39 "Somebody forgot to tell": Rice, No Higher Honor, 174.

40 "We are seeing a historic": Hughes, Ten Minutes from Normal, 28485.

41 "Mr. Vice President, this is the thing": Suskind, One Percent Doctrine, 6162.

42 One of the scientists: Peter Baker, "Pakistani Scientist Who Met Bin Laden Failed Polygraphs, Renewing Suspicions," Washington Post, March 3, 2002.

43 "If there's a one percent": Suskind, One Percent Doctrine, 6162. See also Tenet, At the Center of the Storm, 26465.

44 "Where do we stand on": Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown, 42728.

45 Fewer than a hundred American: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Report, "Tora Bora Revisited: How We Failed to Get Bin Laden and Why It Matters Today," November 30, 2009, http://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Tora_Bora_Report.pdf. See also Susan B. Glasser, "The Battle of Tora Bora: Secrets, Money, Mistrust," Washington Post, February 10, 2002.

46 "We're going to lose our": Suskind, One Percent Doctrine, 59.

47 commanders estimated that: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Report, "Tora Bora Revisited."

48 "He was totally disengaged": Charlie Younger, author interview.

49 That "had a big impact on me": George W. Bush, Decision Points, 166.

50 "Tommy, what's this I hear": Franks, American Soldier, 34059.

51 "You've described an Iraqi force": Ibid.

52 "We cannot allow weapons": Ibid.

53 "flawed but necessary": Kennedy, True Compass, 490.

54 "There was almost a feeling": Sandy Kress, author interview.

55 "I told the folks at the coffee shop": George W. Bush, remarks, Boston Latin School, January 8, 2002, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020108-5.html.

56 "The president is in another place": Kress interview.

57 the president took umbrage: Frum, Right Man, 2056. He was referring to an article by Elisabeth Bumiller, "When Lobbying, No. 43 Uses a Lighter Touch," New York Times, December 24, 2001.

58 "most dramatic fiscal deterioration": Alison Mitchell, "Democrat Assails Bush on Economy," New York Times, January 5, 2002.

59 "Not over my dead body": George W. Bush, remarks to town hall meeting, Ontario, Calif., January 5, 2002, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020105-3.html.

60 "This would be a very dangerous": Shenon, Commission, 2930. Howard Fineman of Newsweek was in Daschle's office when the call came in, and the senator allowed him to stay. See "The Battle Back Home," Newsweek, February 3, 2002, http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2002/02/03/the-battle-back-home.html.

61 "Americans trust the Republicans": Richard L. Berke, "Bush Adviser Suggests War as Campaign Theme," New York Times, January 19, 2002.

62 A "shameful statement": Richard Gephardt on CNN, January 19, 2002.

63 "Nothing short of despicable": Thomas B. Edsall, "GOP Touts War as Campaign Issue," Washington Post, January 19, 2002, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/13/AR2007081300840.html.

64 "seriously flawed": William H. Taft IV to John C. Yoo, memo, January 11, 2002, http://www.torturingdemocracy.org/documents/20020111.pdf.

65 "We have an image to uphold": Eichenwald, 500 Days, 22930.

66 "You'll notice that everybody": Myers, Eyes on the Horizon, 2028.

67 "Would you apply the Geneva": Ibid.

68 "We all agree that they'll": Eichenwald, 500 Days, 22930.

69 "to the extent appropriate": Order signed by George W. Bush outlining treatment of al-Qaeda and Taliban detainees, February 7, 2002, http://lawofwar.org/bush_torture_memo.htm.

70 Condoleezza Rice and Stephen Hadley: Stephen Hadley, author interview.

71 "No, I want it in": Ibid.

72 "States like these and their terrorist": George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 29, 2002, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020129-11.html.

73 "We were more focused on the 'evil' ": Dan Bartlett, author interview.

74 "quite cowardly for people": Howard Kurtz, "Straight Man," Washington Post Magazine, May 19, 2002.

CHAPTER 11: "AFGHANISTAN WAS TOO EASY".

1 "Where did Nixon stop?": Eric Draper, author interview.

2 a reading contest with Karl Rove: Karl Rove, "Bush Is a Book Lover," Wall Street Journal, December 26, 2008, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123025595706634689.html.

3 "political immaturity": http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1796034.stm.

4 "unilateralist overdrive": Steven Erlanger, "German Joins Europe's Cry That the U.S. Won't Consult," New York Times, February 13, 2002.

5 "Who Is in Axis of Evil?": William Schneider, "A Reagan Echo," Los Angeles Times, February 24, 2002.

6 "No wonder I think": Elisabeth Bumiller, "Bush Says the U.S. Plans No Attack on North Korea," New York Times, February 20, 2002, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/world/bush-says-the-us-plans-no-attack-on-north-korea.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm.

7 A 1992 New Yorker article: Murray S. Waas and Craig Unger, "In the Loop: Bush's Secret Mission," The New Yorker, November 2, 1982, http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1992/11/02/1992_11_02_064_TNY_CARDS_000359993.

8 "No one envisioned him still": George W. Bush, interview with BBC, November 18, 1999.

