Incompetence, thy name is Simone

IN THE NEWS
[I keep trying to get back to the big picture posts on strategy. I really do. However, the daily news, as Michael Corleone might say, "Just keeps pulling me back in...]

Today's Washington Post has a strange and frightening article about the Young Republican types who now help staff the Coalition Provisional Authority. People as inexperienced but ideologically orthodox as Simone Ledeen hold posts responsible for Iraq's economy, physical infrastructure, laws, police, and other functions. (Click here for Ledeen's personal account of her time in Iraq, including her weak-in-the-knees moment shaking Bush's hand and her desire to spit on Hilary Clinton.) The tone of the Post article is extremely disturbing, since the assignment of inexperienced and incompetent people to positions of responsibility, whatever their youthful exuberance, isn't something that merits the Post's creepy Ferris Bueller's Day Off in Iraq treatment.

There are plenty of seasoned people who might take these jobs, particularly in the ranks of retirees. Foreign service professionals, accountants, military officers, contractors (the kind who build houses and bridges, not the kind like Blackwater Security), electricians--you name it, many of them might actually volunteer for government service in Iraq. Heck, there are many people in their 30s or 40s whose sense of patriotic duty might compel them to quit their jobs and, at some risk to life, limb, and smaller paycheck, put their skills, experience, and passion into the job. These are the competent people--including those who both opposed the war in Iraq as well as supported it--who now share a common interest in seeing us and the Iraqis through this mess.

Unfortunately, this is the same group of competent people whom the Bush Administration never called into service after 9/11. Meanwhile, it plugs manpower holes with reservists, contractors, and newly minted MBAs, all hurriedly thrown into jobs for which they're not prepared, in the place that's supposed to be, according to the Bush Administration itself, the main battlefield in the war against terrorists.

I've posted on this subject before, since it hits close to home before. I know I'm not the only one who was shocked and disappointed when my government told me that my greatest patriotic duty in late 2001 was to shop.

No doubt there's a role in the CPA for the Simone Ledeens, just graduating from college. The offense to reason and national security, of course, is (1) there are too many Simone Ledeens, according to the Post article, in too many positions of responsibility, and (2) the Simone Ledeens are getting these jobs through patronage. By her own account, Ledeen had no interview, just instant acceptance to her new job in the CPA. No surprise, maybe, that her father is Michael Ledeen, a famous conservative opinion-maker.

Unsurprising, perhaps, but certainly unconscionable.

Comments

[Oscar]

While retirees might be a bit old for the climate, I agree that they did not have to get so many quite so young. Loyalty is a good thing, but competence is better.

[Kingdaddy]

And the British certainly don't behave this way. They sent country and region experts, technical experts, people who could get the job done. Privately, I'd love to hear what people in the British Foreign Office has to say about their American counterparts in Iraq.

[Oscar]

Well, given their rather mixed history of success in the region, I can't really say that I care.

[simone]

Thank you for your opinion. If you read the piece carefully you would see that we continually put in for more (experienced) people. it is no fault of ours that we were the only ones to volunteer. We risked our lives for months, traveling into central Baghdad 6 days a week to work with our Iraqi counterparts. If that is what political privilege gets you, then this is a sick country.
Oh and another thing- my brother is a Marine. It's easy for all of you to judge us, but if you're really so pissed off about who is over there, why don't you all sign up?

[Kingdaddy]

Ms. Ledeen--

First, let me thank you for your reply. Something lacking in the history of our country since 9/11 is a lack of respectful discussion among people who disagree with one another. In fact, the drumbeat of "If you're a critic, you're a traitor" rhetoric has been one of the most frightening things I've seen in my lifetime. I'm glad you don't subscribe to that point of view, and I appreciate the personal risks you've taken working in Iraq.

I think you've given your bosses a bit too much credit, however. They didn't try very hard to recruit a more seasoned crowd of volunteers for service in Iraq. There was no call for volunteers, as there was in World War II. Many people after 9/11--including those who didn't vote for Bush, and didn't like what policies he's pursued--felt their sense of civic responsibility swell. They wanted to volunteer, but there was no place to go. The AEI web site, if that was the extent of the recruitment campaign, was hardly a call to the nation. The man in the Oval Office should have asked the nation to help, and I'm sure many would have answered.

Actually, not only do I know some of these people, I am one of them. After 9/11, I felt the call to duty myself. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to go. I had thought that my mix of computer skills and expertise in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism might be some use, somewhere, in the US government. After asking around, including with friends in academia and the think tanks, it was clear no such recruitment drive existed. I have a wife and daughter, both of whom supported my search for a place to contribute, even though it might have meant some significant changes for them, too. As fellow patriots, whoever was in the White House, they felt a sense of duty as well.

