Kerik's Change of Plans

Josh Marshall is on the trail of an interesting story. The President's choice as the new Director of Homeland Security, Bernard Kerik, was sent to Iraq by the President to lead the formation of the Iraqi police force. That was in mid May of 2003. At the time press reports, which included direct quotes from Kerik, indicated that this job would take at least six months and as long as a year and a half. After about three months in Iraq, the first major terrorist attacks began, including the bombing that killed the head of the UN mission, Sérgio Vieira de Mello. Shortly thereafter, Kerik returned to the US without any public explanation. Now the administration is claiming that his much shorter stint was the plan all along. What happened, and why did he leave before he was supposed to? Stay tuned to Josh Marshall, as he has a way of digging up the backstory on this sort of deal.