CHAPTER ONE
1. The helicopters descended onto the hilltop clearing: This account relies on coverage of General Casey’s press conference in the New York Times on June 30, 1970, “Last Combat Unit out of Cambodia After Two Months,” and interviews with the elder Casey’s daughters Joan Gettys, Winn Cullen, and Ann Bukawyn, who watched television coverage of the event.
2. Casey climbed into the copilot seat of his Huey helicopter: The details of Casey’s disappearance are taken from Incursion by J. D. Coleman, a journalist and retired Army lieutenant colonel who served with Casey.
5 That evening, the Caseys hosted a party at their house to celebrate: The description of the party comes from interviews with George W. Casey Jr., Winn Cullen, and Casey’s Georgetown University friends Christopher Muse and Ray O’Hara.
8. As the funeral party gathered at Fort Myer’s Old Post Chapel: The account of the funeral and gathering at Quarters One came from interviews with the elder Casey’s children and Sheila Casey. It also relies on news coverage in the Washington Post.
9. After three days of battling a low-grade forest fire: The biographical material on Abizaid and his family comes from interviews with him, Kathy Abizaid, Michael Krause, and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Karl Eikenberry, Abizaid’s West Point roommate.
12 The telephone calls came late at night: The biographical material on Chiarelli and family relies on interviews with him, Beth Chiarelli, and Theresa Chiarelli.
14. Rummaging in the garage one day as a teenager: This account comes from interviews with Chiarelli and is also covered in The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family by Martha Raddatz.
15. As a kid Dave Petraeus used to sneak onto the West Point campus: The account of Petraeus’s time at West Point comes from interviews with Petraeus, Holly Petraeus, General (Ret.) William Knowlton, and fellow cadets Chris White, John Edgecombe, Dave Buto, and Reamer Argot.
19 A few months after he arrived, a gang of soldiers tore through: The account of Casey’s time in Mainz and Vicenza was based on interviews with Casey, Lieutenant General Tom Metz, Ed Charo, E. K. Smith, Joseph Tallman, Jeff Jones, Jack O’Conner, L. H. “Bucky” Burruss, Jim Simms, Turner Scott, and Jeff Rock.
19 “The price of Vietnam has been a terrible one”: General Michael’s letter was quoted in The Long Gray Line: The American Journey of West Point’s Class of 1966 by Rick Atkinson.
22 A few weeks earlier Lufthansa flight 181, bound for Frankfurt: The description of the origins of Delta Force comes from Delta Force: The Army’s Elite Counterterrorism Unit by Colonel (Ret.) Charlie A. Beckwith and Donald Knox.
24 Some days Casey and the other soldiers started before dawn: The description of Casey’s Delta Force tryouts came from interviews with Casey and fellow participants L. H. “Bucky” Burruss and E. K. Smith.
CHAPTER TWO
27 “Well, we have finally made it to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan”: All letters to the Olmsted Foundation were provided by General Abizaid and Kathy Abizaid.
27 the seven other winners that year had all gone off to Europe: Information on the other scholars came from the Olmsted Foundation website.
27. Toward the end of his stay Abizaid decided to run the entire length of Jordan: Some details of Abizaid’s run came from an article in the Jordan Times that was published in 1980.
33. “One of the most intelligent officers I have ever known:” Abizaid’s fitness reports were included in his application for the Olmsted Scholarship.
CHAPTER THREE
35. The letter from a captain named David Petraeus: The description of Petraeus’s letter came from an interview with Brigadier General (Ret.) James Shelton.
36. When, shortly after arriving, she heard a radio commercial: The account of Petraeus’s arrival at Fort Stewart came from Holly Petraeus. The description of the 24th Infantry Division’s readiness came from several sources, including interviews with Petraeus, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) George Stotser, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Ed Soyster, and the Department of the Army Historical Summary for fiscal year 1980.
36. A picture snapped that evening: The account of the training exercise in France comes from Gen. Petraeus and from Rick Bursky, who served in the 509th and took the photograph.
37. he had lobbied to come to Fort Stewart for one main reason: Holly Petraeus and others described his interest in joining the Ranger battalion. Petraeus described his interest in Bigeard and receiving the autographed picture as a Christmas present.