I'm not trying to impugn your motives. Far from it--I think like many people, you've been placed into a position of responsibility for which you are not prepared. That's as much an insult to you as it is a disservice to the people affected by what the CPA and other organs of the US government have been doing in Iraq. In a nation of our size, do you think that there was no experienced accountant, or a retired foreign service officer, or an Arabic-speaking college student might not have volunteered for the kind of posts for which their expertise was needed? I think the way you were recruited--no interview needed--should have set off some warning flags. When getting a job is too easy, there must be something wrong with the job.

This blog, by the way, is my effort to contribute. I know, it's not the same as putting yourself in harm's way. But at one point, I actually was willing to take on a job that could easily have put me in far more dangerous locations than Silicon Valley. "Arms and Influence" is my way of sharing my expertise with a broader audience, to help them make more informed choices about current questions of war and peace. It's also my effort to bring together people who disagree on grounds where they might find agreement. The lessons of military history, the principles of strategy, the peculiarities of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency--these are subjects where enough canon exists for all of us to compare these "lessons learned" to the situation that exists today. Whatever they can illuminate about what we're doing right or wrong not only helps us make better decisions, but helps us find points of commonality between each other. As I said, respectful debate has been missing far too often; principled debate is something that democracy not only needs, but demands of us.

I hope you take some time to poke around the blog a bit. I'd be interested in hearing what you think. As you can tell, I'm no pacifist. I just want to make sure that, when necessary, we expend our blood and treature in the right ways.

[simone]

Tom

Thanks for your detailed comments although I don't think they relate to the points I was making or at least trying to make.
1) I was responding to your post and headline which labeled me as incompetent. I do not feel that you are in a position to judge my competence one way or another. I stand by the work that I did in Iraq- in fact, I believe I did a damn good job especially considering the myriad of challenges my colleagues and I faced. You have absolutely no way of understanding what that involved and therefore no method or basis for judgement. You are just being cruel.
2) I reject your assertion that anti-war, anti-Bush people were not hired into the CPA. In fact, several of my colleagues (not mentioned in the article...funny how that happens) were staunchly anti-war, had voted for Gore and would do so again, yet held positions of considerable responsibility within the provisional government. They believed that regardless of the past decisions that got us to that point, they could make a contribution and help the Iraqi people. I admire each and every one of them and am proud to have served with them.
3) There is much to be said for your argument re. Bush not asking for a more broad war effort, and deeper sacrifices from all citizens. I personally believe there should be some sort of public service requirement for every citizen. I am not talking about a military draft- what I suggest could even be an internship at the National Science Foundation- but everyone should be required to give something back.
4) There are many MANY experienced people working in the CPA right now. Many have since rotated out, but made lasting contributions. I believe as time passes we will all hear more about positive developments resulting from the hard work of good people in the CPA.
5)I am sorry you did not get the opportunity to come out to Iraq. But again, how does this have to do with my being incompetent? The fact is, it doesn't. The Pentagon has had a website up for many months for the purpose of recruiting folks for both Iraq and Afghanistan. I know this effort has been successful as my replacement was a man who sent his resume through said website.
5)You are not the first person to attack me and my competence because you did not get hired by CPA. It's not my fault. I was in the right place at the right time- I was hired to fill a very low-level slot and based on my performance was offered a job with more responsibility. I earned my position, and everyone I worked with will say the same thing. So please, don't take your frustrations out on me. If you really want to contribute why not start a fundraising campaing for www.spiritofamerica.net?

[Kingdaddy]

You know, you're probably right--I needed to address your points more directly. I'll take care to answer each of them from your last posting.

(1) This may sound odd to you, but I think it's more cruel to put you into a position for which you're ill-prepared. Right now, as I understand the situation in Iraq, there are two key facets of the US effort there: security and reconstruction. "Security" not only means combat operations, but also intelligence-gathering. "Reconstruction" has both economic and political aspects. (In fact, it also has legal, technical, medical...Nearly everything in Iraq seems to be crippled to some degree. Without political stability and some economic resources, the rest of the questions are pretty moot. The two efforts dovetail in the direct, face-to-face contacts with Iraqis. You can't recruit people into the intelligence part of the counterinsurgency war without these relationships; you can't make any progress through the maze of sectarian, ethnic, tribal, and other affiliations without face-to-face contact either.

In this area, the greatest need, therefore, would be people who at minimum know Arabic, and equally important, know Iraq. Certain technical skills--accounting, engineering, medicine, etc.--are also necessary. Given the extreme challenges in Iraq, the more experienced the person in these areas of expertise, the better.

But maybe I'm wrong. I'm not in Iraq, but I'm also not confined to the Green Zone, either. People on this side of the globe have heard troubling stories about how isolated the CPA staff are. More to the point, without the kinds of skills described above, Iraqis in the same room might be plotting your deathm but if you don't speak the language, how would you know?

