truth, war and consequences
It's the closest thing to a quagmire that Americans have seen in thirty years. Why did the U.S. go to war in Iraq?  What went wrong? And at what cost?
From turf battles in Washington to real-life battles on the streets of Baghdad, how prewar disputes led to postwar chaos. Watch the Full Program Online
introduction
interviews why did we go to war? what went wrong? what's at stake?
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teacher's guide tapes & transcripts press reaction credits FRONTLINE's privacy policy

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introduction + interviews + why did we go to war? + what went wrong? + what's at stake?
watch online + discussion + links & readings + teacher's guide + producer's chat
tapes & transcripts + press reaction + credits + privacy policy
FRONTLINE + wgbh + pbsi

Truth, War, and Consequences

FRONTLINE traces the roots of the Iraqi war back to the days immediately following September 11, when Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered the creation of a special intelligence operation to quietly begin looking for evidence that would justify the war. The intelligence reports soon became a part of a continuing struggle between civilians in the Pentagon on one side and the CIA, State Department, and uniformed military on the other - a struggle that would lead to inadequate planning for the aftermath of the war, continuing violence, and mounting political problems for the president.

posted october 9, 2003

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