38. So he began spending one day a week in the motor pool: From interviews with Petraeus and Dan Grigson, a fellow company commander in the 24th Infantry Division.
39. His success in the EIB competition “put Petraeus on the map”: The accounts of the basketball championship and the Expert Infantry Badge ceremony come from Petraeus, Shelton, and Col. (Ret.) George Wilkins.
40. “We thought he was the best guy for the job”: From interview with Shelton.
40. It was like the Fourth of July, only with real rockets: From interview with Marty Gendron.
41. “basically what we have is a hollow Army”: The account of Meyer’s speech at Camp David comes from James Kitfield’s Prodigal Soldiers, an excellent history of the Army from Vietnam to the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
41 When a New York Times reporter showed up at Fort Stewart: Shelton is quoted in the New York Times, September 24, 1980.
41. “The difference between you and me, Dave”: From interview with Grigson.
42. He wanted Petraeus to be his eyes and ears, to carry out sensitive assignments: From interview with General (Ret.) John Galvin.
42. “Sir, your April evaluation,” read the cover sheet: Document provided by Galvin.
43. Their close relationship did not always go over well: From interview with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) H. G. “Pete” Taylor.
44. “Some people compared Petraeus to Massengale”: From interview with Martin Rollinson.
45. For two weeks, he and Petraeus crisscrossed the battlefield: From interviews with Taylor and Brigadier General (Ret.) Taft Ring.
47. Hezbollah, the militant Shiite group: For an account of Hezbollah’s rise, see Hezbollah by Augustus Richard Norton.
48. He and the four dozen or so other United Nations observers: The accounts of Abizaid’s time in Lebanon come from interviews with Abizaid and other members of the observer group: John Wagner, Larry Colvin, and Greg Von Wald.
49. “War in southern Lebanon is difficult to imagine by common standards of reference”: Taken from a paper written by Abizaid entitled “In Defense of the Northern Border: Israel’s Security Zone in Southern Lebanon.” December 30, 1986. It was written for the Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
49. “There was no shortage of willing martyrs”: Taken from Abizaid, “In Defense of the Northern Border.”
50. “Moderates in Amal, unable to deliver on promises”: Taken from Abizaid, “In Defense of the Northern Border.”
51. Shortly after he returned, Thurman marched down: This scene was recounted by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Dan Christman, who was also in the office with Thurman and Miller.
CHAPTER FOUR
52. Beth Chiarelli was just about to tee off: From interviews with Beth Chiarelli and General Peter Chiarelli.
55. they were joining a high-powered crowd: From interviews with Beth Chiarelli and Peter Chiarelli, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Lee Donne Olvey, and Jeffrey S. McKitrick.
56. Chiarelli was a little intimidated: From interview with Chiarelli.
57. Throwing together freethinkers and ambitious young officers: The history of the Social Sciences Department comes from The Lincoln Brigade by Capt. Martha S. H. VanDriel and from numerous interviews. Biographical material on Brig. Gen. George A. Lincoln came from interviews and from Issues of National Security in the 1970’s: Essays Presented to Colonel George A. Lincoln on His Sixtieth Birthday.
59 “I am going to take your file and I am going to keep it upside down”: From interview with Chiarelli.
59. “A member of the department is always a member of the department”: From interviews with Olvey and McKitrick.
60. Petraeus, who admired him immensely, decided to take the gamble: From interviews with Petraeus and from “Beyond the Cloister,” an article he wrote for The American Interest in July-August 2007 that recounts his experiences in graduate school.
61. His foray into civilian graduate school had its humbling moments: From interviews with Petraeus, John Duffield, and from “Beyond the Cloister.”
61 When Taylor arrived at West Point in the 1970s: From an interview with William Taylor. Other details about the Social Sciences Department and Vietnam come from interviews with Petraeus, Chiarelli, Asa Clark, McKitrick, and Andrew Krepinevich.