Based on the Washington Post's description of you, you don't sound like a person who fits either profile. Did you do the best job you could? I'm not going to dispute that question. You're right, I would be cruel to do so. However, I do think many people like myself have legitimate questions about a mismatch between your resume and the jobs that need to be filled. If someone hired you or your colleagues for important positions, and you turn out to be underqualified, I don't blame you for that mistake. But just as you wouldn't put someone newly graduated from flight school into a dogfight, in the cockpit of a plane you've never flown, I wouldn't expect you or many of the other people in the Post article to be ready for the job at hand.

(2) That's good news about the people who volunteered to work in the CPA, even though they didn't support Bush or the war. In fact, I'd like to hear more about them. Dan Senor may be doing a disservice to the CPA by maintaining a tight leash on information about the work going on there. (And I'm not going to blame any distortions simply on him. American journalism is a wreck, so it's entirely possible the media have also missed this story.)

If these people have published anything about their time in the CPA, I'd love to read about it. If they haven't, they should talk about their daily work. Blogging is an easy way to get started. In fact, you might think about it, too.

Speaking of which, I wanted to mention the online diary you published. As I said, the more people get visibility into the work of the CPA and other organs of the US government in Iraq, the better. However, if you applaud the work of your pro-Gore, anti-war colleagues, I hope you regret your comments about Senator Clinton. She is a US senator, so she deserves your respect. Comments about spitting on her not only don't befit the position you hold, but they're further gasoline thrown on the intense partisan fires that are burning away respectful discourse in American democracy. Frankly, if I were your boss, and I read that diary, I'd fire you. I'm not a representative of the US government and people in a foreign country, but I keep my criticisms as civil as possible.

(3) You and I agree on this issue. A civilian volunteer corp is a worthy adjunct to the volunteer military. If there's a draft, there will be as much need for people with "civic action" skills as traditional military ones.

However, my point was, immediately after 9/11, people right then wanted to do more. From the perspective of what every citizen can do, take a look at some of the accounts of life on the home front in WWII for a description of what I'm talking about. For people like myself, with more specific skills (in my case, both a national security background and database software experience), there wasn't an effort to recruit our services. That was a bit odd, given the situation in which the US found itself. (A lot of intelligence failures, for example, can be attributed to poor "data warehouse" techniques, if you're familiar with the lingo from my industry.) I wasn't talking about the draft, therefore; instead, I was focusing on the lost opportunity in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. The "be a patriot, go out and shop" message cast a shadow of doubt about the Bush Administration's understanding of and seriousness about counterterrorism.

(4) Again, no one would turn down the chance for good news these days. If you can convince these people to write about their time in the CPA, including the everyday successes that we don't hear about, there's definitely an audience of both supporters and critics of the war for that content.

(5) Actually, as I said earlier, I did look around for a way to put my services to work for my country after 9/11. I asked some of the people who were insiders, or had connections in State and other agencies, for pointers to any openings. They just weren't there, unfortunately.

I understand your umbrage at the critical comments you've seen from myself and others on the web. A lot of them were probably intemperate and unjustified. However, I think there are pretty solid grounds to be skeptical why someone with your background was serving in a post that arguably should have been filled by someone with different skills and experiences. A "junior" position, in this regard, can often be the most critical, if it demands the kind of day-to-day, face-to-face contact I was talking about earlier. Not everyone in the CPA needs to speak six Middle Eastern or Central Asian languages, have lived in the region for a decade, and knows power brokers in Iraq. At the same time, we're not hearing about the kind of people needed to build success in Iraq, nor are we hearing about what might objectively be measured as success. If you feel like a lightning rod for people's animus, that might make sense. I hope, though, you can see that I'm not interested in using you as my punching bag for Bush's mistakes. Quite the contrary: as someone with a teenage daughter, I'd hate to see her someday pulled by her good intentions into a situation for which she wasn't prepared--particularly when better prepared people should have been vigorously recruited for a job with some risks to life and limb.

Please, wherever you go, stay safe. I hope this isn't the last exchange we have, since I'm very appreciative of the time you've taken to respond. That showed some measure of respect for me; I hope that I've been able to do the same.

[simone]

1) COntrary to the Post article, we were not confined to the Green Zone. We worked in central Baghdad 6 days a week with our Iraqi counterparts at the Ministry of Finance. It is true we did not speak Arabic, but we had Iraqi translators working closely with us, both from CPA and from the Iraqi ministry. Some in our office however did speak Arabic so I would not say it was an across the board thing. Our translators risked their lives every day to come to work with us. They are the unsung heros of this entire effort in my opinion. Ordinary Iraqis who were willing to risk their lives because they believed in us and the work we were doing. During my time in Iraq one of our translators was murdered and another seriously injured in a car bomb outside the entrance to the Green Zone. There should have been better security for them. That there wasn't shames us all. But I digress...my point is, we got out and had a lot more contact with Iraqis than the Post would lead you to believe. We traveled around the country- I was able to go up North a few times and around the Sunni Triangle a bit. We also accompanied Ministry officials on training courses sponsored by the World Bank and IMF in neighboring countries. Although many were happy to stay inside the Green Zone, our group was an exception- if we didn't go to the Ministry, money didn't get moved, people didn't get paid, and all hell broke loose. Now that is no longer the case- the Iraqis are able to handle such issues themselves, and I consider that a job well done on our part.

