Obama’s Wars
Page 46
background, 32
and Cartwright, 235, 236–37, 245, 272–73, 275, 294–96, 307, 312, 324
confirmation hearings, 172–74
and Eikenberry cables, 261–62, 272
and hybrid option, 236–38, 275
and Jones, 99, 100, 123–24, 141–42, 174, 196–97
and McChrystal, 85, 118, 154, 165, 168, 196–97, 262
and McDonough, 172, 174
and McKiernan, 118, 119
Morrell on, 173
and Obama, 32, 33–34, 80, 118, 172–73, 196, 197, 271, 278, 312, 324, 326–27
and Petraeus, 32, 80, 96, 104, 119, 142, 169, 173, 175, 196, 203, 206, 241–42, 244–45, 250, 254, 257, 261, 262, 263, 269, 270, 273–75, 278–79, 293–95, 302, 312, 313, 318, 322, 323, 324–27
and Riedel, 99–101, 108
in war game, 244, 245
and White House, 95, 123–24, 172–74, 196–97
Mumbai terrorist attack, 44–47, 106, 365–66
Musharraf, Pervez, 63, 208, 209
Myers, Gen. Richard B., 32
Nad Ali (Afghanistan), 351
National Defense University, 76
National Press Club, 190
National Security Agency (NSA), 7, 10, 25, 103, 122
National Security Council (NSC), 41, 44, 71, 76, 79–81, 119, 140
and Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy, 186–92, 202–4, 207–11, 214–33, 238–41, 248–55, 262–64, 268–83, 290–306, 348–49
Jones as national security adviser, 37, 38, 39–40
on Obama’s final strategy decision, 311–15
principals meetings, 212–13, 238–39, 248–49, 261, 262–63, 352
on Riedel strategy, 88–90, 96, 101–4, 110
NATO, 102, 103, 123, 142, 152, 223, 225, 238, 250, 251
additional troops from, 42, 150–51, 253, 275–76, 294
Navy (U.S.), 198–99, 257, 259
Navy SEALs, 8, 315
Nawa (Afghanistan), 349, 358–60
NBC, 48
New York Times, 113, 154, 179, 183, 193, 198, 335
Nicholson, Gen. Lawrence, 130–33, 358–61
Nimitz, USS, 299
9/11, terrorist attacks of, 1, 5, 10, 45, 49, 106, 122, 207
Nobel Peace Prize, 213–14, 378
Normandy, France, 124
North Korea, nuclear program, 9, 52
North Waziristan (region in FATA), 3, 26, 200, 366
Northern Alliance, 215
Now Zad, Helmand (Afghanistan), 130, 131
NSC principals meetings, 212–13, 238–39, 248–49, 261, 262–63, 344, 352
nuclear weapons
in Iran and North Korea, 9, 52
Pakistan and India, 35, 45, 345
war game on nuclear attack, 362–63
Obama, Barack H.
and Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy review, 160, 161–69, 183, 184, 186–91, 204–5, 208–10, 214–18, 222–33, 239–43, 250–54, 257–60, 263–64, 268–81, 290–306, 348–49
“Alternative Mission in Afghanistan” graph, 276, 277, 281–83
at Arlington Cemetery, 266
and Axelrod, 26–27, 74, 141, 191, 195, 246–47, 332
and author interview, 11–12, 23–24, 35, 56, 97–98, 109, 116, 123, 160, 183–84, 275, 279, 282, 289–90, 311, 363, 369, 373, 375–78
and Biden, 51, 62, 72–73, 80–81, 160, 163, 270–71, 275, 288–91, 305, 309–10, 323, 324, 328, 329, 332, 354, 372
and Blair, 58, 121–22, 162–63, 341–42, 370–71
and Brennan, 227–28, 229, 284, 289, 319, 321, 340–42
cabinet selections, 13–14, 18–20, 23–24, 26–31, 58–61
and Cartwright, 235–38, 307–9, 324
and Clinton, 26–31, 39, 57, 72, 96, 102, 104, 148, 164, 169, 191, 209, 222–23, 250, 252, 254, 291, 292–93, 331, 334, 335–36
and Donilon, 138, 188, 191, 195, 239, 276, 281, 289, 298, 302–4, 311, 312, 313, 316–17, 319, 321, 322, 343
at Dover Air Force Base, 255–56
draw down date for Afghanistan, 290, 294, 302, 305, 314–15, 319, 320–21, 324, 331, 335–37, 376
and Eikenberry, 164, 217–18, 221, 296, 298, 329–30
and Emanuel, 13–14, 74, 81, 104, 121, 122, 195, 207, 232, 247, 298, 311, 319, 327, 372
final strategy decision, 290, 301–9, 311–17, 319–22, 324–31, 383–88
first NSC meeting on Afghanistan, 79–81
and Gates, 18–20, 23–24, 57, 118, 163, 189–90, 192, 197, 216, 218–20, 238, 240, 250–53, 254, 260, 270–71, 275, 280, 289–90, 292–93, 302, 303–4, 307–9, 312, 316, 323, 324–26, 328–29, 331, 334, 335, 340, 354, 372
and Gibbs, 137, 194, 222–23, 232, 246, 248, 337, 342, 373
and Graham, 62, 72–73, 207, 336
and Hayden, 18, 48–56, 59, 93
and Holbrooke, 72, 164, 210–11, 216, 222, 225–27, 230, 231, 233, 240, 296
Illinois senate seat, 51, 55
inauguration of, 74–75
and Jones, 36–37, 38, 39, 51, 74–75, 88, 96, 123, 124–25, 126, 132–33, 134, 135, 137–38, 139, 140, 141, 161, 169, 179, 196–99, 237, 242, 249–50, 252–53, 254, 265, 269, 284, 289, 301, 307–9, 311, 313, 319, 325, 328, 329, 332, 334, 343, 344, 354, 363, 364–67, 372, 379
and Karzai, 147–48, 229, 230
and Lippert, 34, 49, 50, 138, 140, 144, 197–98
and Lute, 80, 311, 312, 313, 319, 320–21
and McChrystal, 120, 155, 161, 193, 194, 197, 263, 329–30, 349–52, 373–74
and McConnell, 1, 2, 3–4, 5–11, 50–51, 55–56
and McDonough, 49, 50, 114, 158
meeting with Bush, 17–18
meeting with Joint Chiefs, 257–60
meetings with Powell, 174–75, 311
and Mullen, 32, 33–34, 80, 118, 172–73, 196, 197, 271, 278, 312, 324, 326–27
Nobel Peace Prize, 213–14, 378
in nuclear terrorist attack exercise, 362
opposition to Iraq War, 38, 75–76, 375
and Panetta, 58, 208–9, 363, 364–67
President’s Daily Brief to (PDB), 120–21, 166, 370
and Petraeus, 14–15, 16, 17, 76, 80, 81, 96, 111, 112, 158–59, 183–84, 191, 205, 206, 225, 230, 231, 241–43, 257, 260, 267, 273–75, 276, 277, 278, 297, 298–99, 302, 312, 320, 322, 324–27, 337, 338, 349, 351, 373–74
and Podesta, 1–2, 13, 19, 27–30, 38–39, 57–59
and Rhodes, 113, 114, 213–14, 278, 298, 301, 305, 306–7, 331
and Riedel review, 88–90, 96, 97, 104–10, 113, 141, 183–84
speeches on Afghanistan War, 111–12, 113–14, 330–35
terms sheet, 313, 314, 315, 316, 324–30, 385–90
on terrorist threat, 363
