"An incisive, firsthand account of policymaking in a crisis." (General Wesley Clark) Things didn't go wrong in postwar Iraq because the United States lacked a plan. Things went wrong because the United States was blinded by ideology and ignored planning that was already underway. Losing Iraq tells the story of the tragedy of Iraq, from the first discreet meetings to plan the political transition through the debacle the United States finally created. Losing Iraq is a stunning and revealing look at our recent past--with a candid take on how we can prevent this sort of tragedy from happening again. "The best recapitulation we have so far had of the position of those who ardently supported U.S. intervention in Iraq.... What makes [ Losing Iraq ] essential reading for anyone interested in why the postwar went so badly is his insider's view of how the United States planned and how it failed to plan for the Iraq over which it would hold sway after the fall of Saddam." (David Rieff, The Nation ) "A fascinating, unbiased read, from an author who has witnessed the events first hand." ( Rocky Mountain News ) " Losing Iraq ...[shows] how the neoconservatives' blind faith might have benefited from a blunt reality check." ( Austin American Statesman )