September 2003
Plan of Attack
"Division of responsibility for planning and execution was not clear. As a result planning occurred on an ad hoc basis and late in the process. Additionally, there were insufficient assets available to accomplish the mission."
—From a secret report prepared for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as quoted in the September 3 edition of The Washington Times
The Washington Times obtains the final draft of a secret report prepared the month before for the Joint Chiefs of Staff that condemns many aspects of the war preparations and strategy. The report paints a picture of rushed, disorganized planning, a search for alleged WMDs that did not begin until far too late, and a neglected "Phase IV" of the occupation—that is, the reconstruction effort. It also notes that President Bush approved the overall Iraq strategy in August of 2002, long before his failed attempt to get a U.N. mandate for the war.