xi In late December 2000: For descriptions of President Bush's meetings with Coats and Rumsfeld, see especially Eric Schmitt and Elaine Sciolino, To Run Pentagon, Bush Sought Proven Manager with Muscle, The New York Times, January 1, 2001, p. 1; see also Thomas E. Ricks, For Defense, Cheney's Mirror Image; Pentagon Will See Elder Statesman and Power Player in Rumsfeld, The Washington Post, December 29, 2000, p. Al; and Eric Schmitt, Defense Secretary Chosen; Held Same Post Under Ford, The New York Times, December 29, 2000, p. 1.
xii There was another dynamic: See George H. W. Bush, Looking Forward: An Autobiography (New York: Doubleday, 1987), pp. 157-59.
xiv Get it right : Author's discussion with Secretary Rumsfeld, March 4, 2001. Later confirmed by Vice President Cheney.
CHAPTER 1
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with five knowledgeable sources.
2 When Michael Deaver: See also David B. Ottaway, Saudi Lobby Los
ing Strength; Defeat of Arms Sale Contrasts with Earlier Success, The Wash
ington Post, May 10, 1986, p. Al.
3 I interviewed President Bush on December 11, 2003, and asked him
about Prince Bandar's 1997 visit to Austin:
Q: Do you remember when you were thinking of running for president, when you were governor, and you talked to Prince Bandar. You went, he came to Texas, you stopped at his plane.
President Bush: Yeah.
Q: And had a discussion. And he kind of, your dad had said he knows a lot about foreign affairs. And he kind of did a tour around the world.
President Bush: Is this Bandar telling you this? What did he say? I can't remember.
Q: This is a fascinating moment. He said that there are people who don't like Saudi Arabia, who didn't like your father, who might not support you. And you kind of have to make peace with them. And you bristled at that.
President Bush: Sounds like Saddam Hussein, [laughter] Go ahead.
Q: No, no, wasn't—you know, that there are enemies out there.
President Bush: Yeah, sure.
Q: People who didn't like your father, don't like Saudi Arabia. And he's
saying to you, make peace with them. And you're saying No, I don't
want to do that. That's not straight and honest, and he said to you, in
the big boys' game it is cutthroat. It is bloody. President Bush: [laughs] I don't remember that. But I do remember it with
Bandar.
7 The campaign autobiography: George W. Bush and Karen Hughes, A
Charge to Keep (New York: William Morrow, 1999).
8 I will defend : Transcript of Governor George W. Bush's speech at The
Citadel, September 23, 1999, printed from www.georgewbush.com.
CHAPTER 2
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with five knowledgeable sources.
10 Among the Vulcans was another veteran: See also James Mann, Rise
of the Vulcans (New York: Penguin, 2004).
11 Bush had no problem: Author interview with President George W.
Bush, August 20, 2002.
11 On February 28, 1999: FDCH Federal Department and Agency documents, March 3, 1999, Bush Tells Gulf Vets Why Hussein Left in Baghdad.
14 He and the elder: George Bush and Brent Scowcroft, A World Transformed (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998).
CHAPTER 3
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with eight knowledgeable sources, as well as with retired Rear Admiral J. J. Quinn, who was interviewed on March 22 and 23, and May 3, 2006.
17 In his first: Author interviews with Secretary Rumsfeld in 1988 and 1989.
24 On Thursday, March 15, 2001: Bandar's meeting with Bush and his
assessment come from official Saudi notes and were confirmed by an American source.
25 Rumsfeld was trying: Copies of four Anchor Chain memos, other
documents and snowflakes obtained by the author; author interviews with
Secretary Rumsfeld, July 6 and 7, 2006.
CHAPTER 4
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with six knowledgeable sources and with retired Rear Admiral Quinn.
33 On April 25, 2001: ABC News transcript, Good Morning America, April 25,2001.
CHAPTER 5
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with seven knowledgeable sources and documents obtained by the author.
