American Dinosaur

The Foreigner's Gift

I just finished reading The Foreigner's Gift by Fouad Ajami. The book is based on Ajami's first hand observations after six trips to post Hussein Iraq. It is a lucid and somewhat objective view of the current state of affairs there. Niether glowing in optimism or a condemnation, I find the book an interesting look at the fluid dynamics of the Shia-Sunni struggle to find their place. At times the book lags and strays, but it is well worth the read and is on par with V.S. Naipaul's Among the Believers and yes even Thomas Friedman's From Beruit to Jerusalem. Ajami explores the painful transition from liberator to army of occupation the Americans face and looks to the future with cautious insight into the Arab mind.

B+