The first paragraph of this Newsweek story says so much.

[Fuzz]

The Iraq war had yet to begin, but some nasty fighting was already going on back in Washington between the Department of Defense and the Department of State. LAST FEBRUARY, retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner was trying to put together a team of experts to rebuild Iraq after the war was over, and his list included 20 State Department officials. The day before he was supposed to leave for the region, Garner got a call from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who ordered him to cut 16 of the 20 State officials from his roster. It seems that the State Department people were deemed to be Arabist apologists, or squishy about the United Nations, or in some way politically incorrect to the right-wing ideologues at the White House or the neocons in the office of the Secretary of Defense. The vetting process “got so bad that even doctors sent to restore medical services had to be anti-abortion,” recalled one of Garner’s team. Finally, Secretary of State Colin Powell tried to stand up for his troops and stop Rumsfeld’s meddling. “I can take hostages, too,” Powell warned the secretary of Defense. “How hard do you want to play this thing?”


http://www.msnbc.com/news/972362.asp

[gristy]

1. I'd heard about this a couple weeks ago.

I don't remember where.

[xray s]

2. If Powell had any conscience...

...he would have resigned long ago.

[snippy]

4. True.

[NNN0LHI]

3. They are trying to soften Powells image as the neocon he has shown...

...himself to be. Or neocon enabeler which is just as bad. I think he will be Juniors running mate next year if Junior runs?

Don

[hedda_foil]

5. I think you may be right, Don.

[Unknown Known]

6. Chalabi didn't want Garner

is what I read. And I expect that one of the reasons the newcons didn't want him is because he would actually get the job done.

I don't think the people in charge want to see a peaceful Iraq just yet - there too much looting to do!