New Books Network Samuel Helfont, "The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction" (Oxford UP, 2025)
Dec 24, 2025
Samuel Helfont, an Associate Professor at the Naval War College and an expert on Iraq, discusses the complexities of the Iraq wars over the past three decades. He highlights the interconnectedness of the Gulf War, the 2003 invasion, and the rise of ISIS, emphasizing the lack of U.S. planning post-Gulf War. Helfont critiques U.S. military strategies and the missteps during the occupation, which led to instability. He also explores the roots of ISIS and evaluates whether the Iraq wars have truly ended, while sharing insights from his new book, aimed at offering a concise understanding of these conflicts.
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Iraq Wars As A Linked Chain
- The Iraq Wars are best understood as a linked chain of conflicts from 1990 onward rather than isolated events.
- The end of the Cold War made Iraq a global test case shaping post-Cold War order and U.S. responses.
Why Saddam Invaded Kuwait
- Saddam invaded Kuwait for multiple reasons: debt, oil, access to the sea, and fears after the Soviet collapse.
- He acted quickly because he feared a post-Cold War order that would let the U.S. and allies impose their will.
New World Order Framed U.S. Action
- The U.S. response in 1990 reflected post-Cold War goals of a rules-based 'new world order' under U.S. leadership.
- George H.W. Bush framed intervention as defending international norms, not merely protecting oil.