This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.
[Note for TomDispatch Readers:As you know, our third Dispatch Book, Rebecca Solnit’sMen Explain Things to Me, has been an instant hit for us. Three weeks after publication, it’s already going into its second printing! The reviews have been raves, the chatter about it on social media heavy indeed, and it’s even hit some local indie bestseller lists! We’ve been offering a special deal to TomDispatch readers. If you contribute $100 to the site, Rebecca will send you a signed book. Many thanks to those of you who have already so generously taken us up on our offer. You really are helping us stay afloat in a tough world. For any of you who meant to contribute but haven't yet, the offer will remain open only through this Sunday night, so check out our donation page! Tom]
Who Won Iraq?Lost Dreams, Lost Armies, Jihadi States, and the Arc of Instability By Tom Engelhardt
As Iraq was unraveling last week and the possible outlines of the first jihadist state in modern history were coming into view, I remembered this nugget from the summer of 2002. At the time, journalist Ron Suskind had a meeting with “a senior advisor” to President George W. Bush (later identified as Karl Rove). Here’s how he described part of their conversation: