to read David Harsanyi’s interview with author Douglas Feith. He answers questions about the administration’s missteps in communicating with the American public, the War on Terror, and the future of U.S. involvement in the Middle East. It’s the first installment of an ongoing feature that will bring well-known political authors to the pages of The Post’s Perspective section.
There are few issues as contentious as the Iraq war. That’s unlikely to change. And though most Americans now consider the invasion a mistake, a recent poll by The Washington Post and ABC News finds that we are divided on how to proceed.
Around half of those surveyed believe, like presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, in a hard timeline for withdrawal. The other half, not unlike soon-to-be Republican nominee John McCain, believe that events rather than timetables should be the determining factor to when U.S. troops are withdrawn.
Public opinion is likely shift as the situation in Iraq changes, and there has been improvement since the surge. Yet the debate over the initial justification, politicization and framing of America’s embroilment in the Iraq war will undoubtedly be debated for years to come.
As the third- highest ranking civilian in the Pentagon under Donald Rumsfeld, Douglas Feith played a central role in planning U.S. policy in Iraq and in the War on Terror. There were few neoconservatives who were more vilified.
In his book “War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terrorism,” Feith writes that “he aimed not to write a polemic, but rather to make a contribution to history, extensively documented and as accurate as one person’s account can be.”
He is successful in this charge. Jean Edward Smith, historian and critic of the Bush administration, says that Feith has written “a model memoir: fair-minded, objective, and without rancor” — which turns out to be rather disappointing.
Although Feith is unlikely to persuade critics of the merits of an Iraq invasion, as a historical document “War and Decision” is certainly of value in its declassified information, internal memos and debates, detailed chronological information and broad rationalizations for the Iraq war as a necessary front in the war on terrorism.
Flipping through “War and Decision,” however, even detractors will be left craving a more vigorous, forceful and personal defense of the administration’s policy for not only bringing down Saddam Hussein’s regime, but also for rebuilding Iraq and staying the course.
Reach columnist David Harsanyi at 303-954-1255 or dharsanyi@denverpost.com.
