Baghdad Reporter Discusses the Americans in the Bubble

The dozens of books published about Iraq fall into roughly two categories: explanations for why the disaster has occurred, and self-justifications by the people involved in crafting the disaster. This book fits squarely into the first category, but is notable for two reasons. First, the author is one of the few reporters who lived in Baghdad during the invasion, speaks Arabic, and was in daily contact with ordinary Iraqis. Second, he appears to have had significant access to many of the hapless individuals responsible for rebuilding Iraq, who are now mostly sitting in cool offices in America, working on books explaining why they acted as they did.

As an explanation for why Iraq has gone wrong, Imperial Life in the Emerald City puts forth reasons that most people have already heard. The army should never have been dissolved, since many of the dissatisfied troops promptly became militants. There should have been planned protection for the city after the invasion; instead, most of the city was looted, including many vital ministries. If the book only contained these insights, it would not probably be worth reading. Where Chandrasekaran excels, however, is in painting a picture of life inside the so-called "Green Zone," where American decisions were made behind fortifications and soldiers, with only the rarest exposure to the chaos prevailing in the city itself. People of any political persuasion will be shocked at how things were run after military operations were finished.