Exceptional (44 page)

U.S. back channel negotiations with,
184
–85

U.S. cash payments to,
185
,
190
,
243
,
245

and U.S. defense spending,
211
,
212

and U.S. as “last best hope of earth,”
258

U.S. military as option in relations with,
189
,
192
,
193
,
246

and U.S. as the problem,
179

and Yemen,
233

See also
Iran—nuclear program in; nuclear agreement, U.S.-Iran (2015)

Iran—nuclear program in

disclosures about,
188
–89,
244

expansion of,
204
,
220

IAEA and,
172
,
174
,
175
,
176
,
187
,
189
,
253

inspections/verification in,
172
,
174
,
175
,
188
,
191
,
243
,
244

and Khan network,
171
–72,
192

NPT and,
172
,
174
,
185
–86

nuclear framework agreement (2013) between U.S. and,
185

and proliferation of nuclear weapons,
252
–53

and reduction in U.S. arsenal,
125
–26,
217

and restoring American power,
243
–46,
252
–53,
254

UN and,
183
,
184
,
185
,
187
,
189
,
194
,
244

uranium enrichment and,
172
,
174
,
175
–76,
177
,
182
,
183
,
184
,
185
,
186
,
187
,
204
,
243
,
244
,
252

and U.S. cash payments to Iran,
243

and U.S. invasion of Iraq,
254

and U.S. military as option,
246

See also
nuclear agreement, U.S.-Iran (2015)

Iran/Iraq War

al Qaeda and,
98
,
99
,
111
,
112
,
115
,
118
,
139
,
140
,
141
,
161

and al Shifa pharmaceutical plant,
98
,
99

biological weapons and,
114
,
219

Bush (George H. W.) and,
219

Bush (George W.) and,
102
,
109
–12,
113
–14,
117
,
145

chemical weapons and,
113
,
219

collapse of government in,
233

debate about,
112
–18

declaration of,
109
–10

elections in,
111
,
140

ending the war in,
131
,
138
–47,
153
–54,
156
,
162
,
214

exaggerations and misinformation about,
113
–16

and impact of Kuwait war on Iraq War,
93

increased violence in,
162
–63

inspections in,
110
–11,
113
,
115
,
116

intelligence assessments about,
113
–16

invasion of Kuwait by,
70
,
78
–79,
91
–93,
95

Iran and,
111
,
115
,
140
,
142
,
173
,
174
,
175
,
186
,
240
,
245

and Iraqi security forces,
139
,
143
,
211
–12

ISIS and,
107
,
146
,
153
,
161
,
166
–68,
169
,
186
,
239
,
240

Israel and,
219
,
254

missiles and,
219

and nuclear weapons,
111
,
113
,
114
,
115
,
116
,
254

Obama and,
3
,
112
,
118
,
123
,
131
,
138
–47,
154
,
156
,
161
–62,
166
–67,
214

regime change in,
116

and restoring American power,
239
,
240
,
245
,
254

risk concerning,
139
–40

sanctions against,
93
,
110
,
111
,
113
,
114
,
116

Saudi Arabia and,
219

Shi'a and Sunni in,
111
,
112
,
161
,
162

and SOFA,
140
,
143
–44,
145
–46

Soviet relations with,
91
–93

Syria and,
254

as terrorist base,
93
,
109
,
112
–13,
115
,
116

U.S. assistance to,
166
–67,
169

and U.S. defense spending,
211
–12,
233

U.S. elections of 2012 and,
154
,
156

U.S. invasion of,
174
–75,
254

U.S. partnership with,
144
,
145

U.S. relations with,
162

and U.S. stay-behind forces,
144
,
145

U.S. success in,
117
,
118

and weapons of mass destruction,
110
–11,
113
–16,
219

withdrawal of U.S. forces from,
131
,
138
–47,
152
,
161
,
162
,
214
,
222
,
240

See also
Hussein, Saddam; Operation Desert Storm

Iraq Liberation Act (1998),
116

Iraq Survey Group,
111

ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)

