Tom Ricks, the Wash Post's ace military correspondent, has a book coming that details "the American adventure in Iraq." The title: FIASCO. Among the revelations cited in a press release for the book:
* U.S. policies and tactics helped create the insurgency.
* Abuse of Iraqi prisoners was far more widespread than just a few "bad apples" at the Abu Ghraib prison, and was, in fact suggested by senior military officers.
* U.S. military leaders failed their troops by sending them to Iraq unprepared for the task at hand.
* One of the most abusive units was the 4th Infantry Division. The general who led this division, Raymond Odierno, is scheduled to become the no. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq later this year.
* The U.S. military was frequently at odds with U.S. civilian officials, resulting in internal friction that undermined the American mission.
* The U.S. military didn't launch a counterinsurgency campaign until August 2004-some 17 months after the fall of Baghdad and a full year after the insurgency began.
The generals and officials involved in abuse might be damned good at their jobs. That's why they're always getting promoted.
Anyway, the book is out Tuesday...
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