The Washington Post highlighted what it wanted of my background. Funny how it never mentioned the year I spent in post-communist Eastern Europe, working at a formerly state-owned publishing house which under new management was making the transition to capitalism. Instead it chose to highlight the cooking school in Italy I help found during my time in business school. I have also worked in venture capital and most recently at an economic consulting firm. You say the media is irresponsible, yet you take what it spews out as truth. It is only the truth they wish you to know- a small part of the whole. You seem to be an intelligent person so it is unfortunate you take this approach. It is also unfortunate the Post took that approach, but it was my bad judgement to participate in the story. I can assure you it won't happen again.
2) I hope those people who did not support Bush or the war come back and write about their experiences. It would be educational for all.

To your other comment, I never published an online diary. I occasionally sent emails home to friends and family to let them know the latest news and that I was doing alright. I wrote an email after President Bush came for Thanksgiving because I happened to be there for the big surprise. It meant a lot to those of us out there that he made the trip and showed his support and I wanted to convey that to my friends and family back home. At the same tme Hillary Clinton was in country and she received a very different reception. it is true I am not a big fan of Sen Clinton but those words were never intended for anyone other than close friends and family- people who already know me and know my opinions. In the context of a govt employee writing those things on a web diary, I agree those they were not appropriate. That was not the context however. Unfortunately my private email was forwarded and reforwarded all over the place and ended up being posted on a website without my knowledge or permission (which I would not have given). Sen Clinton is an elected member of Congress and as such is due respect befitting her title. Those comments were not respectful and I am sorry they became public. They were not meant as such.
3) There should have been more broad recruiting. We agree. But it doesn't mean the folks who were there did a bad job. You and the Washington Post are in no position to judge. Ask the Iraqis who got paid on time whether or not I did a good job. Ask the security sector employees who received their hazardous duty allowance about my competence. Those are the opinions that matter.
4) It is up to them what they want to do when they return.
5) Again, I am sorry you didn't get a job but it's not my fault.

By the title of this thread you are indeed using me as a punching bag for Bush's mistakes, no matter how much you wish to believe otherwise. Additionally, the Post article intentionally let out all discussion of other working in our group who would qualify as 'experiences.' We had folks from Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, US Treasury Dept, British Treasury and Australian Treasury all working with us at various points during our deployment. We also had an Army Civil Affairs non-commissioned officer who had just finished 9 months in Afghanistan working with us for a while. Because of who my father is I have been a lightning rod for the left. Every time I open my mouth to defend myself, my words get twisted and I only make things worse. I am not speaking to the press anymore. I am focusing my efforts on bloggers like yourself who are spewing false information left and right. I urge you to consider what I have said, and perhaps my words will have some effect.
4)

[Shelagh]

At least Simone Ledeen had the courage and commitment to her ideals to put herself in harm's way in order to do what she could to help her country and Iraq. It is very easy for people on the sidelines to take shots and snipe at the efforts of others.

[Oscar]

This has been an interesting discussion. I agree that the intial story made it appear that there were fewer qualified people than there were, but my point still stands that a mix would have been good. I am glad there was one. As to the national service idea Simone floats, I agree. That was almost how things were when I was in my 20's: the Peace Corps was an alternative to the draft. I prefered the military, and spent time doing intelligence work (which is one reason I come to this blog to heckle killdaddy a bit) but I often think that the Peace Corps might have been a better route.

Keep up the good work you have been doing in various spots, Simone. By the way, while I saw the letter about Bush and Hillary, I never saw the attribution. You are indeed a lightening rod because of your family connections. It must suck. Best wishes,

[Emily]

Simone is very brave and I am proud of her service. I don't know that I have it in me to go over there and work, but I will surely support her and our other young Americans over there working to make a difference.

[Kingdaddy]

OK, I'm back from my trip and finally have time to respond.

To address a couple of your points, I definitely do not trust press accounts. American journalism is in the worst state that it's been since the "yellow journalism" of the early 20th century. Ignoring your experience in venture capital, consulting, and post-Communist publishing sounds like "not letting the facts get in the way of the story." Focusing on your cooking school experience sounds like an effort to paint you as an upper-class birdbrain.

And, as I mentioned in my e-mail to you, the person who posted your private comments on your time in Iraq did you a great disservice. I'm sorry for assuming that you published it as a public statement.

As I've said, the last thing I want to do is to blame our ills in Iraq on you personally. Nor do I want to hold you accountable for the dearth of experienced people at the CPA. And the last thing I'd do, as a father myself, is demean the dedication my daughter showed in the face of mortal danger. I, too, respect your willingness to take personal risks in the name of public service.

