Shock and Awe
Who’s most responsible for the failures of postwar Iraq?
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Episode Notes
The Bush administration didn’t just fail to plan for postwar Iraq. Before and during the invasion, they made choices that compounded the mistake of going to war. Those decisions had lasting consequences for the world and for the Iraqi people. Who’s most responsible for that tragedy?
Season 5 of Slow Burn is produced by Noreen Malone, Jayson De Leon, and Sophie Summergrad. Mixing by Merritt Jacob.
The last two episodes of this season are available only to Slate Plus subscribers. You can sign up by going to slate.com/slowburn. It’s only $15 for your first three months.
Sources for This Episode
Books
Bonin, Richard. Arrows of the Night: Ahmad Chalabi’s Long Journey to Triumph in Iraq, Doubleday, 2011.
Draper, Robert. To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America into Iraq, Penguin Press, 2020.
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Penguin Press, 2006.
Woodward, Bob. Plan of Attack: The Definitive Account of the Decision to Invade Iraq, Simon & Schuster, 2004.
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Thompson, Mark. “How Disbanding the Iraqi Army Fueled ISIS,” Time, May 28, 2015.
Tyler, Patrick E. “Iraqi Factions Agree on Members of Governing Council,” New York Times, July 13, 2003.
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