Lt General Michael Flynn

In the wake of the massive Paris bombing, the horrific airport bombing in Brussels, the attack on the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali, the deadly attack in San Bernardino, California, the devastating bombings in Baghdad, the massive international refugee crisis and the worsening situations in Israel, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, comes a new book on how to win the global war against radical Islamism. The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies (St. Martin’s Press, On Sale Date July 12, 2016, $26.99), written by retired Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. General Michael T. Flynn and historian Michael Ledeen. Flynn’s purpose in this book is twofold: one, to show the type of war that is being waged against us (it is a World War); and, two, formulating a truly winning strategy. How can we win? Flynn believes we must organize all our national power from military to economic to intelligence gathering to tough-diplomacy. In the book he describes how we must deny all terrorists safe houses, as well as tackling countries that shelter them, and how those countries must be presented with a brutal choice – either eliminate radical Islamists or risk being attacked themselves. We also must go hard after radical Islamists everywhere and in every way. Flynn acknowledges that just going after the bad guys is not enough. An over-riding theme in the book is that US forces need to listen to the civilians in countries dominated by Islamists and show these people respect. Flynn knows from experience what happens when you don’t work to win the trust of the people in these distressed nations. Could a regime change in Tehran be the best answer? Flynn feels there is no way to make any type of meaningful deals with the current Iranian leadership and its hard line Ayatollah’s. He points to one of the great missed opportunities in recent times for the US: the 2009 uprising in Iran where the people protesting in the streets seemingly were waiting for the United States to back them in any way possible to shift the tide. Alas, to no avail, for those opposing their autocratic leaders. Flynn commented, “We’re in a world war, but very few Americans recognize it, and fewer still have any idea how to win. I am writing this book for two reasons: first, to show that the war is being waged against us by enemies this administration has forbidden us to describe: radical Islamists. Second, to lay out a winning strategy that is not passively relying on technology and drone attacks to do the job. We could lose this war; in fact, right now we are losing. THE FIELD OF FIGHT will give a view on how to win.”