Abstract

Kristol's War

The article comments on neoconservative thinking that promoted the war in Iraq. A silver lining amid the dismal outpouring of news from Iraq has been the unbroken parade of conservative (and liberal hawk) commentators who now admit--with mea culpas, half-apologies and sour complaints about Bush Administration incompetence--that they were misguided about the war. For Weekly Standard editor William Kristol and the Standard, Bush's war against Saddam marked the culmination of a protracted crusade. The events of 9/11 created a historic opportunity for Kristol and his editors. Within days of the attacks, the Standard had already identified Saddam Hussein as a principal culprit for the violence. Kristol's clout in Washington, combined with his bellicosity toward Iraq, inspired in mid-2002 a phrase from columnist Richard Cohen: "Kristol's war." A hallucinatory quality infused the Standard's Iraq coverage right up through the first phase of the war, and beyond. A delusionary note was sounded immediately after the fall of Baghdad, when a Standard editorial, written by executive editor Fred Barnes, wondered if George W. Bush would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for toppling Saddam. At the same time, the Standard worked assiduously to forge a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda. The performance of Kristol & Co. raises disconcerting questions about the magazine.