thoughts about Afghanistan War, 375–78
on The Tonight Show, 109
West Point speech, 334–35
and Zardari, 115–16, 284–85, 287
Obama, Michelle, 266
Odierno, Gen. Raymond, 76
Olympics, 2016, 193
Omar, Mullah Muhammad, 7, 106, 162, 241, 286, 350, 355, 365
Operation Black Medallion, 122
Operation High Rise, 122
Orszag, Peter, 251, 296
Pace, Gen. Peter, 32, 36, 339
Pakistan
author’s visit to, 136–37
Biden’s visit to, 62–65
FATA, 3, 7, 8, 93, 187, 189
India and, 4, 64, 87, 100, 108, 115, 116, 137, 162–63, 208, 209, 210, 215, 366
Jones in, 136–37, 284, 285–86, 363–67
Lute in, 363–67
and McChrystal assessment, 162–63
and Mumbai terrorists attacks, 45–47
nuclear weapons, 35, 45, 345
Obama’s letter to Zardari, 284–85
Pakistani ISI, 3–4, 5, 45–46, 63, 64, 89, 116, 203, 285, 286, 355, 356
Panetta in, 286–87, 363–67
Petraeus in, 16–17
Predator strikes in, 4–5, 25–26, 93, 106–7, 116, 117, 209, 284
Riedel review, 88–90, 99–110
safe havens in, 44, 63, 121, 122, 215, 216, 224, 285, 288–89, 297, 302–3, 328, 356, 363–69, 379
Strategic Implementation Plan for, 145–46
Swat Valley, 115–16, 188, 286
as threat to U.S. security, 3–5, 7–8, 43–44, 63, 89, 121, 122, 215, 216, 224, 288–89, 297, 302–3, 328, 363–69, 379
U.S. retribution plan, 46, 365
Zardari’s letter to Obama, 287
Zardari’s visit to U.S., 115–16 see also Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy review
Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military (Haqqani), 86–87
Pakistan-Afghanistan border, 3, 42, 203, 212, 224, 235, 359–60
Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell, 118
Pakistani Taliban, 115, 116–17, 136, 137, 188, 203, 361, 364, 365
Panetta, Leon, CIA director and Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy review, 161, 202, 208–9, 224, 239, 247, 265, 352, 363–69
chosen as CIA director, 57–58, 59–60
confirmation hearings, 91–93
on Karzai, 224, 352
and Obama, 58, 208–9, 363, 364–67
in Pakistan, 286–87, 363–67
and Predator drone strikes, 284
Pasha, Gen. Ahmed Shuja, 46–47, 225
Pashto (language), 78, 150
Pashtun (ethnic group), 65, 107, 186, 210, 264
Patterson, Anne W., 136, 202, 210, 296
Pelosi, Nancy, 307
Penn, Mark, 30–31
Pentagon Papers, 179
Perry, William, 84
Petraeus, Gen. David H., 14, 15, 16, 17, 32, 41, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 94, 96, 103, 104, 111, 112, 113, 119, 142, 148, 157, 158, 159, 161, 170–71, 173, 183–84, 186, 188, 190, 191, 196, 202–6, 209, 211, 214, 220, 221, 225, 230, 231, 373–74, 379–80
as Afghanistan commander, 373–74, 379
and Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy review, 170–71, 186, 188, 190, 191, 202–6, 209, 210, 211, 214, 220–21, 225, 241–43, 244–45, 250, 254, 260, 261, 262–64, 269–79, 291–94, 297–300, 302, 312, 318, 320, 322, 325, 327, 332–33, 337, 338, 346–48, 349, 351
on Axelrod, 158
background, 15, 17, 82, 84, 119, 148, 214, 263
on Biden, 210, 291
as Central Command commander, 14, 15, 16, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 94, 96, 103, 111, 112, 119, 142, 157, 158, 159, 161, 170–71, 186, 190, 191, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 209, 211, 214, 220–21, 225, 231, 241–43, 244, 245, 250, 254, 257, 260, 261, 262–63, 266–68, 270–79, 291–94, 297–300, 312, 318, 320, 322, 325, 327, 337, 338, 346, 347, 351, 361–62, 373
