Though the intelligence failures surrounding Iraq are now well known, recent history is abundant with examples of flawed intelligence that have affected key national security decisions and contingency planning. They include, for example: the poor quality of the intelligence gathered…
Read MoreThe Syrian dictatorship possessed in the extreme two qualities particularly dangerous in a military adversary- ruthlessness and patience. Like all dictatorships, the regime had the advantage of not needing to cater to its domestic opinion. It could do whatever it…
Read MoreEarlier in the war we had received several reports of supposed sightings of both Mullah Omar and bin Laden, which all proved to be false. At one point I watched a Predator video feed of a tall, lanky man wearing…
Read MorePowell had an engaging sense of humor and could poke fun at himself and some of the sterotypes of the State Department. On one occasion, Cheney, Rice and I were at the State Department for one of our regular lunches, which…
Read MoreWhen I learned, for example, that the Pentagon had been spending $225 million every year to maintain our forces in Iceland, I sent a memo to Powell recommending that we make a change. I pointed out that our aircraft originally…
Read MoreI have admired Rumsfeld. He seemed intelligently clear in his press briefings and was able to use humor appropriately. Yet many in the military were scathingly critical of him and pushed for his resignation. He was deemed to squelch criticism…
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