» New Book Illuminates Top Levels of Government Heading Into Iraq (Michael Barone, US News)

I haven't finished reading Douglas Feith's War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terrorism, but I feel secure in saying that it is an extraordinarily frank and persuasive book. Feith, who served as under secretary of defense for policy from 2001 to 2005, has been criticized harshly and, I think, unfairly for somehow lying us into Iraq. In War and Decision he presents his view, fortified by generous quotes from government documents, reports, and memorandums. He should be saluted for getting many materials declassified so that we can have a clearer idea of what was actually going on at the top levels of government. I have long been struck by the contrast between what we can read today about the acts of leaders in World War II and what I gather was available to readers at the time. This book provides our first in-depth look at the inside of the Bush administration's national security top leadership from one who was there.

One warning, however: Those who are looking for dirt on Feith's colleagues in government are not going to find it here. He seems to be at pains to relay the arguments of those who had different views fairly and accurately. He concedes some mistakes of his own. And he contradicts much of what has become conventional wisdom about the Iraq war.

Link:

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/barone/2008/4/17/new-book-illuminates-top-levels-of-government-heading-into-iraq.html

Posted by Kevin Whited on 21 April 2008, 01:10 PM
Filed under: General, International Politics, American Foreign Policy
Positive votes: 23 of 45 | Vote (+ / -)
Citation: Sphere: Related Content | Technorati | Bloglines | Add This

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