NYT Sunday Splash: A Secret History of the Iraq War-Reliant On US Mil Docs

[kpete]

New York Times Sunday splash: A secret history of the Iraq war, reliant on U.S. military documents
RAW STORY
Published: March 11, 2006



The New York Times plans the first in a series of two articles regarding Saddam Hussein's pre-war and Iraq war strategy based on a "secret U.S. military history." While the story looks to shed light on the internal workings of the Hussein government, it relies largely on internal U.S. military documentation, secret interviews, and the interrogation records of American analysts, many of whom posed as "military historians."

Another story describes Saddam's "frantic" escape in early April 2003 as US troops approached Baghdad, based on a "day-by-day reconstruction of Saddam's movements" compilted by the U.S. Joint Forces Command.

Both articles were written by Michael Gordon, chief military correspondent of the Times, and Bernard Trainor, authors of the soon to be published book, Cobra 11: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq. An earlier article written by the pair claimed that German spies passed on secret intelligence to the United States before the invasion, though the Berlin government has denied that it happened.

The documents purport that Saddam was "deeply distrustful" of his own soldiers, making crucial decisions himself and micromanaging, effectively hobbling his forces. Some examples, the TIMES says, include:

read more at:
http://rawstory.com/news/2006/New_York_Times_Sunday_splash_A_0311.html

[Laura PourMeADrink]

1. Just read this article in the Times. It was excellent and very

very interesting, a must read. Saddam didn't have any wmd - and he didn't think the US would really invade. He was caught between trying to let the US know he had nothing while having his enemies (Iran and Shiites) believe he did. He was more worried about a Shiite uprising than with the US invading. Facinating stuff.

[Bigmack]

2. We have insured ...

.. that the Shia and Iran will win in Iraq.... eventually.

Is there a word for this kind of thing beyond "clusterfuck"?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

3. That is the exact word I used when I got into a fight with my

brothers-in-law at the Easter Egg hunt, before the invasion!

[bklyncowgirl]

4. This is what I've said all along--Saddam was afraid to admit he had no WMD

He was using them as a bluff to keep the Shiites and Kurds in line. Even his own commanders didn't know the truth.