45 Twelve days later: DOD transcripts of Secretary Rumsfeld's speeches: www.defenselink.mil/speeches/2001/s20010528-secdef.html; www.de fenselink.mil/Speeches/Speech.aspx?SpeechID=368.
45 At his Senate testimony: FDCH Political Transcripts, Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, June 21, 2001.
45 In May, Crown Prince Abdullah: Roula Khalaf, Regal Reformer: Crown Prince Abdullah, Regent to Saudi Arabia's King Fahd, Has Spearheaded Diplomatic and Economic Change, The Financial Times, June 25, 2001.
45 On June 1: Lee Hockstader, Bombing Kills at Least 17 at Tel Aviv Clubs;
Suicide Blast Hits Young Crowd, The Washington Post, June 2,2001, p. Al.
46 Israeli military units: Deborah Sontag, As Emotions Boil Over, Arab-
Israeli Violence Rages On, The New York Times, May 20, 2001, p. 4.
46 The previous year: Lee Hockstader, Israel Steps Up Battle with
Rioters; Army Firepower Boosts Death Toll; Albright to Meet with Barak,
Arafat, The Washington Post, October 3, 2000, p. Al; also see http://news
.bbc.co.uk/2Ai/middle_east/952700.stm.
47 On June 16: President Bush described his conversation with Ensenat
to me in an interview on August 20, 2002.
47 Bush's first mention: Branding Rite Laid to Yale Fraternity, The New York Times, November 8, 1967, p. 80.
CHAPTER 6
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with seven knowledgeable sources, and documents obtained by the author.
50 Two weeks earlier: See Richard A. Clarke, Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror (New York: Free Press, 2004), p. 235.
52 Philip Zelikow: Philip Zelikow and Condoleezza Rice, Germany Unified
and Europe Transformed: A Study in Statecraft (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1995).
53 I sat there : Author interview with Secretary Rumsfeld, September
20, 2003.
CHAPTER 7
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with six knowledgeable sources.
61 H. R. McMaster, Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam (New York: HarperCollins, 1997).
CHAPTER 8
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with five knowledgeable sources, as well as with General Richard Myers on January 9, 2002.
68 Later I asked Rumsfeld: Author interview with Secretary Rumsfeld,
July 7, 2006.
69 About four days: Rowan Scarborough, Admiral Called Front-Runner
for Joint Chiefs; Clark Is Said to Impress Bush, The Washington Times, Au
gust 11, 2001, p. Al.
69 On August 24, 2001: Presidential Documents, August 24, 2001: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_presi dential_documents docid=pd2 7au01 _txt-15.
69 Rumsfeld had told: Author interview with Secretary Rumsfeld, July 7, 2006.
71 He had been truly surprised: Vernon Loeb, A Pilot's 'Good Hands' Near Joint Chiefs' Helm, The Washington Post, August 24, 2001, p. Al.
CHAPTER 9
The information in this chapter comes primarily from interviews with 10 knowledgeable sources, and with Christopher DeMuth on March 10, 2006.
75 Over the summer: Deborah Sontag, Quest for Mideast Peace: How and Why It Failed, The New York Times, July 26, 2001, p. 1; Lee Hockstader, Middle East Cease-Fire
Breaks Down; Fresh Clashes Test Viability of Truce Brokered by Powell, The Washington Post, July 3, 2001, p. A12.
81 After 9/11, Bush's approval rating: Gallup Poll, Bush Job Approval Highest in Gallup History, September 24, 2001.
81 On November 21: Author interview with President George W. Bush, December 10, 2003.
81 The Iraq war plan: See Bob Woodward, The Commanders (New York:
Simon Schuster, 1991); and Bob Woodward, Plan of Attack (New York:
Simon Schuster, 2004).
82 In Franks's memoir: Tommy Franks, American Soldier (New York:
HarperCollins, 2004), pp. 329-31 and 342-44.
82 memoirs by Powell and Schwarzkopf: General H. Norman
Schwarzkopf, It Doesn't Take a Hero: The Autobiography of General H. Norman
Schwarzkopf (New York: Bantam, 1992); Colin Powell, My American Journey
(New York: Random House, 1995), p. 487.
