Liberate and Leave: Fatal Flaws in the Early Strategy for Postwar Iraq

Praise for Liberate and Leave:

“Liberate and Leave vividly portrays the extraordinarily difficult and dangerous conditions under which civilians like Don Eberly worked to rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, conditions exacerbated by the lack of good prewar planning. Eberly shows how the Pentagon’s prewar assumptions of a ‘light touch and brief stay’ were rendered irrelevant by the broken and bankrupt Iraqi society and economy. Eberly’s account of his efforts to help Iraq rejoin the International Olympic movement is especially useful in showing the breadth of the challenges faced in postwar Iraq.”

—Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III,

former Presidential Envoy to Iraq

“A riveting personal account of the ingenious and courageous efforts Don Eberly and other volunteers made to keep Iraq from collapsing in the wake of the invasion. I served in the trenches with Don, and he has captured the whole tumultuous experience at ground level. This book is brimming with lessons for diplomats, warriors, and aid workers—especially those on President Obama’s new team.”

—Ambassador Robin Raphel,

former Senior Advisor, Coalition Provisional Authority

“Liberate and Leave is one of the few books written by a gifted diplomat who can truly tell the story of those early days of rebuilding. Liberating was the easy part; being able to leave is another story, and Don Eberly takes you there with all the missteps, political intrigue, and leadership decisions. . . . A book you will devour—read it and learn from it!”

—Colonel Kimberly Olson, USAF (retired),

author of Iraq and Back: Inside the War to Win the Peace

“Don Eberly planted the seeds of democracy for Iraqi sportsmen, women, and youth for harvest in the years to come. He brought dialogue to a community ruled by fear and torture. I have great respect and admiration for Don and the other men and women who risked their lives for the betterment of Iraq.”

—Ammar Shawkat,

Senior Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport (Iraq),

2003–2004

“Written by one of the first civilians responsible for jumpstarting the Iraqi Government after the fall of the former regime . . . Liberate and Leave is a must read for those who want to know the back story of the planning for Iraq.”

—Lieutenant Colonel R. Alan King, USAR,

author of Twice Armed: An American Soldier’s Battle for Heart and Minds in Iraq

(winner of the 2008 William E. Colby Military Writer’s Award)

An insider’s account of what really goes on in a war zone, Liberate and Leave provides a personal tour of the weeks and months before and after the “liberation” of Iraq--the secret planning process with all its complexities and doubts; attempts to set up a new government amidst lawlessness and looting; painfully vexing policy decisions set against dramatic discoveries of Saddam’s torture chambers and obscenely lavish personal palaces.  A searing indictment of a military command utterly out of touch with practical reality, this book, written in a clear, accessible style, offers much-needed insight into how the ways of war and the ways of the world inevitably intersect--and diverge--in our day.

An insider’s account of the weeks and months before and after the “liberation” of Iraq--and a searing indictment of a military command utterly out of touch with practical reality.