9 "If I found in any way": George W. Bush, Republican presidential debate, Manchester, N.H., December 2, 1999.

10 "He cut and run early": Sammon, Misunderestimated, 5.

11 "Whether he did or not": Joe O'Neill, author interview.

12 "Every one of us": Administration official, author interview.

13 77 percent of Americans: CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, taken January 1114, 2002.

14 almost an identical number: Bruce Morton, "Selling an Iraqal Qaeda Connection," CNN.com, March 11, 2003, http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/11/Iraq.Qaeda.link/.

15 "The only reason we went": Administration official interview.

16 "Niamey Signed an Agreement": Senate Committee on Intelligence, Report on the U.S. Intelligence Community's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq, July 7, 2004, 3839, http://web.mit.edu/simsong/www/iraqreport2-textunder.pdf.

17 enough to make fifty weapons: A statement cleared by the CIA said that ten tons of uranium ore would be required to enrich enough fuel to make a weapon, so five hundred tons could in theory produce fifty bombs. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iraq/nuke-prewar_intel_2003.htm.

18 "information on the alleged": Senate Intelligence Committee report, 3839.

19 "If you can't do the right": Glenn Hubbard, author interview. See also Suskind, Price of Loyalty, 21621.

20 peppered him with op-ed: Memos to Dick Cheney. Copies reviewed by author.

21 "I'm no politician": Hubbard interview.

22 "sometimes imports can cause": George W. Bush, statement announcing steel tariffs, March 5, 2002, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020305-6.html.

23 Bush approved all but two: George W. Bush, Decision Points, 168-69.

24 waterboarded eighty-three times: Steven G. Bradbury, principal deputy assistant attorney general, memorandum to John A. Rizzo, senior deputy general counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, May 30, 2005, 37, http://media.luxmedia.com/aclu/olc_05302005_bradbury.pdf.

25 FBI agents said Zubaydah: Ali Soufan, "My Tortured Decision," New York Times, April 22, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/opinion/23soufan.html.

26 Zubaydah was mentally unstable: Suskind, One Percent Doctrine, 95.

27 George Tenet disputed that: Tenet, At the Center of the Storm, 243.

28 memo drafted largely by John Yoo: Memorandum for Alberto R. Gonzales (counsel to the president), "Re: Standards of Conduct for Interrogation Under 18 USC 23402340A," August 1, 2002, http://www.justice.gov/olc/docs/memo-gonzales-aug2002.pdf.

29 who later recanted the statements: Isikoff and Corn, Hubris, 424.

30 "I stand for 810 hours a day": Handwritten notes on memorandum for Secretary of Defense, from William J. Haynes II (general counsel), "Subject: Counter-Resistance Techniques," November 27, 2002, http://www.defense.gov/news/Jun2004/d20040622doc5.pdf. Rumsfeld indicated his approval of the memo's recommendations, and it was stamped December 2, 2002.

31 The plane then took off: Dick Cheney, In My Time, 37180.

32 Cheney asked if it would be: Ibid.

33 "This is going to be tough": Colin Powell, author interview.

34 "It was the only way I could": Ibid.

35 "was dead on arrival": Rice, No Higher Honor, 13940.

36 "was dead set against": Powell interview.

37 "I am sorry, I have to get": Ibid.

38 "as a personal affront": Dick Cheney, In My Time, 38082.

39 "That is nonsense": Powell interview.

40 "It was a mess": Ibid.

41 "I do believe Ariel Sharon": George W. Bush, photo opportunity, April 18, 2002, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020418-3.html.

42 "Do you have any idea": Rice, No Higher Honor, 13940.

43 "When will the pig leave": George W. Bush, Decision Points, 4013.

44 "I can't go back empty-handed": DeYoung, Soldier, 38586.

45 "Mr. President, I think": George W. Bush, Decision Points, 4013.

46 "Does it matter": Rice, No Higher Honor, 141.

47 "What the hell": DeYoung, Soldier, 38586. See also Ottaway, King's Messenger, 237.

48 "Before you leave": George W. Bush, Decision Points, 4013.

49 "My brother": Ibid.

50 "I love you like a son": DeYoung, Soldier, 387.

51 "I don't know who else": Abdullah II, Our Last Best Chance, 2089.

52 "I can imagine": Ibid.

53 "Bush Knew": New York Post, May 16, 2002.

54 "The president knew what?": Dan Balz, "Bush and GOP Defend White House Response," Washington Post, May 18, 2002.

55 CBS News first reported: David Sanger, "Bush Was Warned bin Laden Wanted to Hijack Planes," New York Times, May 16, 2002, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/16/politics/16INQU.html.

56 "It didn't rattle him like it": Ari Fleischer, author interview.

57 "It bothered me": Sammon, Fighting Back, 36263.

58 "used the whole force": Karen Tumulty, James Carney, and Douglas Waller, "Behind All the Finger-Pointing," Time, May 27, 2002, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002500,00.html.

59 "An investigation must not interfere": "U.S. Officials Defend Administration's Handling of Terror Warnings," Agence France-Presse, May 17, 2002.

60 "Had I known that the enemy": George W. Bush, remarks upon presenting the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, May 17, 2002, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/05/20020517-1.html.