Realpolitik Books - X

Plan of Attack

On 20th March , 2003 US and its allies United Kingdom, Australia and Poland, invaded Iraq under a joint operation code named Iraqi Freedom. The stated mission of the armed invasion, as declared by the US President, George W. Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, was to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people. Was the declared mission truthful? Some of the long standing allies of US viz. France, Germany and New Zealand advised against resorting to military intervention in the absence of sufficient proof of presence of weapons of mass destruction on the soil of Iraq.

The iconic reporter and investigative journalist, Bob Woodward was granted extensive access to White House and to interview Bush administration officials, which facilitated Bob in writing an authentic account of the behind the scene processes which finally led to the invasion of US. Thanks to the interviews of  75 key players, including President Bush, memos, transcripts of phone calls, power point presentations from military computers, this book is treasure house of top quality information.

The book starts with a private meeting between President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld, the defense secretary, on Nov 21, 2001 just 10 weeks after Sep,11., in which Bush asks Rumsfeld to prepare a war plan for Iraq. The books then delves into the final decision making process for invasion in Iraq. The theme that emerges most powerfully from this book is that the war was preordained.  Even before Bush took charge as President, Cheney decided that the top agenda on president's first national security briefing should be Iraq. On day 17 of the new administration, the "principals" met to discuss Iraq. When General Tommy Franks was charged with the preparing a war plan, he was old the money was no issue.

In Sep, 2002 during a meeting about possible targets, General frank Tommy clearly stated to Bush that the intelligence on Iraq over the past 10 years had not revealed signs of any scud missiles or other weapons of mass destruction

Colin Powell was cold-shouldered by the inner circle. Though Powell maintained his loyalty to the team in public, he was not even on talking terms with Cheney. Powell is surely right to tell Woodward that Cheney was "terrified" of the UN route - lest it actually work and prevent war. Cheney wanted the UN to be bypassed before the invasion of Iraq. Prseident Bush overruled him.

The books is full of anecdotes, human interplay and political gaffes.


Namaste


Prabir

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