So far in this discussion, we've been talking about the real topic in a roundabout way. You're surely competent at some things, but were they the things the US needed in Iraq? I hope that much was clear from what I said about the need for people who spoke the local languages. The job description for people who worked in the embassy in El Salvador during the 1980s, South Vietnam in the 1960s, or the Philippines in the late 1940s were also in the thick of guerrilla conflicts, with many of the same challenges the CPA now faces. (Actually, I'd rate the difficulty level in Iraq far higher on many key dimensions.)

The issue at hand isn't whether you're a good person, willing to take personal risk in the name of patriotic duty. The issue is, instead, did you have the skills that matched the needs of the US effort in Iraq? And were more qualified candidates available? Who's then accountable if, as you agree, the vigorous recruiting drive for this qualified people didn't happen? I'm not sure if we've yet found the final answer to these questions. If we wind up choosing between the adjectives "incompetent" and "underqualified," we're still talking about a problem.

We've had no visibility into the work of the CPA--and that's not completely the press' fault. Journalists should be pressing the Bush Administration and the CPA for more information, but at the same time, the CPA, like the rest of the executive branch these days, maintains tight control over information. Too much, I think, to convince people that the job is getting done. We'd all like to see more substantive information than what's at http://www.cpa-iraq.org/.

I'd ask that you take a bit more care reading my comments before you respond. Whatever you may think of other bloggers, I've been trying to take care to listen to what you say, demonstrate that I understood, and in turn, get you to understand my point of view. We both have our concerns for what the Iraq war might bode for our country.

That's why I take offense at your statement, "Again, I am sorry you didn't get a job but it's not my fault." I'm not upset I didn't get a job. The words I've been using to describe what I had hoped I could do--contribute, serve, sacrifice, do my duty, put my skills to work--aren't the emotions of a disappointed job applicant.

This blog isn't really left or right wing, by the way. Some of the people whom I quote favorably, like Fred Ikle, are pretty right-wing in their views. And I don't think you could pin a meaningful 21st-century political label on Clausewitz. This blog is about looking at the time-honored principles of strategy and seeing if they can help us through our current travails. As I've said before, there's some common ground there that I hope others may recognize during polarized, fearful times. If that's my contribution, I hope it's meaningful.

[meehawl]

I am not speaking to the press anymore. I am focusing my efforts on bloggers like yourself who are spewing false information left and right.

Oh Simone, being quoted out of context by journalists is one thing, but do you really think the "blogosphere" will be any better?

Maybe the only way to avoid bad publicity is no publicity?

Finally, in your interview in the National Review, you say there were no precedents for what you and the other CPA people had to do in Iraq.

That is simply not true. There is a long history of national building and national reconstruction... in the United Nations.

By avoiding securing a UN mandate and by being so determined to "go it alone" and restrict reconstruction contracts to Pentagon-approved companies in Iraq, the Bush Administration condemned you and others to work much harder and with less success than you probably deserved.

[simone]

Kingdaddy: 'The issue is...did you have the skills that matched the needs of the US effort in Iraq? And were more qualified candidates available? Who's then accountable if, as you agree, the vigorous recruiting drive for this qualified people didn't happen?'

Look- the article quoted me as saying we were desperate for more people, we needed help, etc. etc. We were desperately understaffed. I believe yes I was qualified for my job (something you by the way are not in a position to judge since as you yourself note, the media does not report much of the news coming from Iraq). I was qualified but there are only so many hours in the day. We didn't sleep much as it was- we did everything we could to get CPA to send us more people. And after a while they did.

'We've had no visibility into the work of the CPA--and that's not completely the press' fault.'

I won't argue that point. CPA could have done much more to get the word out about the work being done out there. On the other hand, there have to be people willing to listen...for many, good news from Iraq means good news for the Administration and is therefore unacceptable.

I have pointedly chosen your blog site, as you are less vitriolic than many who write about me.I was still and remain deeply offended that you believe you are in a position to judge my work in Iraq based on no knowledge of both me and of my work. But it's one of the great things about living in a free society where people can say whatever they want, offensive or ignorant though they may be. We get to listen to it all and then arrive at our own opinions. How lucky we are.

Many things I've read about me are ridiculous to the point of hilarity. Thank you meehawl for the good chuckle in calling me a valley girl. If I were to take your view, everyone with whom I have been associated is 'kooky.' Is that a scientific term?

I do think the blogosphere is better because it is unfiltered. You get to read my views directly from me, not chopped up and in some cases made up or recreated by journalists. This is very important. Also we all get to read things we would never otherwise have access to- witness the rise of Iraqi bloggers like those on iraqthemodel and healingiraq. It's truly 'like, awesome dude.'

When I first got back I was in high gear and felt it was my duty to get the word out about what was happening in Iraq- the good things people don't hear about. I see now my naivete in doing that. My father is a polarizing figure and many choose to discount anything I say because of my last name.

