before it, as a strategic but volatile asset to be wielded against their enemies. Provocative, alarming and unrelenting, Shadow Wars demands to be read – now.

Table of Contents:
Introduction   1  Counter-revolution – A Pattern Emerges Lessons from the past – nothing is new Lessons from the past – the preventive counter-revolutions Britain’s hungry empire The threat from Arab nationalism Trouble on the Arabian Peninsula – revolution reaches Yemen The contagion spreads – the Sultanate of Oman The smaller sheikhdoms – preventive measures   2  Cold War, Oil War – America Takes Over America’s even hungrier empire America’s global counter-revolution America’s Middle East – special treatment for a special case Removing the rivals – Iranian democracy Removing the rivals – taking on the Arabs Strengthening the status quo – the arms trade Strengthening the status quo – military bases Strengthening the status quo – mercenaries   3  The Road to al-Qaeda – The CIA’s Baby Searching for an Islamic state – Britain’s caliphate Searching for an Islamic state – Wahhabism and the Muslim Brotherhood Mobilizing jihad – the case of Afghanistan Operation Cyclone – Anglo-American jihad Foreign fighters, foreign cash The Islamic Republic of Iran – a secret relationship   4  Allied to Jihad – Useful Idiots The Taliban – America’s new ally Keeping bin Laden on board The war against Serbia – Bosnian jihad The war against Serbia – Kosovan jihad The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group – Britain’s new ally The road to 9/11 – managing blowback 9/11 – saving Saudi Arabia 9/11 – protecting the funding networks The fake ‘War on Terror’ – Afghanistan The fake ‘War on Terror’ – Iraq   5  The Arab Spring – A System Threatened A new challenge, a new hope The road to 2011 – regimes in decay Tunisia – the Jasmine Revolution Egypt – the Republic of Tahrir Yemen – revolution in Arabia Breaking the fear barrier – a chance for cosmopolitanism The economic storm – enter neo-liberalism The economic storm – the rise of crony capitalism The economic storm – the rise of Gulf capitalism From modernizing Arabs to revolutionary Arabs Cosmopolitan communications – from satellites to social media   6  Plan ‘A’ – Islamists Versus the Deep State The need for counter-revolution Egypt – back to the Brotherhood Egypt – an uneasy alliance Egypt – military dictatorship Egypt – ‘Sisi mania’ Egypt – the Qatar connection Egypt – Saudi Arabia takes on the Brotherhood Tunisia – under pressure Tunisia – sleepwalking to counter-revolution Yemen – outmanoeuvring the Arab Spring Bahrain – the forgotten revolution   7  Plan ‘B’ – A Fake Arab Spring Containable protests Axis against axis – faking the Arab Spring Libya – Gaddafi’s strange regime Libya – flirting with neo-liberalism Libya – not so supplicant Libya – the uprising Libya – subverting the National Transitional Council Libya – NATO takes action Libya – an international crime Libya – the scramble for assets Libya – a role for al-Qaeda Libya – searching for a Sisi Syria – parallel plans Syria – the uprising begins Syria – preparing for intervention Syria – enter the proxies Syria – arming the rebels Syria – searching for the ‘red line’ Syria – back to the battlefield Syria – the media war Yemen – a painful intervention Yemen – bringing back al-Qaeda   8  Enter the Islamic State – A Phantom Menace Al-Qaeda’s limits The need for ‘national jihadists’ Iraq – the incubation chamber Iraq – the emerging Islamic State Iraq – the proto-caliphate The Islamic State – mysterious new leadership The Islamic State – a persuasive ideology Opportunities in Syria Expansion in Iraq The caliphate restored The resurrection of Saddam Hussein ‘Remaining and expanding’ – services and recruitment ‘Remaining and expanding’ – masters of propaganda   9  The Islamic State – A Strategic Asset Qui bono – to whose profit? The manufacturing of evil – the new bogeyman The business of evil – a history of cashing in The business of evil – the arms industry bonanza Surprise, surprise – the Islamic State came from nowhere The strangest road to war A campaign of contradictions Explaining failure – the official line Suspicions mount – challenging the narrative Follow the money – the self-funding narrative Follow the money – the Islamic State’s funders Funders need facilitators – the role of Turkey   10 The Islamic State – A Gift That Keeps Giving The return of the ‘War on Terror’ The Islamic State in Libya The Islamic State in Yemen The fight for Mali Boko Haram – Nigeria under attack Boko Haram – the shift to the Islamic State Boko Haram – generous sponsors Boko Haram – delivering results Beyond Panetta – other pledges to the Islamic State Russia and China – superpower implications   Epilogue – Keeping the Wheel Turning Getting business back to usual The exploitation of Egypt Wild card number one – opening up Iran A new Iran, a new sectarian war Wild card number two – American oil A new Saudi Arabia, a new chapter   Notes Index

About the Author :
Christopher Davidson is a Reader in Middle East Politics at Durham University.

Review :
‘This is an outstanding book, bracing in its understanding of the rapacious forces that set upon the Middle East and meticulous in weaving the historical threads that explain why.’ ‘The best and most informative book yet on the struggle for power among the US and Europe, Arab autocratic regimes, and these countries’ impoverished masses.’ ‘An avalanche of spies, lies, covert actions and overt aggression – Davidson shows how many of the West’s troubles in the Middle East have emerged from its relentless search for resources.’ ‘A thought-provoking and original take on the present catastrophic realities in the Middle East. This is a timely research into the causes of the failure of the Arab Spring. It deems the defeat of the ‘Spring’ as a counter revolution prompted by external interventions. The book is a tour de force that begins with the past European Revolutions and ends up with an intriguing and highly convincing analysis of the demise of the Arab Spring. No one is spared in this incisive analysis: Arab regimes, fundamentalist movements, the West and Israel are all castigated here for their responsibility for the suffering of the people of Middle East today.’ ‘Plunges into America’s move to center stage and how it has sustained its ravenous postwar economy by preserving access to crude oil imports at any cost...Davidson is especially dogged at “following the money”—e.g., the rise of crony-capitalist networks in the Gulf monarchies and the financing of al-Qaeda and of the new Islamic State group…An exhaustively researched account.’ ‘For its unsparing probity, Davidson’s book ought to be required reading…Who are these people? Where did they come from? What do they want? Shadow Wars makes the answers painfully, damningly clear.’ ‘Mr Davidson is one of the most knowledgeable academics writing about the region.’