Were we to pick up where we left off a decade ago and head to Baghdad, the tormented people of Iraq would be sure to erupt in joy. If we liberate them, they may (if only for a while) forgive America the multitude of its sins. They may take our gift and do the easiest of things: construct a better Iraq.

In this article, JHU professor Fouad Ajami reviews Sandra Mackey's new book on the modern history of Iraq. He decides that Mackey has injected too much of her personal political views into the story, and that as a result her message is "muddled." Nevertheless, this book review provides some good background for understanding our current dilemma.

'The Reckoning': Iraq and the Thief of Baghdad