Pentagon institute calls Iraq war `a major debacle'

By Jonathan S. Landay and John Walcott - Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON | The war in Iraq has become ``a major debacle'' and the outcome ``is in doubt'' despite improvements in security from the
buildup in U.S. forces, according to a highly critical study published Thursday by the Pentagon's premier military educational institute.


The report released by the National Defense University raises fresh doubts about President Bush's projections of a U.S. victory in Iraq just a week
after Bush announced that he was suspending U.S. troop reductions.


The report carries considerable weight because it was written by Joseph Collins, a former senior Pentagon official, and was based in part on
interviews with other former senior defense and intelligence officials who played roles in prewar preparations.


It was published by the university's National Institute for Strategic Studies, a Defense Department research center.


``Measured in blood and treasure, the war in Iraq has achieved the status of a major war and a major debacle,'' says the
report's opening line.