Truth, War and Consequences

The PBS program Frontline has produced an excellent documentary tracing the roots of the Iraqi war back to the days immediately following Sept. 11, when Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered the creation of a special intelligence operation to quietly begin looking for evidence that would justify the war. The intelligence reports soon became a part of a continuing struggle between civilians in the Pentagon on one side and the CIA, State Department, and uniformed military on the other -- a struggle that led to inadequate planning for the aftermath of the war, continuing violence, and mounting political problems for the president. Although White House officials refused to be interviewed for the program, other key players were interviewed including Ahmad Chalabi, Paul Bremer, Jay Garner, Richard Perle, Greg Thielmann and Joseph C. Wilson.