Confronting Saddam Hussein: George W. Bush and the Invasion of Iraq

Monday, Mar. 13 // 4–5:30 pm (ET)

Confronting Saddam Hussein is a major new interpretation of George W. Bush’s intervention in Iraq. Often considered the most consequential foreign policy decision of the 21st century, Leffler rejects previous accounts that focus on hawkish advisers, like Cheney and Rumsfeld, and places the president at the center of the decision-making process. Leffler vividly portrays the emotions and anxieties that shaped the thinking of the president after the shocking events of 9/11, and shows how fear, hubris, and power influenced Bush’s approach to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

Employing a unique set of personal interviews with dozens of top officials as well as declassified British and American documents and captured Iraqi records, Leffler describes Bush’s motivations empathetically, yet critically assesses his performance and illuminates the reasons for the turbulent, unexpected, tragic aftermath of the invasion. This book reconfigures our understanding of the most important international event of the 21st century—the US invasion of Iraq.

Still To Come This Week

Hurt Sentiments | Book Launch Event

Monday, Mar. 13 // 11:00 am–12:30 pm (ET)

At this virtual book event, Dr. Neeti Nair, a distinguished historian of South Asia and a Wilson Center Global Fellow, will discuss her new study, Hurt Sentiments. The book situates allegations of “hurt sentiments” and demands for censorship in a wider set of debates on secularism and state ideology in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Nair argues that it is through the process of debate—in the press, the courts, Constituent Assemblies, parliaments, and National Assemblies—in moments of crisis such as Gandhi’s assassination and the war of 1971, that meanings of secularism evolve, and that allow for the framing of demands for a Hindu Rashtra or an Islamic state.

Taiwan and Its Partners Beyond the Silicon Shield

Friday, Mar. 17 // 10–11:00 am (ET)

As Taiwan continues to dominate as the global leader in producing advanced semiconductors, the world literally cannot run without Taiwanese technology. At the same time, the geopolitical risks and pressures that Taipei face have only intensified, not least as Chinese claims to the island persist. While Taiwan expects its chip industry to be part of its defense strategy by providing a “silicon shield” of protection, international support from its allies and partners, as well as the development of industries beyond semiconductors are critical for Taiwan’s future. Shelley Rigger of Davidson College and AEI’s Dan Blumenthal will discuss prospects for collective action to ensure Taiwan’s continued prosperity and the outlook for its economic resilience.