Posted on 06/16/2004 8:08:52 AM PDT by Maigret
Secret History of the Iraq War
by Yossef Bodansky
In the months leading up to March 2003, fresh from its swift and heady victory in Afghanistan, the Bush administration mobilized the United States armed forces to overthrow the government of Iraq. Eight months after the president declared an end to major combat operations, Saddam Hussein was captured in a farmhouse in Al-Dawr. And yet neither peace nor democracy has taken hold in Iraq; instead the country has plunged into terrorist insurgency and guerrilla warfare, with no end in sight. What went wrong?
In The Secret History of the Iraq War, bestselling author Yossef Bodansky offers an astonishing new account of the war and its aftermath -- a war that was doomed from the start, he argues, by the massive and systemic failures of the American intelligence community. Drawing back the curtain of politicized debate, Bodansky -- a longtime expert and director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare -- reveals that nearly every aspect of America's conflict with Iraq has been misunderstood, in both the court of public opinion and the White House itself. Among his revelations:
The most authoritative account of Saddam Hussein's support for Islamic terrorist organizations -- including extensive new reporting on his active cooperation with al-Qaeda in Iraq long after the fall of Baghdad
Extensive new information on Iraq's major chemical and biological weapons programs -- including North Korea's role in building still-undetected secret storage facilities and Iraq's transfer of banned materials to Syria, Iran, and Libya
The first account of Saddam's plan for Iraq, Syria, and Iran to join Yasser Arafat's Palestinian forces to attack Israel, throw the region into turmoil, and upend the American campaign
The untold story of Russia's attempt to launch a coup against Saddam before the war -- and how the CIA thwarted it by ensuring that Iraq was forewarned
Dramatic details about Saddam's final days on the run, including the untold story of a near miss with U.S. troops and the stunning revelation that Saddam was already in custody at the time of his capture -- and was probably betrayed by members of his own Tikriti clan
The definitive account of the anti-U.S. resistance and uprising in Iraq, as the American invasion ignited an Islamic jihad and Iran-inspired intifada, threatening to plunge the region into irreversible chaos fueled by hatred and revenge
Revelations about the direct involvement of Osama bin Laden in the terrorism campaigns in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the rest of the Middle East -- including the major role played by Iran and HizbAllah in al-Qaeda's operations
Drawing upon an extraordinary wealth of previously untapped intelligence and regional sources, The Secret History of the Iraq War presents the most detailed, fascinating, and convincing account of the most controversial war of our times -- and offers a sobering indictment of an intelligence system that failed the White House, the American military, and the people of the Middle East.
His book
Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America is REALLY good
I can't wait to get the new one!
I used a lot of it on my timeline
http://www.finchfactory.com/howdiditcometothis.htm
What would this, if true, lead us to believe?
Does anyone else find this disturbing?
I am sure that this book will be illuminating at some level but I do suggest that it is way too early to answer the rhetorical question "what went wrong." Maybe in a few years, a greater sample of information and results will provide a much better data base from which to draw conclusions on whether the U.S. led effort was a good one or a poor one.
LOL! I know it's only publishing hype, but trust me, that area has been in chaos fueled by hatred and revenge since Hammurabi was in diapers.
If its like his previous works it will be a very lengthy (but worthwhile) read. I would also suggest reading his "The High Cost of Peace" which really lays out the middle east well. His biography of Bin Laden is THE reference book to read about al queda.
You better read it because despite his unimpeachable credentials, high level of documentation, and unquestioned expertise you will see NONE of this on the major news networks who will be too busy discussing prison abuse and the 9/11 commission's ill informed opinions.
I don't think it matters if there were no links of 9/11 with Iraq. My opinion, Iraq was something that needed to be finished up, or else we'd have troops and aircraft tied up for decades in that area, not to mention that Saddam's sons made him look like a nice guy.
Anyways, the war is still going on, I'm not so sure putting out a book about the history of any aspect of it is a wise thing to do.
Do you put any weight whatsoever into the findings of that commission?
If Russia had pulled off a coup, WHO would be in charge there and HOW would the country of Iraq (or the world) be better off?
let's see...
Russia would control their oil thus putting the US in an even worse situation regarding oil supplies
Most likely, a new dictator would be running the place.
Most likely, international terrorists would still have a place to hang out in safety.
I think that things have gone as well as we could have dreamed of. Sure, soldiers have died. That is sad, but that is war. Sure, fighting continues but not as much as the media wants us to believe. Sure, some freaks (Who probably watched too much MTV) abused some prisoners.
The fact this guy claims that Iraq is in complete chaos proves that he has an axe to grind and is a liar.
The vast majority of the millions of Iraqis are working, going home, enjoying life with their families, and praying for the day that elections come and they can decide the fate of their own nation.
More people died in Detroit last week due to violent crimes than in Iraq. This is just another anti-American (aka Democrat) book intended to attack Bush.
I find it highly unlikely.
What factors contribute to your doubt?
Like you, I really don't want to believe this is true, but this author has some credibility.
The 911 commission isn't going to claim that there were no links. The purposefully leaked statement that I've read could be summarized as: Yes, the terrorists were in contact with Saddam and his leaders. But Saddam was such a wonderfully warm and fuzzy guy that he would of never actually did anything to help them.
bookmark
And Tenet resigned for 'personal reasons' ... poor guy takes everything too personally. /sarcasm
We captured Saddam Hussein.
We have dismantled Iraq's ability to attack our oil sources in neighboring countries.
The rest of the Muslim world (and North Korea) has been shown that we will fight back if provoked.
Qadafi in Libya has seen the light and has turned over his WMDs as a result of Iraq
We have proven the existance of WMDs
We have ended the diasterous oil-for-food debacle and have re-established full trade with Iraq
What went wrong? Almost nothing.
Wouldn't it be terrible if we have created Anti-US hatred in the Islamic world?!?!? Why.. they might even do something really bad to us... like fly airliners full of innocent men, women and children into buildings full of innocent men, women and children.
Yea... we wouldn't want to make them mad at us.
What in your opinion makes you think that won't be the case anyway, except tenfold?
No. It means Russia tried to preempt our preemption and keep the Iraqi people enslaved. That would have kept Iraq as a significant market for them and kept the gravy train of OUR MONEY in the form of oil for food flowing.
Instead, we have liberated this people, cut off the fools in France, Germany and Russia from their gravy train and established a democratic foothold smackdab in the middle of the middle east. Not too bad if you ask me.
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