63 The two officers long had been on parallel intellectual paths: From interviews with Petraeus and Krepinevich.
64 The acclaim from outsiders made the Army even more defensive: General (Ret.) Bruce Palmer Jr.’s review of The Army and Vietnam appeared in Parameters, Autumn 1988. The details of Krepinevich’s treatment by the Army came from an interview with Krepinevich.
64 Petraeus later referred to Krepinevich’s treatment as “unsettling”: From Petraeus’s dissertation, “The American Military and the Lessons of Vietnam: A Study of Military Influence and the Use of Force in the Post-Vietnam Era.”
66 After returning to West Point, Petraeus finished his dissertation: From interviews with Petraeus and Galvin, and from Petraeus’s dissertation.
66 Olvey had to pull another officer out of graduate school: From interviews with Olvey and William Sutey.
CHAPTER FIVE
68 Lieutenant Ed Massar poked his helmet out of the turret: The account of the Canadian Army Trophy competition comes from interviews with Chiarelli, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Tom Griffin, John S. Luallin, Joe Schmalzel, John Menard, and Joe Weiss, as well as from archival video and Defense Department after-action reports.
70. His Army was determined to win the trophy: The account of the competition came from Luallin and others.
71. the Chiarellis were still settling into their new life: The description of the life in Gelnhausen came from Beth Chiarelli and her children, Peter and Erin.
71 A few weeks after taking command, Powell came to Gelnhausen: The description of the dinner at the officers’ club came from Luallin, Schmalzel, and Menard. Powell’s memories of Gelnhausen are described in his memoirs, My American Journey.
73. “You have a problem,” he warned Luallin: From an interview with Luallin.
74. Enraged, the younger Abrams summoned Lieutenant Joe Weiss, the maintenance officer: From an interview with Weiss.
76. It would only confuse them, he told his superior: From interviews with Chiarelli and Luallin.
77. “You took a hell of a chance,” the officer said finally: From an interview with Chiarelli.
77 Powell allowed himself the general’s prerogative of claiming credit: From Powell’s My American Journey.
77 “Warning to the Warsaw Pact,” it read: From Americans on Target, Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, August 1989.
78. “Don’t tell anybody, but by February fifteenth you guys will be out of here”: From interview with Beth Chiarelli.
79. Vuono had come to rely so heavily on Petraeus: From interview with Petraeus.
80. He spent hours drafting forty-page playbooks that his troops could stuff into a pocket: The account of Casey’s leadership as a battalion commander is based on interviews with Dan Hampton, Johnny Parker, Bill Carter, and Tom Carrick.
82 “The specter of Vietnam has been buried forever in the desert sands of the Arabian Peninsula”: This quote is from a radio address by the president to U.S. Armed Forces stationed in the Persian Gulf region, March 2, 1991.
82 “Could you help this guy Casey out?”: From interviews with Gen. (Ret.) Carl Vuono and Gen. (Ret.) John Tilelli Jr.
CHAPTER SIX
85 “I know you understand the rules of engagement”: This account of Operation Provide Comfort is developed from interviews with Abizaid and more than a dozen soldiers from his battalion and higher headquarters, including Chris Cavoli, Ron Kluber, Greg Brouillette, Chuck Cardinal, Sean Callahan, Kim Kadesch, Pete Johnson, and Gen. (Ret.) John Shalikashvili. Abizaid also described his experiences in a March 1993 article in Military Review entitled “Lessons for Peacekeepers.”
90 “We can’t make a country out of that place”: From Powell’s My American Journey.
90. “We must recognize that peacekeeping is no job for amateurs”: This is taken from Abizaid’s March 1993 article in Military Review entitled “Lessons for Peacekeepers.”
91. Most of the captains and majors now working for him had been to war: This account of Petraeus’s battalion command is drawn from interviews with Petraeus, Gen. (Ret.) Jack Keane, Fred Johnson, Andrew Lucke, Holly Petraeus, and Randy George, and from several published accounts of the shooting accident.
94. “It made others joke about us, which pulled us together”: From interview with Petraeus.
95. “Don’t cut my LBE,” he muttered. “I just got it to standard”: From interview with Fred Johnson.
98 Several weeks later, Petraeus ran into Colonel Bob Killebrew: The account of Petraeus’s tour in Haiti is drawn from interview with Petraeus, Robert Killebrew, John Shissler, and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Joe Kinzer.