83 Bletchley Park: I asked Secretary Rumsfeld about Bletchley II in an interview on July 7, 2006:
Q: And Wolfowitz right after 9/11 set up this thing called Bletchley II.
Do you remember that? Rumsfeld: I do.
Q: Chris DeMuth at the AEI. Rumsfeld: I asked him to. I said, Look, we ought to get some group going
to think about— Q: And they wrote a paper, seven pages, called The Delta of Terrorism. Rumsfeld: Right.
Q: Meaning the origin of terrorism. Rumsfeld: Um hm. [affirmative]
Q: And it essentially said we're in a two-generation war. Rumsfeld: Um hm. Q: With radical Islam. And we have to do something and we'd better
start with Iraq. Rumsfeld: Yeah. Oh, I didn't remember that. Q: Yeah, it's—it had a lot of, quite an impact on the president and
Cheney and Rice, because it was short and it said two-generation war,
that other countries are the real problems but you can't deal with
them yet so you better start with Iraq. Rumsfeld: Interesting. I don't remember that. I remember asking that they
gather a group and that we think that through, and discussing it with
Paul ... I had in mind something different than they ended up with when I participated in the initiation of it.
Q: Which was?
Rumsfeld: More like Bletchley.
Q: Think tank or—
Rumsfeld: Yeah, that you'd end up with a continuing body that would bring together some very fine minds on a highly confidential basis and provide the intellectual content for something that was obviously new and different, and challenging. And that did not happen.
CHAPTER 10
The information in this chapter comes primarily from interviews with six knowledgeable sources.
87 Press Secretary Ari Fleischer: Press briefing transcripts at www .whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020207-6.html; and www .state.gov/s/l/38727.htm.
CHAPTER 11
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with 10 knowledgeable sources, and with Marine General James L. Jones on December 21, 2005. Additionally, the war diaries of Major General James Spider Marks and Colonel Steve Rotkoff were obtained by the author's assistant Bill Murphy Jr.
97 But instead of saying: Presidential Documents, October 7, 2002: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2002_presi dential_documents docid=pd 14oc02_txt-11.
99 Unbeknownst to Marks: Author interviews with Secretary Rumsfeld,
July 6 and 7, 2006, and documents reviewed by author. Also on Rumsfeld's
list of things that could go wrong were: Number 19, Rather than having the
post-Saddam effort require 2-4 years, it could take 8-10 years, thereby absorbing US leadership, military and financial resources ; Number 25, The
U.S. will learn, to our surprise, a number of the unknown unknowns, the
gaps in our intelligence knowledge. For example: Iraqi WMD programs
could be several years more advanced than we assess ; Number 26, Iraqi
capabilities of which we were unaware may exist, such as UAVs jamming
cyber attacks, etc. ; and Number 27, Iraq may experience epic strife among
Sunni, Shia and Kurds.
100 Congress voted overwhelmingly: Vote history for H.J. Res. 114,
Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002:
www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?con gress= 107 session=2 vote=00237.
100 Three weeks later: How They Aced Their Midterms (And Now for the Big Tests), Time, November 18, 2002.
102 They were every morning : Author interview with Secretary
Rumsfeld, July 6, 2006.
103 At the Pentagon: Author interviews with Secretary Rumsfeld, July 6
and 7, 2006.
106 The president very reluctantly confirmed: Author interview with President George W. Bush, December 11, 2003.
CHAPTER 12
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with seven knowledgeable sources; with retired Lieutenant General Jay Garner on September 19, 2005, October 16, 2005, December 13, 2005, and April 22, 2006; and with retired Lieutenant General Jared Bates on December 14, 2005. Garner's documents and notes provided additional detail.
113 On Saturday night: Hank Stuever, Civics Lesson: Who's Who in the Alfalfa Club? Jaime Arauz Knows, The Washington Post, January 27, 2003, p. CI.