and counterinsurgency, 15, 17, 83, 84, 94, 103, 111, 112, 157, 158, 170–71, 183–84, 191, 203, 220, 225, 241–43, 244–45 257, 262, 269, 270, 272–75, 294, 297–98, 300, 317, 332, 338, 347, 349, 379
and Eikenberry cables, 261–62
and Gates, 16, 32, 75–76, 96, 103, 104, 119, 156, 171, 190, 192, 194, 202–4, 220–21, 241, 250, 254, 262, 270–75, 279, 292, 293, 300, 302, 312, 318, 322, 323, 325–29, 337, 338, 373
and Harvey, 77, 78, 346–48
as Iraq commander, 14, 15, 16, 76, 77, 82, 148, 156, 157, 188, 190, 204, 220, 225, 230, 241–43, 263, 271–72, 274, 275, 277, 297, 300, 317, 332–33, 338, 348, 380
and Jones, 75, 94, 96, 104, 142, 146, 161, 194, 196, 202, 209, 242, 250, 254, 261, 262, 269, 313, 325, 332, 379
“Lessons on Reconciliation” memo, 241–43
and Marja, 351
and Morrell, 159, 266–68
and Obama, 14–15, 16, 17, 76, 80, 81, 96, 111, 112, 158–59, 183–84, 191, 205, 206, 225, 230, 231, 241–43, 257, 260, 267, 273–75, 276, 277, 278, 297, 298–99, 302, 312, 320, 322, 324–27, 337, 338, 349, 351, 373–74
and Rumsfeld, 17, 379
and Times Square bomber, 361–62
and war game (Poignant Vision), 244–45, 275
and White House, 94, 96, 158, 159, 161, 170, 171, 173, 186, 188, 190, 191, 196, 202, 203, 206, 209, 211, 214, 220, 221, 225, 241, 242, 251, 254, 262, 263, 267, 270–75, 291, 294, 297–99, 312, 317, 337–38, 349, 361–62, 379
Phillips, Kyra, 267
Podesta, John
and Clintons, 27, 28–30
and Obama, 1–2, 13, 19, 27–30, 38–39, 57–59
and Panetta, 57, 58–59
Poignant Vision (war game), 244–45, 275
Political Hotsheet (CBS blog), 337
Powell, Gen. Colin, 32, 174–75, 195, 257, 311
Predator drone strikes, 4–5, 6, 18, 22, 25–26, 93, 106–7, 116, 117, 209, 284, 366–67
President’s Daily Brief (PDB), 120–22, 166, 370
PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team), 135, 136, 248
Quetta, Baluchistan, Pakistan, 7, 162, 286
Quetta Shura Taliban, 7, 178, 241, 261, 356, 364, 365
Qureshi, Shah Mehmood, 366
RAND Corporation, 149
Rangel, Robert, 331
RDI (Rendition, Detention and Interrogation), 50, 53
Reagan National Airport, 18, 23
Reagan, Ronald, 19, 31
Reed, Jack, 23
Regional Command East, 70
Regional Command South, 70
Regional Command West, 155
Reid, Chip, 337
Republican Party, 17, 19, 32, 57, 62, 73, 204, 207, 298, 326, 371
Rhodes, Benjamin, 113, 114, 213–14, 277, 298, 301, 305, 306–7, 331
Rice, Condoleezza, 36, 44
Rice, Susan, 224–25, 240
Riedel, Bruce O., Riedel review, 88–90, 96, 97, 99–109, 111, 113, 114, 119, 124, 141, 144, 145, 164, 165, 168, 169–70, 183–84
Rolling Stone magazine, 371–72
RTRG (Real Time, Regional Gateway), 7, 10
RT10 project, 7
Ruggiero, Frank, 248
Rule, Amy, 14
Rumsfeld, Donald H., 17, 20, 21, 32, 36, 379
Russell, Cathy, 40
Russert, Tim, 48
safe havens, in Pakistan, 44, 63, 121, 122, 215, 216, 224, 288–89, 297, 302–3, 328, 356, 363–69, 379
Saleh, Ali Abdullah, 340
Saleh, Amrullah, 215
Saudi Arabia, 9, 170, 190, 216, 240–41
Schlesinger, James, 84
SEALs, Navy, 8, 315
Search for al Qaeda, The (Riedel), 89
Senate Armed Services Committee, 82, 123, 155, 172, 334, 335–36
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 62
Senate Intelligence Committee, 91–93
Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), 3, 51