100 “An environment conducive to political, social and economic development”: From “Winning the Peace: Haiti, the U.S. and the U.N.,” Armed Forces Journal International, April 1995.
100. These clunky terms reflected confused thinking: The definition of “Military Operations Other Than War” is taken from US Army Field Manual 100–23, Peace Operations, December 1994.
101. “Doctrinal voids exist at every level,” Abizaid warned: From “Preparing for Peacekeeping” by John Abizaid and John Wood, Special Warfare Magazine, April 1994.
101. “On that day I think the two of them really didn’t like each other”: The quote was recounted in a conversation with an officer who is close to both Petraeus and Abizaid and served on their brigade staff in the 82nd Airborne Division.
102. The refugees were Muslims who had once lived in Dugi Dio: The account of the episode at Dugi Dio is drawn from an interview with Casey, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William Nash, and from an October 11, 1996, article in the The Talon, a weekly newspaper published by Task Force Eagle in Bosnia.
105. “You want Abizaid?” he asked: The account of Abizaid’s transfer to Task Force Eagle comes from Nash.
106. That morning, Chiarelli updated Clark on the timetable: The account of Chiarelli’s and Casey’s roles in the Kosovo War come from interviews with Chiarelli and Casey and from General Wesley Clark’s memoirs, Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo and the Future of Combat.
109. “your chain of command is your chain of command”: From an interview with Abizaid.
CHAPTER SEVEN
110. On the sixth day of the invasion of Iraq, Lieutenant General John Abizaid sat in: This account is based on detailed notes of the meeting taken by one of the participants and interviews with Abizaid and Paul Wolfowitz.
112 “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this place turns out to be something”: This quote is taken from In the Company of Soldiers by Rick Atkinson, who was embedded with the 101st Airborne Division.
114 “We’re in a long war here. I want to keep our guys from getting killed”: Also taken from Atkinson, In the Company of Soldiers.
116 “You’ve got to get a force in here and give them some tanks”: This quote is taken from Cobra II by Michael R. Gordon and Gen. Bernard E. Trainor.
118 Less than a week after arriving, Petraeus stood in a former Baath Party reception hall: The account of the election preparations relies on a detailed journal kept by Colonel Richard Hatch, interviews with Hatch and Jeanne Hull, and 101st Airborne Division memos.
120. “At this time would the Shabaks please move to their delegation room”: From a National Public Radio segment entitled “Iraq Near Establishing Interim Government,” May 5, 2003.
121. “Have you done anything like this before?”: This exchange was taken from “Mosul Elects Council and Mayor,” which aired on CNN on May 5, 2003.
122. “Do you know how huge it is to have a combat patch?”: Quote from Atkinson, In the Company of Soldiers.
125. “I have had enough of Washington”: This quote first appeared in State of Denial by Bob Woodward and was confirmed in an interview with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Bates.
126. Franks’s send-off was the sort befitting a conquering hero: An account of the goodbye ceremony appeared in the Tampa Tribune on July 8, 2003. General Franks’s goodbye speech was transcribed on the U.S. Central Command website.
130 A couple of days later Petraeus and Basso flew to Rabiya: The account of the Rabiya trip relies on “A Mix of President … and Pope; Army General Given Reins to Remake Mosul” by Scott Wilson in the Washington Post, May 16, 2003.
134. “Did you see the look on their faces?”: The account of this trip relies on notes taken at the time by Major General John Custer, who accompanied Abizaid.
135. Two days later Bremer called Abizaid and told him the Kurds: This account draws on notes of the conversation taken at the time by Abizaid’s executive officer, Colonel Joseph Reynes, and Bremer’s memoir, My Year in Iraq.
135. “Over the last two weeks we’ve hit the weapons caches”: This quote is from an August 3, 2003, article in the Washington Post by Thomas E. Ricks, who was traveling with Abizaid.
136. “There is no Arab army on earth that’s less than 300,000 in a country the size of Iraq”: From notes taken by Custer, Abizaid’s intelligence officer.
138. “This guy could be what we’ve been looking for”: From notes taken by Custer.
