Red Line: The Unravelling of Syria and the Race to Destroy the Most Dangerous Arsenal in the World

The book "Red Line" is about the mission to find and destroy Syria's chemical weapons and defeat ISIS, which ultimately lost control of both. It is a harrowing true-life thriller that follows the characters of weapons hunters, politicians, commandos, diplomats, and spies as they become swept up in a calamitous chain of events that spawns a terrorist movement, unleashes torrents of refugees, frustrates two U.S. presidents, and empowers the Western alliance's most dangerous foes.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 24 February 2022
Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Black Flags, the harrowing true story of the mission to find and destroy Syria's chemical weapons and defeat ISIS—only to lose control of both.

Presents the story sharply and compellingly.

Washington Post
Excellent
Independent

In August 2012, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was clinging to power in a vicious civil war. Concerned that Assad might resort to chemical weapons, the international community warned that any such use would cross a red line, warranting a military response. When a year later, Assad bombed the Damascus suburb of Ghouta with sarin gas, killing hundreds, global leaders were torn between living up to their word and becoming mired in another unpopular Middle Eastern war. So when Russia offered to store Syria's chemical weapons, the world leaped at the solution.

So begins a race to find, remove, and destroy 1,300 tons of chemical weapons in the middle of Syria's civil war. Told in harrowing detail, the initial effort is a tactical triumph for the West, but soon Russia's long game becomes clear: it has UN cover to assist Assad's regime. Meanwhile, the territory gains of ISIS further destabilise the country, and the terrorist organisation seeks to secure Syria's chemical arsenals for itself, with horrifying consequences.

Red Line is a classic Joby Warrick true-life thriller: a character-driven narrative with a cast of heroes and villains, including weapons hunters, politicians, commandos, diplomats, and spies. Through original reporting and eyewitness accounts from direct participants, Joby Warrick reveals how a well-intentioned effort to save Syrian lives became swept up in a calamitous chain of events that would spawn a terrorist movement, unleash torrents of refugees, frustrate two U.S. presidents, and ultimately lead to a global conflict that would reshape the world.

Weight: 270g
Dimension: 193 x 206 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781784165864