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks of, 1, 5, 10, 45, 49, 106, 122, 207
Shahzad, Faisal, 361, 363, 364, 365
SHARKFINN, 7
Shedd, David, 54
Sherman, Gen. William Tecumseh, 375–76
Sigma Series, 244
Singh, Manmohan, 46
60 Minutes, 193
Smith, Jeff, 92
Somalia, 35, 227, 228, 297
South Korea, 60, 248
South Waziristan (region in FATA), 188, 201
Southern Command (SouthCom), 342
Special Access Programs, 235
Special Forces, 149, 236, 315
Special Operations Forces, 160, 170, 190, 287
Status of Forces Agreement in Iraq, 76
Steinberg, James, 1, 2, 203, 250, 371
Strategic Command (U.S.), 235
Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP), 145–46, 168
Sudan, Darfur region, 53
Surge of Hope (film), 16
Swat Valley, 115–16, 188, 286
SYLVAN-MAGNOLIA, 6
Taliban
Afghan Taliban, 3, 65, 100, 145, 187, 189, 203, 215, 241, 356–57
in Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy, 185, 186–90, 202–4, 219–21, 224, 225–26, 228, 229–30, 259, 269–71, 297
control of Kandahar, 42, 249, 349–50
insurgency, 3, 42, 44, 70, 75, 83, 107, 128, 133–34, 249
JSOC attacks against the, 315–16
&nbs
p; and McChrystal assessment, 155, 162, 163–64, 167, 170, 177–78
Pakistani Taliban (TTP), 115, 116–17, 136, 137, 188, 203, 361, 364, 365
propaganda campaign, 150, 238
Quetta Shura Taliban, 7, 178, 241, 261, 356, 364, 365
Tapper, Jake, 371
Tarbela, Pakistan, 115, 188
Task Force Falcon, 274, 275
Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), 115, 116–17, 136, 137, 188, 203, 361, 364, 365 see also Pakistani Taliban
Taliban
Texas A & M University, 23
Thomas, Helen, 112–13
Tien, Col. John, 311–12, 319–20, 322, 354, 360
Tillman, Cpl. Pat, 154
Times Square bomber, 361, 363, 364, 365
The Tonight Show, 104, 109
torture, 49, 54, 60, 91, 92–93
trilateral summit, Afghanistan and Pakistan, 115, 116–17
Turkey, 53
Tweed, Boss, 65
Tyson, Ann Scott, 142
United Nations, 224, 357
University of North Carolina, 109
Urdu (language), 86
USA Today, 21
Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981–1987 (Woodward), 128
Vietnam War, 25, 50, 82, 97, 112, 129–30, 158, 170, 179, 195, 231, 244, 249, 250, 254, 258, 279, 306, 377
Wall Street Journal, 171, 268–69, 273
war game (Poignant Vision), 244–45, 275
Wardak, Abdul Rahim, 67
The Washington Post, 59, 113, 140–41, 142, 154, 157, 174, 178, 179, 182–83, 198, 246, 268, 307, 343
waterboarding, 49, 55
Watergate, 50
Weekly Standard, 143
Wesa, Tooryalai, 350
Westmoreland, Gen. William, 195
White House
Oval Office, 11, 141, 174, 232, 301, 306, 307–9, 311, 313, 319, 325, 329, 354, 361, 378
press briefings, 142–43, 247–48, 337, 342, 373
Rose Garden, 116, 214, 373
Situation Room, 75, 79, 93, 132, 161, 169, 173, 185, 206, 212, 247, 250, 268, 329
State Dining Room, 204
Wood, Col. John, 102, 113–14
Wood, William, 69, 70
World War II, 15, 25, 257
WTF (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot), 132, 133, 141, 143, 194, 308, 358
Yemen, 8, 35, 227, 228, 297, 340, 341–42
Zabul province, 79
Zardari, Asif Ali, 25, 26, 62–65, 115–17, 136–37, 200, 208, 284–85, 286, 287, 364–66, 367
Zardari, Bilawal, 115, 116
Zarqawi, Abu al-, 85, 190
Zawahiri, Ayman, 18, 106
Zazi, Najibullah, 122, 284, 285
Zinni, Anthony, 138–39
ABOUT THE AUTHOR