You are right that the UN has history of nation building. However, few would call it successful. Haiti and Kosovo are still restive. Short term peace does not equal long term stability. Had we adopted a Kosovo-type strategy in Iraq, we would be looking at three different interim governments: Shiite, Sunni and Kurd. All would be clamoring for a greater share of oil revenue, with the 'Kurdish question' looming large, causing additional diplomatic tensions with Turkey and Syria. The UN is certainly no example of successful nation building- and if you wish to delve into their relationship with the Iraqi people...well there are those three magic words: Oil for Food.

Just because the Bush Administration chose not to allow the UN leadership over the reconstruction process, this does not mean they 'went it alone.' I worked with Poles, Spaniards, Italians, Danes, Australians, Czechs, Uzbekis, Chileans, Lebanese, Jordanians, Portugese and Canadians to name a few. There are plenty of real problems one can have with our effort in Iraq- but saying we are going it alone is simply not serious.

[simone]

Kingdaddy: 'The issue is...did you have the skills that matched the needs of the US effort in Iraq? And were more qualified candidates available? Who's then accountable if, as you agree, the vigorous recruiting drive for this qualified people didn't happen?'

Look- the article quoted me as saying we were desperate for more people, we needed help, etc. etc. We were desperately understaffed. I believe yes I was qualified for my job (something you by the way are not in a position to judge since as you yourself note, the media does not report much of the news coming from Iraq). I was qualified but there are only so many hours in the day. We didn't sleep much as it was- we did everything we could to get CPA to send us more people. And after a while they did.

'We've had no visibility into the work of the CPA--and that's not completely the press' fault.'

I won't argue that point. CPA could have done much more to get the word out about the work being done out there. On the other hand, there have to be people willing to listen...for many, good news from Iraq means good news for the Administration and is therefore unacceptable.

I have pointedly chosen your blog site, as you are less vitriolic than many who write about me.I was still and remain deeply offended that you believe you are in a position to judge my work in Iraq based on no knowledge of both me and of my work. But it's one of the great things about living in a free society where people can say whatever they want, offensive or ignorant though they may be. We get to listen to it all and then arrive at our own opinions. How lucky we are.

Many things I've read about me are ridiculous to the point of hilarity. Thank you meehawl for the good chuckle in calling me a valley girl. If I were to take your view, everyone with whom I have been associated is 'kooky.' Is that a scientific term?

I do think the blogosphere is better because it is unfiltered. You get to read my views directly from me, not chopped up and in some cases made up or recreated by journalists. This is very important. Also we all get to read things we would never otherwise have access to- witness the rise of Iraqi bloggers like those on iraqthemodel and healingiraq. It's truly 'like, awesome dude.'

When I first got back I was in high gear and felt it was my duty to get the word out about what was happening in Iraq- the good things people don't hear about. I see now my naivete in doing that. My father is a polarizing figure and many choose to discount anything I say because of my last name.

You are right that the UN has history of nation building. However, few would call it successful. Haiti and Kosovo are still restive. Short term peace does not equal long term stability. Had we adopted a Kosovo-type strategy in Iraq, we would be looking at three different interim governments: Shiite, Sunni and Kurd. All would be clamoring for a greater share of oil revenue, with the 'Kurdish question' looming large, causing additional diplomatic tensions with Turkey and Syria. The UN is certainly no example of successful nation building- and if you wish to delve into their relationship with the Iraqi people...well there are those three magic words: Oil for Food.

Just because the Bush Administration chose not to allow the UN leadership over the reconstruction process, this does not mean they 'went it alone.' I worked with Poles, Spaniards, Italians, Danes, Australians, Czechs, Uzbekis, Chileans, Lebanese, Jordanians, Portugese and Canadians to name a few. There are plenty of real problems one can have with our effort in Iraq- but saying we are going it alone is simply not serious.

[simone]

Excuse me. I should have said- short term peace does not necessarily equal long term stability. I am not an expert on either Haiti or Kosovo but I do know that both placecs face continuing violence despite the efforts of the sanctified United Nations.

[Sean]

Kingdaddy:

Excuse me for coming into this thread so late, but I saw Mr. Krugman's recent article and Mr. Ledeen's response, and found your site through a Google search.

A couple of points:

1. I read the WaPo article, and while I see examples of problems caused by understaffing, I don't see any real examples of "incompetence" in Ms. Ledeen's group. In fact, the article says that the group got their initial assignment done and exceeded expectations by creating a website. Later in the article, the budget office is called a "bottleneck" and an example is given of things not getting done on time, but the article also states that the office was understaffed.

I don't see a single example in the article of where Ms. Ledeen or another staffer actually did something WRONG. In fact, from the news reports I've seen, Iraq's financial system is improving and relatively free from corruption, which is more than we can say for the UN's programs, which I'm sure are run by very well-qualified experts.

By the way, Alexander Hamilton was writing the Constitution in his 20's and Sec. of the Treasury at 35. Perhaps Ms. Ledeen isn't in his league, but why should we assume she's not qualified just because she's young?

