Note: Iraq body count only uses media reported, corroborated casualty figures. The number above
therefore represents a lower bound on the number of deaths. Other estimates are shown here
Imperial Life in the Emerald City
One of the best books written on the occupation is "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" by Washington post reporter Rajiv Chandrasekaran, first released in 2006. It focuses on policy mistakes, the failure of reconstruction, economic policies and privatization pursued by the American occupation in the first year following the invasion. There are a number of good talks by Chandrasekaran discussing the book available on the web. This one, given in Connecticut in 2007, is from Fora.tv:
Focused on three topics:
First - The primacy the occupation placed on loyalty rather qualifications in its personel. Getting people in their early twenties with no experience to open the Baghdad stock market and vet the ministries for militia members.
Second - The weird surreal conditions within the green zone compared to the rest of Iraq.
Third - The agenda of privatization rather than a new deal economic program they undertook in a country with 50%+ unemployment.
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