Overview

If you were to talk to those who experienced the Iraq War from the inside, the word you might hear most often is surreal. Don Eberly, a senior official at USAID during the lead-up to the war, was recruited to serve on a post-war civil administration team, and his two years of service spanned all phases of the operation. He was, in fact, the first American civilian to make his way into Baghdad city hall after the occupation. From that up-close perspective Eberly describes what happened in an Iraq completely battered and broken--politically, physically, and psychologically. His ground-level account reveals how the flawed approach adopted by senior officials at the Pentagon--captured in the mantra brief stay, light touch--resulted in severe troop shortages and an inadequate plan for post-war stabilization. An insiders account of what really goes on in a war zone, Liberate and Leave provides a personal tour of the weeks and months before and after the liberation--the secret planning process with all its complexities and doubts; attempts to set up a new government amidst lawlessness and looting; painfully vexing policy decisions set against dramatic discoveries of Saddams torture chambers and obscenely lavish personal palaces. A searing indictment of a military command utterly out of touch with practical reality, this book, written in a clear, accessible style, offers much-needed insight into how the ways of war and the ways of the world inevitably intersect--and diverge--in our day.

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9780760336809

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Reviews

The complexity, energy, political stress, and resource depletion a nation experiences with victory is only exceeded by its attempts to rebuild and revitalize the vanquished. Our nation has experienced this dozens of times in our history. The agony of the past six years is a continual reminder to us all. Liberate and Leave serves as a primer to be followed in the future. Don Eberly presents us with a macro view of the problems accompanied by an intelligent micro approach to solutions. This fine book should be required reading for all military professionals, members of Congress, and interagency officials who will be involved in our nation's future war and postwar challenges. --General Jay Garner, Administrator, Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance

Written by one of the first civilians responsible for jumpstarting the Iraqi Government after the fall of the former regime . . . Liberate and Leave is a must readfor those who want to know the back story of the planning for Iraq. --Lieutenant Colonel R. Alan King, USAR, <br> author of Twice Armed: An American Soldier's Battle for Heart and Minds in Iraq <br> (winner of the 2008 William E. Colby Military Writer's Award)

Written by one of the first civilians responsible for jumpstarting the Iraqi Government after the fall of the former regime . . . Liberate and Leave is a must readfor those who want to know the back story of the planning for Iraq. --Lieutenant Colonel R. Alan King, USAR, author of Twice Armed: An American Soldier's Battle for Heart and Minds in Iraq (winner of the 2008 William E. Colby Military Writer's Award)

History Today Eberly cannot be dismissed as being against the war in the first place he describes himself to be a just war proponent and indeed supported the removal of one of history s most tyrannical regimes. Nor can he be dismissed as a whinger or a whiner some of his achievements under the circumstances (including getting the Iraqi National Football Team to the Athens Olympics in 2004) are nothing short of remarkable. Unlike many key policy and decision makers, he evidently understands his subject and presents his arguments with great clarity. His thoughts make for fascinating and accessible reading, and whilst he will no doubt come under criticism from those who are not painted in a favourable light, it is important that books like this are written. The massive cost involved, the lives that have been lost, and the future of the Iraqi nation demand it.

History Today Eberly cannot be dismissed as being against the war in the first place - he describes himself to be a just war proponent and indeed supported the removal of one of history's most tyrannical regimes. Nor can he be dismissed as a whinger or a whiner - some of his achievements under the circumstances (including getting the Iraqi National Football Team to the Athens Olympics in 2004) are nothing short of remarkable. Unlike many key policy and decision makers, he evidently understands his subject and presents his arguments with great clarity. His thoughts make for fascinating and accessible reading, and whilst he will no doubt come under criticism from those who are not painted in a favourable light, it is important that books like this are written. The massive cost involved, the lives that have been lost, and the future of the Iraqi nation demand it. --- The complexity, energy, political stress, and resource depletion a nation experiences with victory is only exceeded by its attempts to rebuild and revitalize the vanquished. Our nation has experienced this dozens of times in our history. The agony of the past six years is a continual reminder to us all. Liberate and Leave serves as a primer to be followed in the future. Don Eberly presents us with a macro view of the problems accompanied by an intelligent micro approach to solutions. This fine book should be required reading for all military professionals, members of Congress, and interagency officials who will be involved in our nation's future war and postwar challenges. --General Jay Garner, Administrator, Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance--- Liberate and Leave vividly portrays the extraordinarily difficult and dangerous conditions under which civilians like Don Eberly worked to rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, conditions exacerbated by the lack of good prewar planning. Eberly shows how the Pentagon's prewar assumptions of a 'light touch and brief stay' were rendered irrelevant by the broken and bankrupt Iraqi society and economy. Eberly's account of his efforts to help Iraq rejoin the International Olympic movement is especially useful in showing the breadth of the challenges faced in postwar Iraq. --Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III, former Presidential Envoy to Iraq---

Liberate and Leave vividly portrays the extraordinarily difficult and dangerous conditions under which civilians like Don Eberly worked to rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, conditions exacerbated by the lack of good prewar planning. Eberly shows how the Pentagon's prewar assumptions of a 'light touch and brief stay' were rendered irrelevant by the broken and bankrupt Iraqi society and economy. Eberly's account of his efforts to help Iraq rejoin the International Olympic movement is especially useful in showing the breadth of the challenges faced in postwar Iraq. --Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III, former Presidential Envoy to Iraq

Author Information

Don Eberlys two years of service during postwar reconstruction efforts spanned all civilian phases of the American occupation of Iraq. As an internationally recognized expert on civil society and economic development, he served during the earliest phases of the operation as a senior advisor to General Jay Garner and later to Ambassador Paul Bremer in the Coalition Provisional Authority (Baghdad and Washington). He was among the first wave of civilians into Baghdad after the liberation. Prior to the Iraq mission he was a senior advisor for international civil society at USAID. He is currently a consultant on economic development and reconstruction.

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