[Rhodes22-list] Politics: How's It Going?

[GrahamLBN at aol.com]

Hi Sailors:
 
Just finished a real definitive/authoritarian work on the Iraq War. Here is  
a short review.
 
This book is a truely in depth account of the decisions and planning (or  
lack thereof) leading up to the Iraq war, and a detailed account of the key  
battles and commander's
decisions that led to the downfall of the  regime.  It takes you from the top 
of the
chain down to heroic actions  at battalion, company and squad level.  It also
covers all branches of  services very well.  Lots of Army, Marine and SOF 
action.
It  clearly underscores our intelligence shortfalls on the battlefield, but
also  shows the ingenuity and resourcefullness of commanders and troops at  
the
tactical level.  Excellent reading.  It also points up the many  planning 
shortfalls, especially regarding Phase IV, after the "war is won" and  
reconstruction.

" Cobra II"  The inside story of the invasion and  occupation of Iraq by
Michael R. Gordon and General Bernard E. Trainor, ISBN  0-275-42262-5 
Pantheon Books
 
There definitely were plans for the Iraq war (dating back to 9/11).   
However, there were a number of erroneous assumptions made that led to a failure  to 
anticipate the major problems involved in occupying Iraq.  This bears  out an 
old military maxim that assumptions often make an "Ass of U and Me =  Assume ".
 
I wish you all good sailing and hope you get to read the book.
 
Len G.