Losing Iraq: Inside the Postwar Reconstruction Fiasco by David L. Phillips

Losing Iraq: Inside the Postwar Reconstruction Fiasco by David L. Phillips describes the attempt to rebuild the political structure of Iraq after the invasion. It's a misperception that there was no thought done to reconstruction of Iraq prior to the invasion. Instead the author suggests that what was done was ignored by those in the Bush administration. The author currently an adviser for NBC worked for the State Department to help foster a consensus from the exiled Iraqi community. This was done through the Future of Iraq Project. The emigrés had difficulties, this was exasperated by the attempted hijacking of the process by Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress. Chalabi does not come off well in this book. He's portrayed as being power-hungry and manipulative.

The book also deals with the time from the invasion through the handing over of authority to the Iraqi government. Throughout the mistakes that were made by the Americans are described. The book concludes with a summary of best practices for political reconstruction.

The book includes endnotes, a list of important people and a chronology.

Recommended.

Is available through Abebooks.



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