116 Later in an interview: Author interview with Secretary Rumsfeld, July 6, 2006.
CHAPTER 13
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with 13 knowledgeable sources, from interviews with General Garner, and from documents reviewed by the author.
120 Powell was set: FDCH Political Transcripts, Colin Powell Addresses the United Nations, February 5, 2003.
123 In 2006, I mentioned: Author interview with Secretary Rumsfeld, July 6, 2006.
127 Back in his office: Interview by the author's assistant with retired Colonel Tom Baltazar, January 4, 2006.
131 Rumsfeld said later: Author interview with Secretary Rumsfeld, July 6, 2006.
CHAPTER 14
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with 11 knowledgeable sources, from interviews with General Garner and General Bates, and from documents obtained by the author.
136 The next day: Notes of Feith's briefing to the president were reviewed by the author.
138 cakewalk : Ken Adelman, Cakewalk in Iraq, The Washington Post, February 13, 2002, p. A27.
138 White House spokesman: David E. Sanger, U.S. Tells Iraq It Must
Reveal Weapons Sites, The New York Times, December 6, 2002, p. 1.
139 Fleischer announced again: Press briefing transcript: www.white
house.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030109-8.html.
139 In his weekly radio address: Presidential Documents, February 8, 2003: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2003_ presidentialdocuments docid=pd 17fe03_txt-3.
CHAPTER 15
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with seven knowledgeable sources, from interviews with General Garner, and from documents reviewed by the author.
148 On Tuesday, March 11: Garner's press backgrounder transcript, March 11, 2003: www.defenselink.mil/Transcripts/Transcript.aspxPTran scriptID=2037.
151 Three days before: NBC News transcript, Meet the Press, March 16,
2003.
152 The war began: For a more detailed account of the target-of-
opportunity strike on Dora Farm and the beginning of the Iraq War, see Bob
Woodward, Plan of Attack (New York: Simon Schuster, 2004), pp. 382-99.
CHAPTER 16
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with seven knowledgeable sources, from interviews with General Garner and General Bates, and from documents reviewed by the author.
159 The XTF: Details of the travails of the 75th Exploitati
on Task Force were obtained from an interview by the author's assistant with Chief Warrant Officer Richard Monty Gonzales on April 14, 2006, interviews with
other knowledgeable sources, and documents obtained by the author's assistant.
164 I picked up : The text of Secretary Rumsfeld's remarks are available
on the Pentagon's Web site at www.defenselink.mil. The captions and file
names of the photographs that were shown to the media are archived at
www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2003/g030411-D-6570C.html.
165 Bush echoed the comment: Presidential Documents, April 13,
2003: http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgiPWAISdocID
= 168461621+0+0+0 WAISaction=retrieve.
CHAPTER 17
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with nine knowledgeable sources, from interviews with General Garner, and from an interview with former Secretary of State George Shultz on June 18, 2006. Additional details came from documents reviewed by the author.
169 Rumsfeld's recollection is different: Author interview with Secretary Rumsfeld, July 6, 2006.
170 Tutwiler, 52: Peter Slevin, Iraqis Unhappy with U.S. Signals; Interference from Americans Among Challenges for Post-Hussein TV, The Washington Post, May 26, 2003, p. A13.
174 Rumsfeld was a little defensive: Author interview with Secretary Rumsfeld, July 6, 2006.
CHAPTER 18
The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with 11 knowledgeable sources, from interviews with General Garner and Colonel Baltazar, and from documents reviewed by the author.
178 Though technically outside: Federal News Service, American Enterprise Institute briefing, April 22, 2003.
178 Armitage responded: Edward Walsh and Juliet Eilperin, Familiar Blast, Then Unfamiliar Silence; Gingrich Lying Low After Attack on State Dept. Leaves Some Conservatives Fuming, The Washington Post, April 26, 2003, p. A4.
178 I don't think I would : Monte Reel, Garner Arrives in Iraq to Begin Reconstruction; Retired General Upbeat Despite Skepticism, Damage, The Washington Post, April 22, 2003, p. Al.
Bob Woodward Page 58