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Washington: A former chief player in the US-led war in Iraq has written a scathing insider account that attacks the many instigators of the war, including Colin Powell, the CIA and other US officials, a report on BBC’s website states.
Douglas Feith’s revealing “War and Decision”, which will be released next month, is the first ever personal account into the dealings of the Pentagon.
According to Feith, who was US under secretary of defence until 2005 and was closely involved with the planning of the Iraq invasion, players outside of the Pentagon critically mishandled the process of the war.
Feith asserts that then secretary of state Colin Powell and the US state department repeatedly ruined the plans offered by the defense department, adding that US President George W Bush told a National Security Council meeting that "war is inevitable", weeks before they knew of Saddam Hussain’s weapons capabilities.
He also adds that current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice failed in her former role as national security adviser, criticising her inability to unite the US’s plan for the war.
Chastising the US handling of the situation after the invasion, Feith says Paul Bremer, the official in charge of occupancy, has done more harm than good, adding that even military chief, General Tommy Franks, showed no interest in planning the after effects of the invasion.
However, Feith does have immense praise for Donald Rumsfeld, former defense secretary, and a key planner of the war.
Last year, the Pentagon investigated Feith for his department’s assessments which linked Saddam Hussain to Al Qaida, claims that were deemed “inappropriate” but not illegal.
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