139. “Why aren’t we digging more wells?”: This exchange is taken from Frontline’s 2003 documentary Beyond Baghdad.
140. On a drizzly winter day in December a line of: The account of the renunciation ceremony relies on interviews with participants along with accounts of the ceremony such as “Ex-Baathists Renounce Party Ties,” which aired on National Public Radio on January 27, 2004, and Patrick Cockburn’s The Occupation War and Resistance in Iraq.
CHAPTER EIGHT
143 This was Chiarelli’s new domain: The account of Chiarelli’s first few weeks in Baghdad comes from an interview with Chiarelli and from a personal journal he kept during that period.
146 Chiarelli removed his gear and the two men sat in frayed chairs facing each other: From interviews with Chiarelli and James Stephenson.
148. The first reports came in a little before seven o’clock in the evening: The account of the Sadr City battle comes from Martha Raddatz’s book The Long Road Home and from interviews with Chiarelli, Robert Abrams, and Gary Volesky.
149. “Terrorize your enemy,” Sadr proclaimed following the newspaper closure: Quoted in Patrick Coburn’s Muqtada Al-Sadr and the Fall of Iraq.
151 He went back inside and placed a call to General Eric Shinseki: Chiarelli’s call to Shinseki is recounted in Raddatz, Long Road Home.
151. “Sir, why didn’t we bring our tanks?”: Recounted in Raddatz, Long Road Home.
152. Abizaid had argued for postponing the moves against Sadr: From Sanchez’s book Wiser in Battle.
153. “If you are going to take Vienna, take fucking Vienna”: From Bing West’s book No True Glory.
153. At Sanchez’s headquarters the mood was grim: From interviews with Colonel Casey Haskins and Stephenson.
154. Chiarelli worried, too: From interviews with Chiarelli, Volesky, and Barrett Holmes as well as from T. Christian Miller’s book Blood Money.
154. “Do these people even want us here?” a frazzled Bush asked Abizaid: From Brig. Gen. John Custer’s notes of the meeting.
155. He was ushered into the company’s dining facility: The account of the Bechtel meeting is drawn from interviews with Chiarelli, Stephenson, Col. Kendall Cox, and from Stephenson’s book, Losing the Golden Hour, An Insider’s View of Iraq’s Reconstruction.
157 “I’ll give you money when you get the place secure”: From an interview with Chiarelli.
157. It was a field trip of sorts, organized by Chiarelli: The account of the meeting between USAID and 1st Cav comes from an interview with Kirkpatrick Day.
158. “That young man, sir—Kirk Day—is a goddamned hero”: From Stephenson, Losing the Golden Hour.
159 “What I’m getting is not what I require”: From notes taken by participants at the meeting.
159 “We are blowing our window of opportunity”: From notes taken by participants at the meeting.
CHAPTER NINE
161. “Okay, who’s my counterinsurgency expert”?: asked General George Casey: The account of Casey’s first meeting is based on interviews with Casey, Maj. Gen. Steve Sergeant, and senior staff members at the meeting.
162. Just three months before the invasion he assembled: This is based on interviews with Casey and members of the fifty-eight-person team. An account of Casey’s effort was also mentioned in Cobra II by Michael R. Gordon and General Bernard E. Trainor.
163. On his way into Iraq, Casey had been told by officers in Kuwait: This account is based on interviews with Casey and Col. (Ret.) Derek Harvey and a previous account in The War Within by Bob Woodward.
164. Six months earlier, on Christmas Eve 2003: This account is based on an interview with Ryan Casey.
165. Casey was told to put together a short list: The description of Casey’s selection as commander in Iraq comes from interviews with Casey, Abizaid, and Sheila Casey.
170. “There is a strategic opportunity for success”: From an e-mail from Casey to Abizaid.
171. “he wants Casey to stop saying um so much”: From an interview with Brig. Gen. James Barclay.
172. Petraeus had been promoted and sent back to Iraq: Newsweek, July 5, 2005.
172. “From now on, I’m your PAO,” he told Petraeus: From a participant in the meeting.
