Don't Panic
ISIS, Terror and Today's Middle East
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4.7 • 10 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
It took a quarter-century of bad strategy, including more than a dozen years of Western air attacks and invasions in the Middle East, to bring the so-called "Islamic State" into existence. Can we somehow manage to avoid the well-trodden path of overreacting to the provocations of Islamist extremists?
With the rise of ISIS, a new style of terrorism that publicly gloats over acts of extreme cruelty has reawakened the fears of the global audience. But in Don't Panic, Gwynne Dyer argues that the advent of "Islamic State" and its clones does not substantially raise the risk of major terrorist attacks in Western countries. It does, however, pose a grave threat to the Arab countries of the Middle East.
In Don't Panic, Dyer first explains why the Middle East has become the global capital of terrorism. He then examines how terrorist organisations in the Arab world have evolved over time, with particular emphasis on the events of the past fifteen years and the current situation in Syria and Iraq. And in the end Dyer departs from his long-standing position that foreign interventions always make matters worse to argue that a little military intervention of the right kind may avert a genocide in Syria.
"When my information changes, I alter my conclusions," said John Maynard Keynes. "What do you do, sir?"
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dyer (Climate Wars) a historian, independent journalist, and former naval reservist, analyses current conflicts in the Middle East through the lens of Islamic history and Islam itself. He maintains that the goals of Islamist terrorists don't directly involve the Western world per se and that strategies Western countries have been using to deal with terrorism for the last two decades have played into terrorists' hands. The war with ISIS, he says, is not a new kind of war, it's just war. He describes the histories of Islam, Arabs and the Middle East as they relate to the rise of ISIS. He explains the differences between the various sects of Islam, vital for understanding current conflicts. According to Dyer, ISIS aims to recreate the Sunni Caliphate and bring about the end-of-days, but with Al Qaeda and ISIS as rivals and historical infighting, the chances of either of them overrunning the Middle East and the rest of the world aren't high. If the West plays it smart, there's no need to panic, he says. His writing is straightforward, concise and avoids sensationalism. For anyone interested in how ISIS seemingly sprang up from nowhere, Dyer provides an excellent analysis of its origins. Laura Susijn, The Susijn Agency
Customer Reviews
ISIS-Don't Panic
Isis is a threat, and the author does not deny that. He does have faith in our political and security systems here in North America. He maintains that since the Middle East only contains about 10% of the global population, and many of the hotbeds of discontent are relatively cut off from the rest of the World, we should not worry. He believes that a whole army is not about to invade us any time soon. For the U.S. or anybody else to put boots on the ground and invade would be a mistake, as it only plays into their hands and spreads chaos. The leaders of these respective countries must sort their own problems out, because neighbouring countries around Syria will not help with the IS problem.
In its scope, research and historical significance, this is a spectacular read. Mr. Dyer is extremely knowledgeable on this subject, and has spent time in many war torn regions. The fact that he says "don't worry" makes me feel better, albeit in only some small measure.