Michael Schwartz gets behind the headlines, revealing the real dynamics of the Iraq debacle and its legacy.

What Price Would You Pay for Freedom? The Terran Empire, the greatest empire in the history of humanity, is crumbling. Throughout the galaxy, planetary systems seek independence and freedom. Everywhere there is war. Trying to maintain its grip, the Empire has become more ruthless, and reliant on mercenary armies. The powerful Zeta Corp fills this need with its advanced weapons, and legions of genetically engineered soldiers. These soldiers, while fiercely loyal, are nothing more than slaves. Danny is a Zeta Corp mercenary who has known nothing but war, and service to Zeta Corp in his short life. But when a routine mission ends in disaster, he finds himself questioning everything he believed in. Pitted against the Empire, and Zeta Corp, can he gain freedom for himself, his friends, and the galaxy? Find out in War Without End, Book 1 of Fall of the Terran Empire.

This book provides the historical and political context to explain acts of terror, including the September 11th, and the bombing of American Embassies in Nairobi and Dar as Salaam and the West's responses. Providing a brief history of Islam as a religion and as socio-political ideology, Dilip Hiro goes on to outline the Islamist movements that have thrived in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, and their changing relationship with America. It is within this framework that the rising menace of Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaida network is discussed. The Pentagon's amazingly swift victory over the Taliban in Afghanistan is examined along with implications of the Bush Doctrine, encapsulated in his declaration, 'so long as anybody is terrorizing established governments, there needs to be a war' - a recipe for war without end.

With an experienced journalist's eye, La Guardia offers a close look at the Israelis as they come to terms with the "post-Zionist" demolition of national myths and the Palestinians as they try to build their own state. 16 illustrations.

In this action-packed, twisty, and fast-paced continuation of the PI Clifford Dee thriller series, private investigator Clifford Dee is back with his team, this time in Northern Virginia, working with his former Army Rangers commander, Doyle Hamilton, in Washington D.C. After a U.S. Senator was murdered, Doyle was chosen to run in a special election to fill his office. To qualify, he must step down from his army command and decides to hand the division over to a former military rival of Clifford's, Kevin Burr, who shuts Clifford out from work out of spite. While his teammate, Bailey, takes on a minor copyright case involving a budding rap star, they uncover connections between a government department that Burr used to run and another famous rap artist, Dark Fenix, who was about to tour overseas as a cover to smuggle weapons into Africa for Burr. Things worsen when he also finds a connection between Burr and a ring of assassins for hire. Clifford discloses this information to Doyle, which makes things worse and Clifford's team is targeted. He must now work with Special Agent Sims of the FBI to continue investigating the weapons dealing, find who is running the assassins, and dig up evidence to incriminate Burr...all without getting killed. Clifford's team gets Dark Fenix's Africa tour canceled and Burr is in the hot-seat because he cannot deliver the weapons to the African warlords as promised. Stretched too thin, Burr finds himself in a deadly bind. Clifford and Sims take on the assassins, resulting in one of them ending up in the hospital and an office fire being set to cover up evidence. More assassins are sent to finish the job, which turns into an all-out brawl, but they manage to escape. The assassins' leader gets the drop on the team and plans to force Clifford to watch his team die, one by one. This time there doesn't seem to be any escape... Fans of action thrillers and crime suspense like the TV series Burn Notice are sure to enjoy this mile-a-minute story of government conspiracy, car chases, lethal encounters, and humorous situations.

When the Canadian government committed forces to join the military mission in Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, little did it foresee that this decision would involve Canada in a war-riven country for over a decade. The Politics of War explores how, as the mission became increasingly unpopular, Canadian politicians across the political spectrum began to use it to score points against their opponents. This was “politics” with a vengeance. Through historical analysis of the public record and interviews with officials, Jean-Christophe Boucher and Kim Richard Nossal show how the Canadian government sought to frame the engagement in Afghanistan as a “mission” rather than what it was – a war. They examine the efforts of successive governments to convince Canadians of the rightness of Canada’s engagement, the parliamentary politics that resulted from the increasing politicization of the mission, and the impact of public opinion on Canada’s involvement. This contribution to the field of Canadian foreign policy demonstrates how much of Canada’s war in Afghanistan was shaped by the vagaries of domestic politics and political gamesmanship.

For four decades Saudi Arabia and Iran have vied for influence in the Muslim world. At the heart of this ongoing Cold War between Riyadh and Tehran lie the Sunni-Shia divide, and the two countries' intertwined histories. Saudis see this as a conflict between Sunni and Shia; Iran's ruling clerics view it as one between their own Islamic Republic and an illegitimate monarchy. This foundational schism has played out in a geopolitical competition for dominance in the region: Iran has expanded its influence in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, while Saudi Arabia's hyperactive crown prince, Muhammad bin Salman, has intervened in Yemen, isolated Qatar and destabilized Lebanon. Dilip Hiro examines the toxic rivalry between the two countries, tracing its roots and asking whether this Islamic Cold War is likely to end any time soon.