173. The U.S. troops, backed by helicopters and fighter jets, did most of the heavy fighting: The account of the Najaf battle comes from interviews with Casey, Petraeus, Lt. Gen. Tom Metz, and Barclay, and from numerous published accounts.
174. “Frankly I didn’t expect such a key success so early”: From an interview with Casey.
174 Not all of Casey’s subordinate commanders were as convinced: The account of the meeting comes from notes taken by a participant.
175 “I am not going to listen to Chiarelli … bitch about the State Department”: From an interview with Robert Earle and from Earle’s book, Nights in the Pink Motel: An American Strategist’s Pursuit of Peace in Iraq.
175. “Will Sadr or his lieutenants attack again?”: Taken from “Winning the Peace: The Requirement for Full Spectrum Operations,” by Maj. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli and Maj. Patrick R. Michaelis, Military Review, July/August 2005.
176. In late September, Petraeus put down his thoughts: Petraeus’s op-ed, entitled “Battling for Iraq,” appeared in the Washington Post on September 24, 2004.
176. “They just walked out the gate and didn’t come back”: The interview with Maj. Dixon was conducted by the Army’s Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in October 2006.
177. One of the deserters was the battalion commander: This account is based on an interview with Maj. Jones conducted by the Army’s Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in November 2006.
178. In June Abizaid had assured Petraeus that he would get whatever he needed: The account of this meeting comes from interviews with several members of Petraeus’s staff at the training command.
179. Petraeus’s staff knew they had a problem: This account is based on an interview with Colonel Fred Kienle, who served on Petraeus’s staff and helped oversee the Iraqi army training effort.
179. In late 2004, Brigadier General James Schwitters: This exchange is based on interviews with Petraeus’s staff and interviews conducted by the Army’s Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
180. “I lost fifty-three soldiers in Mosul”: Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Miller accompanied Petraeus on this trip and took detailed notes. The account is also based on interviews with Petraeus and his aide, Sadi Othman.
181. Ham suspected that Barhawi had been cooperating: This account is based on interviews with General Ham and his staff.
182. Abizaid knew things weren’t going well: The account of this meeting is based on detailed notes of the meeting taken by one of the participants and interviews with all of the officers involved.
185 But Major Grant Doty, a slim, bespectacled strategist: This account is based on interviews of those present at the morning briefing and emails provided by Major Doty.
188 “What a historic day”: This scene is constructed from notes taken that day by Miller.
CHAPTER TEN
190 Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was furious: This account relies on detailed notes taken by several participants at the meeting.
192. The president had reservations: This account is based on interviews with Casey, Abizaid, and Col. James G. Rose, who all participated in the meeting. An account of the meeting is also in The War Within by Bob Woodward.
193. As Casey studied his new orders: Casey confided this worry to his wife, Sheila, only after returning to the United States.
194. Petraeus led Luck’s team through a three-hour briefing: The account of this meeting is based on interviews with several of Petraeus’s staff officers, who took detailed notes.
196. Finally Petraeus demanded a meeting with Casey’s chief of staff: The account of this meeting is based on an interview with Maj. Gen. Donovan and notes taken at the time by Petraeus’s staff.
197. Iraq was a “troop sump”: This quote comes from Bob Woodward’s The War Within and was confirmed by several of Casey’s staff officers.
199 The Army’s official history of the conflict: This passage is taken from Certain Victory: The U.S. Army in the Gulf War by Brigadier General Robert H. Scales.
199. “You need to stop thinking strategically”: This exchange was recounted by officers on McMaster’s staff.
200. When the briefing was done: This account is based on interviews with both McMaster and Casey.
201. “We’re managing this war, not fighting it”: This quote was recounted by several of McMaster’s staff officers.
202. The two visited thirty-one different units: This account is based on interviews with Hix and Sepp as well as a review of their final report.
205 Casey’s small plane touched down: This account is based on interviews with several staff officers who attended the meeting as well as interviews with Casey and McMaster.
207. U.S. advisors complained: The U.S. advisors’ complaints about McMaster are chronicled in interviews conducted by the Army’s Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and in Iroquois Warriors in Iraq by Stephen E. Clay.