in Afghanistan,
152
,
168
,
241

American leadership and defeat of,
2

and closing of U.S. embassies,
168

and ending wars,
131
,
146

expansion of,
152
,
161
,
167
–68,
169

and increase in terrorism,
155

and Iraq,
107
,
146
,
153
,
161
,
166
–68,
169
,
186
,
239
,
240

and Libya,
168

nuclear weapons and,
168
–69

Obama and,
161
,
166
–67,
168
,
169
,
208

and Pakistan,
152
,
241

and Peshmerga forces,
239

recruitment for,
107
,
153
,
239
,
241

and restoring American power,
238
–39,
241

rise of,
161
–70,
233

Saudi Arabia and,
168

Syria and,
153
,
161
,
162
–65,
166
–68,
186
,
239

as threat to U.S.,
167
,
169
–70,
220

and U.S. defense spending,
211
,
233

and U.S. as “last best hope of earth,”
258

U.S. strategy for defeating,
186

“Wilayat of Khorasan” of,
152

and Yemen,
168

Islam, militant

and American history,
5

American leadership and defeat of,
2

Benghazi attack and,
157
,
158

Obama and,
4
,
123
–24

and restoring American power,
238
–42

rise/resurgence of,
123
–24,
154

and U.S. as “last best hope of earth,”
258

See also specific person or organization

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),
173
,
177
,
178
,
179
,
187
,
191
,
194
,
241
,
243
,
244
,
245
–46

isolationism,
11
,
12
,
19
–22,
59
,
118
–19,
232

Israel

attack on convoy in Golan Heights by,
191

establishment of state of,
53

Iran and,
191
,
244
,
245

Iraq and,
219
,
254

Iron Dome of,
250

North Korea and,
254

Obama and,
54
,
191

rebuilding U.S. alliance with,
239

and restoring American power,
239

UN condemnation of,
78

U.S. relations with,
53
–54,
239

and West Bank settlements,
78

Iwo Jima, Battle of,
5

Jabhat al-Nusrah organization,
155

Jablonski, Henryk,
80

Japan

Obama's visit to,
129

post–World War II,
51

in World War II,
5
,
21
,
22
,
24
,
26
,
34
–38,
100

Jaruzelski, Wojciech,
82

Jay, John,
4

Jefferson, Thomas,
4

John Paul II (pope),
79
–82,
88

Johnson, Lyndon,
53
,
68

Joint Atomic Energy Intelligence Committee,
114

Joint Chiefs of Staff,
54
,
76
,
97
,
138
.
See also specific person

Jones, Jim,
148

Jordan,
191
,
239

Joscelyn, Thomas,
155

Joseph, Robert,
189
,
216
,
252

Judt, Tony,
87
–88

Justice Department, U.S.: and enhanced interrogation methods,
107
,
133

Kaiser, Henry,
28

Karzai, Hamid,
103
,
150

Kay, David,
110
–11

Keane, Jack,
169
,
238

Kennan, George,
45
,
48

Kennedy, John F.,
62
–65,
67
–68,
207
,
216
,
227
,
231
–32,
252
,
258
–59

Kennedy, Robert,
68

Kerry, John,
115
,
166
,
174
,
183
,
188
–89,
202

Khamenei, Ayatollah Ali,
173
,
180
,
181
,
186
,
192

Khan, A. Q.,
117
,
172
,
192
,
254

Khattala, Ahmed Abu,
118

Khobar Towers (Saudi Arabia): bombing of,
96

Khomeini, Ayatollah Ruhollah,
78
,
173

Khrushchev, Nikita,
59
–61,
63
–68,
232

Kim Il Sung,
54

Kissinger, Henry,
69
–70,
71
,
72
,
73
,
74
,
212

Knudsen, Bill,
28

Korean War,
54
–56

Krauthammer, Charles,
4

Kurdish Peshmerga forces,
239

Kuwait War (1990),
70
,
78
–79,
91
–93,
95
.
See also
Operation Desert Storm

Kyushu, Japan: and World War II,
36

Latvia,
53
,
87

Lavrov, Sergei,
166
,
195
,
202

Lawrence, Ernest,
57

leadership

and benefits of strength of U.S. defense,
207
–8

bin Laden's comment about U.S.,
98

bipartisan tradition of maintaining American supremacy and,
3

British role in world,
39
–40

in Cold War,
88
–89,
197

as failure for U.S. military,
70

importance of,
4

and NATO,
249

Obama and,
208
,
212

as reason for American exceptionalism,
2

and restoring American power,
231
,
249
,
255

role of Allied summits in world,
40

Truman's comment about,
231

and U.S. defense spending,
212
–13

and U.S. as “last best hope of earth,”
258
–59

and U.S. Regional Defense Strategy,
95

and U.S. in World War II,
17
–18,
38
–41,
231
–32

Vietnam War and,
70

Lebanon,
174
,
245

Lend-Lease program,
18
–20,
21

Levey, Stuart,
176
,
177
–78,
179
,
183
,
245