The Invasion

Although Anto and Nessa feel lucky to have survived the Call, their happiness comes to an end when Nessa is labeled a traitor and Anto is forced to remain behind enemy lines.

The political philosophy of Leo Strauss has been the subject of significant scholarly and media attention in recent years, particularly in the context of the decision to invade Iraq in 2003. Allegations that a group of Strauss-inspired Neo-conservatives intervened in the foreign policy establishment of the US in order to realise the policy of 'regime change' began to emerge soon after the invasion, and unanswered questions remain a decade later. This book addresses these claims, focusing specifically on a group of Straussians active in the spheres of intelligence production, think tanks, and the media during the period from the 9/11 attacks to the invasion in 2003. Such an examination is intended not simply to identify and expose their activities promoting the policy of 'regime change' in Iraq during this period, but also to challenge them and the Straussian logics underpinning them. Utilising the thought of Jacques Derrida, the book enacts a deconstructive challenge to Strauss’ political philosophy which unsettles the fundamental assumptions it relies upon. In doing so, it exposes the securitising imperative underpinning Straussian thought and the Straussian interventions. It thereby simultaneously addresses crucial issues in political theory and contemporary foreign policy studies, while asserting that these dimensions of international politics can and should be dealt with in conjunction with each other. This book would be of interest to students and scholars of Global Politics, Political Theory, Security Studies and US Foreign Policy, and those outside the academy interested in Neo-conservatism and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Alexander William Kinglake (1809-1891) visited the Crimea in 1854, as a civilian, and was present at the battle of the Alma (20 Sep 1854). The British C in C, Lord Raglan, suggested to Kinglake that he write a history of the Crimean War and made available all his private papers. The result is this monumental and elaborate piece of work which tells the story of the war from its origin to the death of Raglan on 28 June 1855; the conflict still had another eight months to run to its conclusion at the Treaty of Paris on 28 February 1856. These volumes between them number over 4,000 pages and the period they cover is less than a year so the amount of detail can be imagined. Volume III for example covers the Alma, volume IV the siege of Sevastopol, volume V is devoted to Balaclava, volume VI to the Battle of Inkerman and volume VII to the dreadful winter of 1854/1855. Maps and battlefield diagrams include a number of coloured maps and volume IX, which describes the death of Lord Raglan, has the index to the whole work, sixty-two pages!