While the Arab World Slept: the Impact of the Bush Years on the Middle East

Author, journalist, political analyst and editor of the Middle East Times, Claude Salhani looks back at the eight years of the Bush presidency through a series of analysis and essays. From his base in Washington, DC and through numerous visits to the region to interview those whom Bush labeled ?bad guys,? Mr. Salhani chronicled the events of September 11, the three wars launched by the Bush administration in the Middle East and the disastrous foreign policy that ensued, along with its consequences.

Of the three wars America found itself fighting, one was imposed on the nation after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on New York and the Pentagon; the second, the invasion of Afghanistan, was a natural extension of the first. It was the third war, the one in Iraq that was unnecessary. Iraq became a distraction from the main war, the one against Islamist terrorism. Instead of finishing the task at hand, of finding or neutralizing Osama bin Laden and destroying the Taliban, vital logistics and important funds were wasted on a war that should not have been. However, whether the war in Iraq was justified or not will remain a matter of debate for generations to come. History has not said its final word and the last chapter may be a very different one than what we expect.

Will the wars started by President Bush leave a positive impact assuming democracy gets a foothold in the Middle East?