Publisher's Synopsis
From a walled-off American enclave of smart villas and swimming pools - known as the Green Zone - the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority, under imperial viceroy L. Paul Bremer III, attempted to rule Iraq in the first twelve months following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Rajiv Chandrasekaran tells the story of the attempt to build American democracy in a war-torn Middle Eastern country. He details not only the risky disbanding of the Iraqi army and the ludicrous attempt to train the new police force, but also brings to light many typical travesties, including the contractor with no previous experience paid millions to guard a closed airport. Chandrasekaran's hair-raising report shows the gap between the Oz-like Green Zone and the brutal reality of post-war Iraq.
