The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations

Wanting to know why September 11 happened, journalist Lee Smith moved to Cairo. There, he discovered that the standard explanation-a clash of East and West led to the attacks-was simply not the case. As Smith outlines in The Strong Horse, the problems of the Middle East have little to do with Israel, the United States, or the West in general. The strife exists within the Arab world itself. Through clear-eyed analysis, Smith explodes the many myths permeating Americans understanding of the Arab world: colonialism spurred the regions ongoing turmoil; Arab liberalism is waiting for U.S. intervention; technology and democracy can be transforming. In response to these untruths, Smith offers what he terms the Strong Horse Doctrine-that Arabs want to align themselves with strength, power, and violence. Given Americas ongoing interest in the Middle East, Smith says America needs to be the strong horse in order to reclaim its role there, and only by understanding the nature of the regions ancient conflict can we succeed.

Author: Lee Smith

Language: English

Binding: Hardcover

Pages: 256

Publisher: Doubleday

Publication Date: 2010-01-12