Intro: This powerful documentary takes an in-depth look at the incontrovertibly short-sighted “planning” the civilian leadership of the Bush Administration took before invading Iraq in 2003 and the series of misguided steps they took in administrating this volatile country.

Content: The film takes a well-rounded assortment of interviews from journalists, analysts, civilian administrators, soldiers, military commanders and aid workers who experienced first-handed the frustrating incompetence of the idealistic leadership in the crucial stages after the defeat of Saddam’s forces.

Without pulling too many punches, the case is laid out as to how Bush and his advisors bungled the operation so completely. “I don’t think we were ever prepared,” says former interim governor of Iraq Jay Garner solemnly. While US Forces spent two years preparing for the occupation of Germany in WWII, the film explains that only 60 days were given over to Iraq’s post-war “plan.” From a lack of sufficient forces to maintain order and a failure to declare martial law, it’s sickening to see how little the Administration cared about the livelihoods of their new charges—125,000,000 Iraqis.

Among the film's depressing, but well ordered chapters we hear from former Bush officials and their surprise at Bremmer’s three devastingly idiotic orders: 1. No interim government in Iraq, or cutting Iraqi elements out of the planning, 2. De Ba’athification, which purged 50,000 civil servants like teachers, and finally, disbanding the Iraqi army.

Throughout the documentary are scenes of the unspeakable destruction of Iraq’s (and the world’s) ancient heritage. Occasionally the camera will focus on a distant Iraqi juvenile staring with unmistakable hatred. We’ve made a mess of things. The question remains as to how we can ever hope to regain these people’s trust.

Summary: This great documentary should be viewed by everyone. However, it can easily be dismissed by those who view the Surge as a resounding success, simply because the film was put together beforehand. However, after seeing the film it will be hard to deny the incompetence of the war’s execution. We now have reached the war’s fifth anniversary and Bush still views the war as a success. The film’s cynical title has never been more apt.

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