208. Rumsfeld hit the roof: The defense secretary’s remarks were made in a Pentagon press conference and posted on the Defense Department’s website.
208 With Iraq collapsing into civil war, President Bush cited: The quotes are taken from Bush’s speech on March 20, 2006, in Cleveland, Ohio.
208 An influential New Yorker article: The article, entitled “The Lesson of Tal Afar,” was written by George Packer and published on April 10, 2006.
208 “I understand you are looking for a kidnapped boy”: This account is based on interviews with Gen. Horst and Gen. Casey. It also borrows from an interview with Horst that was conducted by Frontline for its documentary Gangs of Iraq.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
213 Casey clambered out of one vehicle along with several aides: This account of the meeting with Jabr and the handling of the Jediriyah incident is taken from interviews with Casey and other participants.
216 In November, Senator John McCain went public with his criticism: A transcript of McCain’s speech is on his Senate website.
218. The doctrine, which drove the Army for two decades: This description borrows from Rick Atkinson’s account of the impact of the AirLand Battle Doctrine in his book The Long Gray Line.
219. The most radical aspect of the manual: This idea is taken from Sarah Sewall’s introduction to the counterinsurgency doctrine, which was later published by the University of Chicago Press. The idea is elaborated further in “Our War on Terror” by Samantha Power, which appeared in the New York Times on July 29, 2007.
221. He had only been back from his first tour since March: From an interview with Chiarelli.
222. The biggest reservations came from military intelligence officers: From an interview with Col. Marcus Kuiper.
222. From his base in Tampa, Abizaid told his staff to shift surveillance drones: From Brig. Gen. Custer’s notes.
223. Two days after the bombing, a worried Casey: E-mail provided by U.S. military officer.
223. Sometimes he sat in his office or his quarters at night: From interviews with Casey and Maj. Tony Hale. Documents provided by Casey.
224. As he sat on a folding chair listening, Chiarelli became annoyed: The account of Chiarelli’s visits to Samarra comes from interviews with Chiarelli and other participants.
225. “Anytime you fight—anytime you fight—you always kill”: A video of Steele’s speech is posted on YouTube.
226. The pungent smell of manure wafted up from the ground: One of the authors accompanied Chiarelli on his visit to Al Asad.
228 A few minutes into the proceedings: Parts of this account came from coverage in the New York Times of the public aspects of the proceedings, including “Iraqis Form Government with Crucial Posts Vacant,” May 21, 2006, by Dexter Filkins and Richard A. Oppel Jr. It also relies on interviews with Casey and his staff.
228 “One, he absolutely believes”: Bob Woodward in his book The War Within provided a similar account of Casey’s initial description of Maliki to President Bush.
228. “Excuse me, ma’am. Did you say forty-eight?” From an interview with Casey and from Woodward’s The War Within.
229. After the meeting Rumsfeld shot him a snowflake: From an interview with Casey.
230. “We’ve got to get in to see Maliki”: From an interview with Chiarelli.
230 Maliki studied it intently for several minutes: From an interview with Chiarelli.
230. Chiarelli’s doubts about Maliki grew more acute over the course of the summer: From an interview with an officer who saw the intelligence reports.
231. Casey had been back from leave only a few hours: This account of the deliberations at senior command levels in the latter half of 2006 is drawn from interviews with Casey, Chiarelli, and others involved, as well as from e-mails, meeting notes, and other documents written by participants.
233 “Do you really want that job?” she asked him: From an interview with Celeste Ward.
235 Incensed, Thurman ripped off the Velcro patch that held his two stars: The account of the episode comes from someone who was present. Chiarelli recalled in an interview the training film from his days as junior officer.
237 several of Chiarelli’s staff were so worried: This account of Chiarelli’s meeting with Steele comes from two officers on Chiarelli’s staff.
237. A soldier griped in the Washington Times: From Washington Times, February 16, 2007.
238. The graying men around the conference table: The account of the Iraq Study Group visit to Baghdad comes from an interview with Chiarelli and from Woodward, The War Within.
239. To Casey’s surprise, Maliki admitted that he had ordered the raid: From an e-mail describing the meeting provided by a U.S. officer.
