Conversation with Dennis Fritz, Deadly Betrayal

Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and retired Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant Dennis Fritz, a former Pentagon insider, as they explore the extremely important insights in Fritz’s new book, Deadly Betrayal, which uncovers the ugly truths behind the Iraq War in 2003. Drawing from dramatic evidence, Fritz explains how a group of high-level Pentagon officials (a “cabal” in Fritz’s description) in the Bush Jr. Administration manipulated intelligence, pressured other nations, and swayed Congress and public to support a disastrous war. 

Together, they delve into the astounding evidence that Fritz uncovered during his work at the Pentagon while examining the documentary record of the war.  Fritz discovered three reasons for the utterly misguided Iraq War: to restore American “credibility” in the Middle East, to go to war on Israel’s behalf, and to deliver “democracy” at gunpoint. The results were a massive failure on all counts. 

The lessons of the Iraq War remain crucial for our own time, as various lobbies continue to try to manipulate the US into still more unnecessary and reckless wars.

The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.