Chain of Command : The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib - Hardcover

Hersh, Seymour

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0713998458 ISBN 13: 9780713998450

Publisher: Penguin, 2004

Synopsis

The basic text of the book will be comprised of the author's articles that have appeared in the New Yorker magazine over the past three years, offering an unflinching look behind the public story of the Bush Administration's "war on terror," its intelligence failures, and the lies and obsessions that led America into Iraq. With an introduction by David Remnick, the book will also include a number of previously unpublished stories, as well as an account of Hersh's pursuit of the Abu Ghraib piece and of where, he believes, responsibility for the scandal ultimately lies.

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Review

Seymour Hersh has been a legendary investigative reporter since 1969 when he broke the My Lai story in Vietnam. His considerable skill and well-placed sources inside the government, intelligence community, military, and the diplomatic corps have allowed him access to a wide range of information unavailable to most reporters. Chain of Command is packed with specific details and thoughtful analysis of events since the attacks of September 11, 2001, including intelligence failures prior to 9/11; postwar planning regarding Afghanistan and Iraq; the corruption of the Saudi family; Pakistan's nuclear program, which spread nuclear technology via the black market (and admitted as such); influence peddling at the highest levels; and the torture scandal at Abu Ghraib prison, among other topics. The book collects and elaborates on stories Hersh wrote for The New Yorker, and includes an introduction by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, on Hersh's background and his sources.

Part of Hersh's skill lies in uncovering official reports that have been buried because government or military leaders find them too revealing or embarrassing. Chain of Command is filled with such stories, particularly regarding the manner in which sensitive intelligence was gathered and disseminated within the Bush administration. Hersh details how serious decisions were made in secret by a small handful of people, often based on selective information. Part of the problem was, and remains, a lack of human intelligence in critical parts of the Middle East, but it also has much to do with the considerable infighting within the administration by those trying to make intelligence fit preconceived conclusions. A prime example of this is the story about the files that surfaced allegedly detailing how Iraq had purchased uranium from Niger in order to build nuclear weapons. Though the files were soon proven to be forgeries, the Bush administration still used them as evidence against Saddam Hussein and therefore part of the reason for invading Iraq. In these pages, Hersh offers readers a clearer understanding of what has happened since September 11, and what we might expect in the future. --Shawn Carkonen

About the Author

Thirty-five years ago, Seymour Hersh established himself at the forefront of investigative journalism with an expose of the massacre in My Lai, Vietnam, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. Ever since, he's been a relentless thorn in the side of America's power elite, plumbing Washington back channels and the intelligence community for the stories others can't - or won't - get. In the crises that followed the September 11th attacks, Hersh found a challenge equal to his explosive energy. From the hunt for the hijackers to the dubious claims about weapons of mass destruction, Hersh delivered inspired pieces that have been met with both acclaim and outrage - including his breakthrough reporting on Abu Ghraib.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0713998458
• ISBN 13: 9780713998450
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1