'State Dept. Study Foresaw Trouble In Iraq'

deadline poet

By Calvin Trillin

This article appeared in the November 10, 2003 edition of The Nation.

October 23, 2003

--Headline, New York Times, October 19

Before the war some working groups at State
Predicted problems certain to await
The occupying forces in Iraq.
But at Defense the neocons held sway.
They had contempt for viewpoints on the fray
That didn't come from them or from their claque.

They paid no mind to such defeatist talk.
They knew for sure the cakewalk that we'd walk
Would tame the Middle East with one great blow.
Iraq would pay its reconstruction bill.
Resistance, once we'd won, would soon be nil.
And what could striped-pants cookie-pushers know!

Subscriber Login

4 ISSUES FREE

Subscribe Now!

The only way to read this article and the full contents of each week's issue of The Nation online is by subscribing to the magazine. Subscribe now and read this article -- and every article published since for the past five years -- right now.

There's no obligation -- try The Nation for four weeks free.

.

About Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is The Nation's "deadline poet." He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1963 and has written the syndicated weekly column "Uncivil Liberties" since 1986. He has authored many, many books, including Tepper's Not Going Out and Deadline Poet: My Life as a Doggerelist. more...
Most Read

Issues »

Most Emailed

Issues »

Popular Topics

Blogs

» State of Change

GOP Plays a Mean Saxby | But Chambliss's own ads in the Georgia runoff aren't quite so repulsive this time around.
Leslie Savan

» The Beat

Key Committee Pick Signals Obama-Pelosi Direction | Waxman gets Commerce chair, amid signs of focus on healthcare, environment, consumer protection.
John Nichols

» The Dreyfuss Report

That Iranian "Bomb"? Relax. | Obama has lots and lots of time to deal with this problem carefully and rationally.
Robert Dreyfuss

» The Notion

A Clinton Administration? | Given the Obama appointees so far, you might think Hillary had been elected.
Tom Engelhardt

» Capitolism

Criteria for Treasury | What do we want in our next Treasury Secretary?
Christopher Hayes

» Passing Through

Should GM Survive? A Wall Street Analyst's View | Maybe they should just let it die.
Jane Hamsher

» Act Now!

Take the Joe Lieberman Pledge | In America, it's never too early to start preparing for the next election.
Peter Rothberg

» Editor's Cut

Smart Defense | Rep. Barney Frank is leading the charge to end the Pentagon's weapons spending spree. Is anybody listening?
Katrina vanden Heuvel

» And Another Thing

Election Updates --Good News and Not | Details on some ongoing stories
Katha Pollitt