The self-defeating saga of the war in Iraq documented in Bob Woodward’s “State of Denial” comes home to Aspen in the form of Ken Adelman, a prominent neoconservative–and confidante of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld–who lives in Aspen.

During a visit to Washington by Adelman in March 2006, according to Woodward, the exchange between the two old colleagues went like this:

Adelman: “What metrics would you use for success in Iraq? You know, for winning the war?”

Rumsfeld: “Oh, there are hundreds. It’s just so complicated that there are hundreds.”

Adelman: “Wait a minute. A former boss of mine always said identify three or four things, then always ask about, get measurements and you’ll get progress or else you’ll never get any progress.”

Adelman was referring to Rumsfeld, his “former boss” 35 years before at the Office of Economic Opportunity.

Adelman: “Then you don’t have anything.”

In Woodward’s words: “He left as dis­turbed as ever. There was no accountability.”