Endgame: Solving the Iraq Crisis

The solution to the never-ending crisis in Iraq, from the head of the on-site arms inspection team whose resignation in August 1998 caused a major shift in US and UN policy Scott Ritter was the longest-serving weapons inspector and head of the on-site team in Iraq when he resigned in protest over UN and US policy in August 1998. His resignation made front-page news around the world. In ENDGAME Ritter has compiled an exciting, tense account of the cat-and-mouse game the inspection teams played with duplicitous Iraqi officials, set against the shifting sands of international diplomacy. He describes how, even as the inspectors were risking their lives to uncover Saddam's deadly weapons, the programme was being betrayed as the French, the Russians and finally the US lobbied to soften UN policy. He also reveals both how the US manipulated the inspections for their own ends and the shadowy role played by the CIA. He knows better than anyone what weapons Saddam has and he lists Iraq's destructive capacity in chilling detail. Combined with an insightful analysis of how Saddam came to power and how he retains a despotic grip on the country, Ritter clearly demonstrates that it is only a matter of time before Saddam unleashes his weapons of mass destruction again. Above all he uses his unique knowledge of Iraq to outline a plan for dealing with Saddam Hussein. The attempts to bomb Saddam into submission have clearly failed. France and Russia are prepared to turn a blind eye as Saddam rebuilds his arsenal. The US has no long-term solution. Scott Ritter's plan could be the only way forward.