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BOOK REVIEW The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq by Rory Stewart Harcourt - July 2006
Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty Rory Stewart's The Prince of the Marshes is a refreshing change from the spate of simplistic Bush-bashing books about the U.S. invasion of Iraq and its aftermath which have appeared over the past few years. This is not to say that the Bush administration is not deserving of severe criticism over its invasion of Iraq and subsequent failure (so far at least) to bring about a successful "democratic regime change" in that country. But I will say that the vast majority of the books published thus far that I have read about the whole pitiful situation appear so obviously partisan and politically motivated that their objectivity can be seriously questioned. This is not the case with Stewart's book; it is, rather, a "journal" of his experiences during his time in Iraq as an administrator in the Coalition Provisional Authority. It is to his credit that he refrains from explicit Bush-bashing and partisanship and confines himself to a telling of the events of the occupation of Iraq as he perceived them on the ground, upfront and personal, particularly in the southern areas where he was stationed. The author does not deal with the decision to invade Iraq, nor with the motivations, justifications and other issues leading up to that decision. Furthermore, he does not discuss the strategies or tactics used during the initial military assault. He confines himself to a narrative of events as he encountered them; summarily, he is simply providing us with an experiential panorama of the occupation of Iraq and its problems from his own perspective. So those readers looking for an anti-American or anti-coalition diatribe or the now all-too-common denunciation of "Yankee imperialism" will have to look elsewhere. Stewart does not pass definitive judgment on the Iraq adventure, although astute readers may certainly draw some conclusions regarding the efficacy of the enterprise from many of the stories he relates. I have to confess to some degree of admiration for Mr. Stewart. He was a civilian administrator in what was basically a "war zone." He was at times "under fire" and yet he steadfastly stood by his post and, if we are to believe him -- and why not? -- performed his duties in a manner reminiscent of the most accomplished diplomat. Back in the very early 1980s, I was entering San Jose, Costa Rica, when all the lights went out -- all over that large capital city. My taxi driver thought that the country was being invaded by Nicaraguan rebels, who had been threatening an invasion. My hotel was locked down and dark and my taxi driver had to bang on the door to gain admittance for me. I recall how scared I was, an American in a foreign country. Later, I landed at the airport in Guatemala City, Guatemala, only to find it surrounded by the army and under martial law. I experienced the same pangs of fear. In neither case was I ever "under fire." Stewart's experiences in being threatened by armed attacks far outweigh my little misadventures. And he was a mere thirty years old at the time; on the other hand, I was an experienced traveler (and political scientist) in my forties! Most Western readers of The Prince of the Marshes will probably be surprised by the complexities of the Iraqi cultural and political arena as described by the author. I suspect that much of the US-coalition's failure in Iraq thus far is due to a lack of knowledge and appreciation for the intricacies of a society that is so diverse and traditionally different from that known in the Western tradition. Stewart does his best to acquaint us with these differences and he is no neophyte regarding these matters. He was born in Hong Kong, raised in Malaysia, spent time as an infantry officer in the armed forces, served in the British embassies in Indonesia and Yugoslavia, and in 2002 decided to walk (yes, on foot!) across Afghanistan. How many of us would contemplate doing that today? We in the Western world are somewhat grandiose about "theories" regarding "what" sociopolitical principles, institutions, and policies "ought" to be in place in the development of the world's nations. We apparently want to "force" our concepts of democracy onto other "less enlightened" peoples without considering their historical experiences and cultural traditions and, moreover, we want to do that "now." This form of hubris, in my opinion, is not only ill-advised but self-defeating. Stewart, I think, hints at this problem when he states: "Ten years in the Islamic world and in other places that had recently emerged from conflict had left me suspicious of theories produced in seminars in Western capitals and of foreigners in a hurry." Did the Bush administration really "know" what it was doing when it decided to invade Iraq in order to bring "democracy" to the Iraqi people? I suspect not. And much evidence of that is apparent in Stewart's book, even if he doesn't explicitly acknowledge it. The Prince of the Marshes is not a "scholarly" book and it is obviously not written by a Western academician or self-professed "intellectual." That is probably its most important feature. Through the eyes of someone who was there, who appears to have no particular political agenda and who is telling it like he saw it, the reader gets an intimate glimpse into a contemporary conflict where the stakes are high and the outcome is yet to be determined. I can only ask: "Why aren't people such as Rory Stewart, for example, with his range of expertise and experience in the Middle East region, consulted by the leaders of the world's most powerful nations BEFORE a decision is made to interfere in another country's future or, more importantly, to invade a country for reasons which later might be termed "dubious." This book is must reading for all those interested in current events. It is very readable and surprisingly entertaining at times. Stewart is to be congratulated for bringing his personal experiences to the attention of all of us. Highly, very highly, recommended.
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Enrich your life with a book about politics and current events... Enrich your political & social life with a politics or news magazine... |
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