The Bloody Class - Lessons learned in Iraq

I have just found a gold-mine on the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Anthony H. Cordesman's "The Lessons of the Iraq War: Main Report" is readable like a novel, encompassing like a, well, an encompas-equipped marathon-runner and long as a freight-train.

And then its free!

I read through chapter XVI on MILITARY LESSONS RELATING TO CONFLICT TERMINATION, PEACEMAKING AND NATION BUILDING. A lot of trouble was sown in the first days of the peace. Intelligence and psycholgical warfare seems to play an important but largely overlooked role in this.

For example:

* the Coalition's inability to silence the Iraqi media - do you still remember the cult-like figure of the Iraqi Information Minister?

* the Coalition's inability to push any messages on a strategic level, reassuring the Iraqi people and their anxious neighbours that the invasion was for their own best and not for oil.