America's Role in Nation Building

Yesterday I mentioned a new book by James Dobbins, America's Role in Nation Building, that describes how hard it is to build nations. Daniel Drezner points out that the book was published by Rand, and you can order a copy from them for $35, or read chapters on-line. (The page claims that you need Acrobat v5.0 to read them, but I skimmed a couple with Acrobat v4.0 and didn't have any trouble.)

The press release for the book includes the following comments from Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, Interim Administrator for Iraq:

Jim Dobbins and his team have produced a marvelous 'how to' manual for post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction. I have kept a copy handy for ready consultation since my arrival in Baghdad and recommend it to anyone who wishes to understand or engage in such activities.

I wonder if Ambassador Bremer has suggested that Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, and Rice read the book. Hey! What about our President? The President is on vacation in Crawford. Last year he was reading a book about how generals were too wimpy (Eliot Cohen's, Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen, and Leadership in Wartime). How about something a little different this year?