The Greatest Threat: Iraq, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and the Crisis of Global Security
This is the memoir of a frustrated man. Richard Butler is the former  chairman of UNSCOM, the United Nations-appointed arms-inspection team assigned  to Iraq in the wake of the Gulf War. Between 1992 and 1997, Butler toiled to  prevent Saddam Hussein from manufacturing and stockpiling weapons of mass  destruction. UNSCOM experienced some success, but it was essentially a failure  thanks to the intransigence and intimidation Butler faced from without (by  Saddam's henchmen, such as Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz) and from within  (members of Butler's own task force, representing the interests of their own  countries, constantly undercut him). And this "constitutes a serious crisis in  global security," writes Butler. "While the full nature and scope of [Saddam's]  current programs cannot be known precisely because of the absence of inspections  and monitoring, it would be foolish in the extreme not to assume that he is:  developing long-range missile capabilities; at work again on building nuclear  weapons; and adding to the chemical and biological warfare weapons he concealed  during the UNSCOM inspection period."Butler's account of his own efforts is, as he freely admits, "far more important  than it is colorful." If readers hunger for a spy thriller about Iraq, they  should turn to novelist Frederick Forsyth'sThe Fist of Godinstead ofThe Greatest Threat. But if they want a realistic look at Middle Eastern  power politics, the maddening challenge of disarmament, and a few vivid  reminders that Saddam is both "determined and diabolical," Butler's book is an  excellent resource. Butler, who is Australian, closes with an idealistic call to  stop nuclear proliferation, urging Americans to forsake "the pursuit of purely  national goals": "By leading the global community in the effort of reducing and  then eliminating the unique danger posed by weapons of mass destruction, the  United States can assure itself the highest and most justly honored place among  nations in the annals of history." Whether or not readers agree with that  sentiment, Butler convincingly shows that reducing Saddam's ability to make war  is in virtually everybody's interest.--John J. Miller--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.