Protect Protect ochre, 2007
Oil on linen
79 x 102.25 x 1.5 in.

Location: East Gallery

In November 2001, President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld began to discuss invading Iraq and deposing Saddam Hussein. By spring 2002, the U.S. Central Command had prepared plans for a four-phase operation, which it presented to the White House in the form of an elaborate PowerPoint briefing. This slide maps out objectives for the initial “preparation” phase, including the now-familiar concept of “shock and awe.” The final “post-hostilities” phase was expected to be essentially concluded by the end of 2006.

The original source document for this work can be found here.