Thomas E. Ricks: The Military and the Iraq War

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Thomas Ricks for a discussion of his work as a writer and journalist. Reflecting on his career, Ricks discusses his two books on the Iraq War, Fiasco and The Gamble, offering an analysis of the failures of the first years of the war and the changes in strategy engineered by Generals Odierno and Petraeus.  Reviewing the conduct of the Iraq War, Ricks analyzes the weaknesses and strengths of America's political and military leaders, the long term consequences of the conflict for the military, the unanwered questions about the future of Iraq, and the possibilities of a new American strategy for the Middle East under President Obama.

Keywords: Iraq, Strategy, Nimitz Lecturers.