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October 14, 2006
WB: Fiasco

Billmon:

It may seem odd that I’m defending Ricks, given some of the harsh things I’ve written about his reporting from Iraq. But I guess my attitude is that if Tom Ricks is going to be criticized, it bloody well should be from the left — not by some pompous neocon windbag who thinks he’s the reincarnation of Thucydides.

Fiasco

Posted by b on October 14, 2006 at 05:11 UTC | Permalink
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Your Think Tank’s war

Laura Rozen has a rather remarkable post about the genesis of the Iraq War, which has gotten virtually no attention. That’s all the more surprising because she’s discussing allegations made in Bob Woodward’s new book, which people have been pawing over frantically for inside information about how and why the White House has failed in Iraq.
This particular passage from State of Denial did in fact receive a certain amount of attention about four days ago, after Julie Bosman of the NYT commented on it. Her interest, which has been reflected in virtually everything subsequently written about the passage, was in the ethics of the journalists and pundits who, Woodward says, took part in a secret strategy session organized by the Cheney adminstration. Until now all the figures named have kept their participation in the session (indeed, the very existence of the session) secret, though they have been commenting publicly and writing about the events that they helped to shape in this meeting.

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Oct 14 2006 9:02 utc | 1

Part of the difficulty is identifying the enemy. Basra has become riddled with organised gangs, militias and death squads, and its police force is corrupt. According to senior coalition advisers, there are around 20 different security and police groups in the city, ranging from the directorate of education police to the justice police; the governor alone has 200 armed gunmen protecting him. Some of the police units are active in organised crime and have been infiltrated by militias, others work as death squads. There are also around a dozen religious militias.
“We are in a tribal society in Basra and we [the British army] are in effect one of these tribes,” said Lt Col Simon Brown, commander of the 2nd Battalion. “As long as we are here the others will attack us because we are the most influential tribe. We cramp their style.”
He can see the general’s point. “There is so much poverty and frustration in the streets of Basra, as long as you are in the street, someone will shoot at you. We complicate the situation. We give the disaffected and frustrated a chance to empty their frustrations by shooting at us.”

The British officer said: ‘We are now just another tribe’

Posted by: b | Oct 14 2006 9:08 utc | 2

The War Nerd rendered a meet and proper assessment of Victor Hanson’s skills as a military analyst last year:
“This fool passes himself off as a military historian, writing columns about Iraq and Afghanistan and everything else he feels like babbling about, but he doesn’t have a clue about contemporary warfare. Every war nerd on the net knows more about what’s happening in Iraq than he does.”
Victor Hanson: Portrait of an American Traitor

Posted by: Frank | Oct 14 2006 21:43 utc | 3

War Nerd has got his stuff squared away.
I thought Trainor and Gordon’s book was a little better than Rick’s, but more nuanced in assigning blame.
Wouldn’t touch Woodward’s book if I had the galloping trots and desperate need for TP. Woodie’s such a syphilitic journo-whore, you’d probably catch an STD from the paper.

Posted by: Victoria Hansen | Oct 14 2006 22:01 utc | 4

frank, that is one hell of a link!

Posted by: annie | Oct 15 2006 9:03 utc | 5

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