Endgame: The Blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror

Don't read this book because its authors are highly qualified (an Asst. Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force and a deputy commanding general of the U.S Army, respectively). And don't read it just because their analysis for Fox News has been spot on so far (when others were predicting military disasters in Afghanistan and Iraq, they correctly predicted the military campaigns). Instead, read it as if your life depends on it. Because it probably does.The authors first describe the gravity of the war against terror. They demonstrate that fundamentalist extremists -- in many countries -- have repeatedly demonstrated that they have no qualms about using any and all means necessary to slaughter innocent civilians. In escalating, nightmarish scenarios, they describe the outcomes of a failure to quickly and completely deal with the "Web of Terror". At the top of the heap, of course, is the very real scenario involving the simultaneous detonation of nuclear weapons in multiple U.S. cities.The second section of the book describes how we fight: both defensively and offensively. The campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq are described in excellent detail. And for those who claim that the Iraq campaign was simply a distraction in the war against terror, the authors beg to differ:"Saddam Hussein's Iraq kept bad company -- as one might expect of a regime that practiced mass executions, torture, and arbitrary arrest and imprisonment and used chemical weapons against its own people. Iraq had extensive dealings with terrorists. Two Palestinians at the top many ... "most wanted" lists in the 1980's and ... 1990's -- Abu Nidal... and Abu Abbas -- were given sanctuary by Saddam Hussein... Nidal led an organization that committed a number of bloody attacks... [and] masterminded the 1985 hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro, a crime that included the murder of [an]... American passenger. Iraq provided training camps for terrorists, most notoriously at Salman Pak... where an obsolescent Boeing 707 was used to train terrorists to hijack airliners. Iraq made cash payments to the families of ... suicide bombers. [Iraq's] vice president... was specifically tasked with supporting... the PLO, Hamas, and ... Islamic Jihad... in addition, the al-Qaeda affiliate, Ansar al-Islam, was based in Northern Iraq..."Thus, Hussein's massive human rights violations, support of terrorism world-wide, and development and use of WMD's made him a first-tier target in the war on terror. The authors rejected a continuance of the containment policy because sanctions had been subverted by regimes like Syria; international support was wavering; and French, German, and Russion businesses continued to stoke Saddam's massive weapons programs.The final section of the book discusses how we must wage the war on terror... country by country. In some cases, diplomacy is recommended. In others, quick military action is advocated. The rationale, strategies and tactics are all discussed in c

Only two things detract from this book: a tedious introduction by Colonel North, and the lack of editing by an experienced writer and a geopolitician. Besides that, the book is a fine exposition on the course America must take in the global war against terror. The two generals who wrote the book can justly claim they "got it" as pundits for Fox News. On TV, they swam against the tide and correctly analyzed - and predicted - our quick victory over the Iraqi Army. Now, in their book, they analyze recent history in Iraq and Afghanistan and make cogent and professional military comments. And they do it without talking down to the reader. An example: a main reason for the failure to capture Bin Laden in Afghanistan was total reliance by General Franks on a Pakistani blocking force along the border. Recent revelations about Pakistan's sale of nuclear technology to rogue states adds to the gravitas of that charge. The book then gets to the core of the issue in Chapter Eight, "The Great Cause," in which the authors lay out a plan for destroying the global terror network. (Incidentally, they refute the notion that a cabal of pro-Israel, Jewish 'neocons' in the administration is setting US policy in order to benefit Israel.) In just seven pages (163-169) the authors remind us of the precepts that brought an end to the age of piracy on the high seas. Those axioms can also bring an end to the Islamic terror threat. Just as the dreaded Jolly Roger was destroyed by the cooperation of threatened nations, the denial of safe havens, and by dogged military pursuit, so can the Islamic terrorists be destroyed. This book is a fitting memorial to General Vallely's son Scott, who tragically died while serving his country. Finally, I take issue with "Jack of Toronto," Dr. Robinson, and his one-star "humble opinion." I read his biased review of a book on Senator Kerry's war record, and from that commentary and his uninformed opinion of this book, I must conclude he could use an editor himself - along with a vigorous undergraduate grounding in research and geopolitics. My own credentials, in case Dr. Robinson is interested, are: Columbia University, US Naval Academy, aircraft carrier pilot, Georgetown University Law School (Juris Doctor), and the International Security Affairs section of the Department of Defense. I also founded and edited The Journal of Defense & Diplomacy. If he did read "End Game" twice, he should read it yet a third time. So should we all.