240 Abizaid happened to be in Baghdad when he got Casey’s note: Abizaid’s visit to Iraq was reconstructed through interviews with Abizaid and from e-mails provided by a U.S. officer.
243. As Hadley’s team prepared to leave for the airport: Hadley’s visit to Iraq was described by Chiarelli, by an administration official who accompanied him, and in Woodward, The War Within.
244. A few days later Hadley drafted a classified memo for Bush: Hadley’s memo to Bush was reprinted in the New York Times on November 29, 2006.
246 Bush was planning on giving an Iraq speech before Christmas: The White House meetings were reconstructed using notes taken by a participant.
248 He had sent word ahead of time that he needed a few minutes with Casey: From an interview with Casey.
248 Chiarelli’s last day in Iraq was spent waiting for a plane: The account of Chiarelli’s return from Iraq comes from interviews with Chiarelli, Brig. Gen. Don Campbell, and Beth Chiarelli.
CHAPTER TWELVE
251 At 7:27 a.m. Casey took his place: The account of this morning briefing is based on notes taken by a senior officer in the audience.
254 Abizaid stepped up the lectern and did his best: A video of the change-of-command ceremony is available on the Department of Defense website.
256 The volatile Mashhadani castigated Obaidi: The first account of the dinner came in Tell Me How This Ends by Linda Robinson, which provides a detailed account of Petraeus’s strategy during the surge.
259 “Good morning,” Petraeus mumbled: The authors attended several of Petraeus’s morning briefings in 2007 and 2008. This account is built from their observations and detailed notes taken by Petraeus’s staff officers.
262 Fixing Tower 57, which was just one small piece: This account is based on interviews with Petraeus, his staff, and officers from the Third Infantry Division, whose soldiers were responsible for helping to provide security for the Iraqi repair crews. It also borrows from an account of the repair mission that was written by Army journalists and posted on the Multi-National Force-Iraq website.
262 “I’ve occasionally wondered if there is some sort of bad-news limit”: This quote first appeared in a September 2007 article by Brian Mockenhaupt in Esquire magazine.
263 Days earlier Lieutenant Colonel Dale Kuehl: This account is based on interviews with Kuehl and some of his staff officers. A more detailed account of his efforts appears in Tell Me How This Ends by Linda Robinson.
266 Even before Petraeus set foot in the country: Senior U.S. military officers learned of the Iraqis’ doubts through intercepts of Iraqi cell phone conversations.
266. “Everyone knows this. We’ve been talking about it for months”: This account is based on interviews with Petraeus and his senior staff members who attended the meeting. The meeting is also briefly covered in Bob Woodward’s The War Within.
267. He sat behind a desk wearing a black cavalry hat: This account relies on interviews with Kuehl and Pinkerton. It also borrows some details from “Meet Abu Abed: The US’s New Ally Against al Qaeda,” which appeared in the Guardian newspaper on November 10, 2007.
272 He opened with a searing seven-minute video: This video was shot by Sean Smith of the Guardian newspaper and first appeared on the Guardiane’s website in 2007.
277 A few days after he had returned to Baghdad he met: The account of this meeting is based on detailed notes taken by one of Petraeus’s staff officers.
277. “This is not a government of national unity”: The account of this meeting is based on detailed notes taken by one of Petraeus’s staff officers.
278. In September 2008 the last of the U.S. reinforcements: The account of the Rakkasans in Iraq is based on personal observations from time one of the authors spent with the unit in 2008.
EPILOGUE
287 His solution amounted to an anti-Powell Doctrine for the Arab world: This phrase is taken from David Kilcullen’s book The Accidental Guerrilla, which was published in the spring of 2009. Kilcullen advocates a similar premise.
287. “Throughout the region we need to quit being the primary military force”: This quote appeared in a speech that Abizaid delivered at Dartmouth University in the fall of 2008. A video of his address is posted on the Dartmouth University website.
288. “Why not have 270 or 2,7000?” Abizaid wondered: Abizaid made this point in a public address at Fort Huachuca in Arizona in the summer of 2008.
289. When the lights came back on Petraeus stood atop a plywood riser: This account is based on personal observations by one of the authors who attended the ceremony.