2. Okay, I take it back. There is one example of incompetence in the article. The group took the wrong bus stop on their first day in a foreign country. A telling blow, that...

Which brings me to my second problem with the article -- its sneeringly condescending tone. The group got lost. They had A&F camouflage. They couldn't "tell a balance sheet from an accounts receivable statement."

Imagine if a conservative reporter wrote an article about a group of Peace Corps volunteers, pointedly documenting their missteps and inexperience in the same tone as this article. Would you consider this to be good evidence of the volunteers' incompetence?

3. Ms. Ledeen and her coworkers were not hired to run the Iraqi budget office. They did, however, succeed at the job they were hired to do, and then more important positions became available. The people there apparently reviewed her qualifications and found them suitable. Whose judgement should we trust? Yours? Mine? We've never met her. The reporter's? She probably had just one or two interviews with Ms. Ledeen. Or, her supervisor's, who had been working with her and seen what she could do?

You say:

"But just as you wouldn't put someone newly graduated from flight school into a dogfight, in the cockpit of a plane you've never flown, I wouldn't expect you or many of the other people in the Post article to be ready for the job at hand."

Isn't this rather patronizing? Ms. Ledeen had an MBA, some related experience elsewhere, and some direct experience before she was promoted. I don't think this is the same as "newly graduated." Honestly, given how you and others have questioned her qualifications, I'm surprised she's remained so civil in her responses.

4. You and others have pointed out that Ms. Ledeen and some of the other workers were politically well connected. The WaPo article dwells on this subject.

Honestly, now, is this even remotely surprising? Whether we're talking about government work or private business, knowing the right people makes it easier to get a job. In this case, it sounds like a staffer decided to send a recruiting e-mail out to a bunch of people, including some Heritage Foundation contacts.

Given that the CPA needed new recruits, this is exactly what the staffer should have done. And it worked.

There's no evidence given that these jobs were reserved for people with political connections, and many other jobs were filled by individuals with no such links. No evidence of favoritism or patronage, just outreach.

All in all, while your subsequent posts have been more reasonable, I agree with Ms. Ledeen that your initial post was just cruel. "Incompetence, thy name is Simone"???

The administration may have made some mistakes in managing Iraq after the war, and there are certainly tremendous challenges that remain, but from everything I've read, Ms. Ledeen and her colleagues helped overcome those challenges. They proved their qualifications on the spot. It's sad to see her become a political lightning rod.

Regards,

Sean

[Non-faux Patriot]

One word describes why Simone is in Iraq:

Nepotism

[Miriam Wormser]

I’d rather be??? FUCKING MICHAEL LEDEENS DAUGHTER!
GOT REALITY?..http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=408191957

Well here it is! If I was on a desert island with no one else but me and that disgusting sea pig daughter of the crypto Bolshevik Michael (Blood stained hands from our troops in ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Iraq and his "strategy of tension "to cover all the activities of the AEI 20 nothings in the "Green (As in shiploads of free money) Zone. I would rip off my penis immediately and feed it to the sharks! God almighty! I don't know what these silver spoon neocons feed their kids but after debriefing matt who is gay BTW, he said he'd rather feltch a mule! Though no one knows it, this man is truly a national hero. In the name of duty, honor, country, Not to mention getting me the list of Israeli Telecom companies tapping every phone in Iraq and a shit load of , shall we say "Actionable intelligence" on contractors ripping off Iraq, Matt serve well. I held him, I'm not gay yet we cried, I begged him to forgive me for exposing him of such profound indignity! For in the name of freedom and this great nation, he had conical relations with what may be the most disgusting manifestation of biological life on this planet! I salute Mr. B****elli, he is a patriot, and a faggot! And after rooting simone ledeen he will never go straight again! YUCK!

First I want to personally that Simone Ledeen for fucking Mathew Boeselli! Yea! Simone has a vibrator she calls "crooked finger" because apparently she found a way to shove this thing up her anus and hit the "G-spot." All that's way over my head I'm ruminating over dam near everything butt sex (Pun intended, simone! You nasty little tramp!) Anyway, my boy toy cost me a fortune, want to vomit? Do an image search on "Dr. Laura" OK, "road kill!" Looks like a tractor trailer rig ran over a raccoon and she cut & pasted the whole mess on her vagina! I mention this only because it's shall we say um, well, I'm trying to toughen you up!

Simply put, Simone Ledeen is the most disgusting thing this planet has ever created! Gag a maggot off a gut wagon? Hey, I hired a male prostitute who said he would commit suicide before he would copulate with Queen Herpes again! First, he said his eyes burned from the ammonia smell of her enormous ass cracking He actually blew out the pilot light in the stove for fear her anal-ammonia discharge would blow the town house apart!