Only one thing detracts from this book: the lack of editing by an experienced writer and geopolitician. Besides that, the book is a fine exposition on the course America must take in the global war against terror. The two generals who wrote the book can justly claim they "got it" as pundits for Fox News. On TV, they swam against the tide and correctly analyzed - and predicted - our quick victory over the Iraqi Army. Now, in their book, they analyze recent history in Iraq and Afghanistan and make cogent and professional military comments. And they do it without talking down to the reader. An example: a main reason for the failure to capture Bin Laden in Afghanistan was total reliance by General Franks on a Pakistani blocking force along the border. Recent revelations about Pakistan's sale of nuclear technology to rogue states adds to the gravitas of that charge. The book then gets to the core of the issue in Chapter Eight, "The Great Cause," in which the authors lay out a plan for destroying the global terror network. (Incidentally, they refute the notion that a cabal of pro-Israel, Jewish 'neocons' in the administration is setting US policy in order to benefit Israel.) In just seven pages (163-169) the authors remind us of the precepts that brought an end to the age of piracy on the high seas. Those axioms can also bring an end to the Islamic terror threat. Just as the dreaded Jolly Roger was destroyed by the cooperation of threatened nations, the denial of safe havens, and by dogged military pursuit, so can the Islamic terrorists be destroyed. This book is a fitting memorial to General Vallely's son Scott, who tragically died while serving his country. Finally, I take issue with "Jack of Toronto," Dr. Robinson, and his one-star "humble opinion." I read his biased review of a book on Senator Kerry's war record, and from that commentary and his uninformed opinion of this book, I must conclude he could use an editor himself - along with a vigorous undergraduate grounding in research and geopolitics. My own credentials, in case Dr. Robinson is interested, are: Columbia University, US Naval Academy, aircraft carrier pilot, Georgetown University Law School (Juris Doctor), and the International Security Affairs section of the Department of Defense. I also founded and edited The Journal of Defense & Diplomacy. If he did read "End Game" twice, he should read it yet a third time. So should we all. Iran Covenant

The Forward by Col. North quickly and accurately recaps events leading up to the real crisis we face today and why America and it's Allies have become polerized on the global terrorist threat. Next, out of the blizzard of information and disinformation coming at us through all media outlets, Generals McInerney and Vallely piece together the vital details necessary for understanding the life and death issues now facing America and the free world. But the Generals don't simply give you the bad news, they systematically lay out real world options, and in some cases, the only sane course of action, for (literally) saving America and our allies from unimaginable death and destruction. Before I read Endgame, I was already convinced the next attack upon America's homeland was not far off. I now realize I was being optimistic. Endgame is not the work of alarmists or retired military men out to make a quick buck from current events. These are American Patriots that have spent their entire careers protecting America and continue to do so by providing information essential to our understanding and acting upon the risks we truly face.

Two of the sharpest national security analysts around have teamed up to capture adroitly the single most vital issue in the global war on terror: we must focus on the mission of ultimate victory; nothing short of that will suffice. Generals Vallely and McInerney impressed us all by their clear, precise and on-the-mark analysis during the Iraq War. They have consistently seen through the crisis mode that most US media operates in to recognize the larger picture. They bring this perspective to Endgame in a way that makes it a most compelling read. Like it or not, we are a target for terrorists. Our very survival as a nation and as a civilization depends in our ability to recognize the nature of the fight and the absolute need to make a commitment to victory. The authors present a compelling case for how we can win and even more importantly they explain the 'why.' What makes this war so vital to our core existence? This is a book that deserves a prominent place in the desk of every American concerned with the turbulent issues of a dangerous, emerging 21st century world.