The story that Escobar tells is one of pure angst. The situation of the Iraqi People is worse under the American occupation than it ever was under Saddam Hussein. The unemployment rate in Iraq is at a stunning 60%, with most people in Baghdad, once the crown jewel of Islam, begging in the streets trying to feed their families. Escobar writes about the different factions in Iraq and he puts down the US notion that it is “sectarian” violence, he says it is not. Escobar tells of Sunni’s supporting Shia and vice versa. He talks about the Sadr Army and Sadr City, poor but stable. He explains why the Sadr Army is “laying low” not confronting the Americans, but waiting and calling on them to leave.
In one part of the book, Pepe Escobar takes issue with the right-wing neo-cons that have declared that Iran is giving weapons and advanced IED’S called explosive form penetrators (EFP’S). In his book Escobar states;
“Iran of course can be very persuasive, holding up some tasty cards up its sleeve- such as hard-earned intelligence directly implicating the Saudis in training the Sunni Arab muqawama (resistance) in Iraq on explosive form penetrators (EFP’S), which the Pentagon foolishly insists come from Iran. Everyone in Iraq knows it is operatives from “axis of fear” allies Saudi Arabia and Egypt-and also Pakistan-who have provided the Sunni Arab guerillas in Iraq with technology and training on improvised explosive devices and EFP’s.” pg. 79.