Oh! It gets worse! I remember as a Joke at Yale I dressed in a brown trash bag with yellow sponges attached! Hey, I'm not Hubris nemesis; I'm just a piece of shit! I was studying Farsi with my room mate; an Iranian named Yousef Shabestar, fucking guy left hair in the WC bath tube drove me nuts! A small price to pay to learn to write backwards however! In all honesty I love Iranians; Yousef was soccer, (Foot ball) star in Iran before the revolution, and a real son of a bitch to beat in chess!

Game would last 3 days! Beat him twice however! And aside from Farsi, he taught me some wicked moves on the succor field! Not bad for a fur bag! I like Caldeans, I like Iraqis, I Love and deeply admire Palestinians! just to say this in America is a SIN! A SIN! I'm liable to shove a loaf of potassium chlorate up my ass and swallow nitric acid and blow up any second! (Hey, come to think of it, that may explain that ammonia odder from Simone Ladeens anus; hell that girl might be a ticking time bomb!)

Yes indeed! I am a BAD MAN! In on one hand break Ramadan every year with my Palestinian friend Zach, and at the same time give up my house to my friend Israel Tennanbaum so he will have time to find the right apartment without being rushed! Yea, seems I'm all fucked up, got Arabs! Got Mexicans, Mario Robles is a best friend when he had heart problems I hired him anyway, I called him, "El President" because he was puro classnost! (Russian for "class") Some may have seen him as my butler, BULLSHIT! I gave him strict instructions! "Look, I don't have a woman to keep my sorry ass in line! So your job is to chew my ass!" House/boat all at right angles! Basically I hired Mario to be my dad!

Now! Back to that flea bitten vomit Simone Ledeen. And that pile of shit that may, (Bet mommy was a ho too!) have produced her, "Michael Ledeen" Mr. brainiac! Well now, let us indulge in a wee bit of screw-tinny! First, everyone knows, (I know because Howard Shugart is the head of physics at UC Berkley and a close relative) NOW, GOT REALITY? FYI, EVERY REAL PHYSISIST knows that Einstein was a media creation who pladurised Henri Poincare, Lorenz, etc. etc. Just like Karl Marx pladurised French socialists. Einstein was perhaps the dumbest physics of our age! He tried to come up with something beyond that which was arranged for him by the news paper boys and failed miserably!

Basically, we have all heard the tale about how Einstein could split the atom. Yet he couldn't tie his shoe laces! It was an amazing conundrum of the intricacies of the genius mind! Well, for those of you still spellbound by Einstein's paradox let me once and for all resolve the issue: He was a fucking idiot! He looked, acted and thought like an idiot because he was an idiot! Just as Simone Ledeen is a stupid spoiled ugly whore and ari fliesher (God, what I'd give to have a picture of his fucking face! STOP!!! Brief time out for a fucking reality check, FACT: Ari Fleischers dipshit brother is head of "priv(zionization)atization" of the Iraqi economy. WHY DON'T WE HAVE A PICTURE OF HIS FACE? FYI, I AM REAL FUCKING INTERESTED! And why can't I find diddly shit ANYWHERE, central bank included on a bank in Moscow pulling 100Million fucking dollars out of the US tax payer?

Now, why am I going on about pleurisy??? Your know, Bose/Frankfurt school of anthropology…Freud is too embarrassing to even mention, you thought the communist manifesto was mindless drivel & tripe Try Boas, freud and marx. Or even the Philosophical phallic symbol Michael Ledeen sucks, that Great cock all those closet fag neocons in their elephant suits like to suck on, Lev Davidovich Bronstein!

Yep, they line up around the block just to lick the salt off his tiny little Asiatic balls. And, sadly, we now after this long twisted demented tale of journalism gone astray beyond the boundaries of Verint, Comverse infosys etc…. Simome says the reason why there a fucking retards like her dad fucking up the world is the fact that being asiatics the average length of a Khazars penis is less than 4"! Yea, Id kill 9-13 million Ukrainians, 22 million Russians, I'd off

Millions of Russians (Stock vouchers, etc) Yea, if my cock was three inches then like Michael Ledeen I'd pladurise Italian fascist techniques like "Strategy of tension"

But just know this Michael Ledeen. Matt is HIV positive!

PS, Hey Michael, better get use to the tit for tat shit because I am not beyond employing a "stategy of tension." Much like the one you employed in Iraq. A few "Ice Breakers" a few men to begin the process of escalation. Hmm, and with so many nations to choose from!

[D Smith]

Miriam Wormser - ... holy crap, take your meds! Jeez.

[Nursing top]

Simone Ledeen was great.!! i idolized her..

[Great Internet Venture]

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[red cross cna classes]

Ah, yes...let us who almost universally feel New Orleans has a serious litter problem jump all over a representative who actually suggests doing something about it because we don't like her politics. And yes, I DON'T like her politics.

[SB Dunk]

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[Nike SB Dunk High]

Great post! i learned a lot from it..keep posting...i
really love to read this kind of news.Thanks.