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  Prewar Memo Warned of Gaps in Iraq Plans
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ContributorArmyDem 
Last EditedArmyDem  Aug 17, 2005 10:30pm
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CategoryNews
MediaNewspaper - Washington Post
News DateThursday, August 18, 2005 04:00:00 AM UTC0:0
DescriptionState Dept. Officials Voiced Concerns About Post-Invasion Security, Humanitarian Aid

By Bradley Graham
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 18, 2005; Page A13

One month before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, three State Department bureau chiefs warned of "serious planning gaps for post-conflict public security and humanitarian assistance" in a secret memorandum prepared for a superior.

The State Department officials, who had been discussing the issues with top military officers at the Central Command, noted that the military was reluctant "to take on 'policing' roles" in Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. The three officials warned that "a failure to address short-term public security and humanitarian assistance concerns could result in serious human rights abuses which would undermine an otherwise successful military campaign, and our reputation internationally."

The Feb. 7, 2003, memo, addressed to Paula J. Dobriansky, undersecretary for democracy and global affairs, came at a time when the Pentagon was increasingly taking over control of post-invasion planning from the State Department. It reflected the growing tensions between State Department and Pentagon officials and their disparate assessments about the challenges looming in post-invasion Iraq.

The question of whether the United States planned adequately for the post-invasion occupation echoes today, as the insurgency continues to challenge U.S. policy in Iraq. Many senior State Department officials are still bitter about what they see as the Pentagon's failure to take seriously their planning efforts, particularly in the "Future of Iraq" project.
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