Illusions of Victory: The Anbar Awakening and the Rise of the Islamic State
A discussion with the author, Dr. Carter Malkasian, and commentary from Dr. Daniel Marston
The defeat of al Qaeda in Anbar Province in 2007 was widely hailed as proof the United States could intervene in a war-torn country and, with the right strategy, bring stability and peace. Yet in 2014, much of Anbar fell to the Islamic State with shocking ease. Dr. Carter Malkasian will discuss his new book “Illusions of Victory: The Anbar Awakening and the Rise of the Islamic State,” which looks at the wreckage to explain why the initial success proved misleading, why victory was unsustainable, and why Anbar should serve as a cautionary tale for future interventions.
Dr. Malkasian will be joined by Dr. Daniel Marston of the Australian National University for a discussion moderated by the Project on Military and Diplomatic History director, Dr. Mark Moyar.