52 "The president has made": Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown, 450.

53 "Is Saddam going to": Dick Cheney, In My Time, 39697.

54 "This is the first time": Rumsfeld interview.

55 "I really think I'm going": Woodward, Plan of Attack, 26971. See also De-Young, Soldier, 439.

56 "nothing today justifies" war: Julia Preston, "An Attack on Iraq Not Yet Justified, France Warns U.S.," New York Times, January 21, 2003, http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/21/world/threats-responses-diplomacy-attack-iraq-not-yet-justified-france-warns-us.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm.

57 Powell felt "blindsided": Powell, It Worked for Me, 7.

58 "Old Europe" as opposed to: Donald Rumsfeld, news briefing, Foreign Press Center, January 22, 2003, http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=1330.

59 "We've really got to make the case": DeYoung, Soldier, 439.

60 "You've got high poll ratings": Ibid., 441.

61 initially wanted their story: Richard W. Stevenson and David E. Sanger, author interviews. Instead, Stevenson and Sanger wrote that Bush made "an unflinching threat of military action against Saddam Hussein." See Stevenson and Sanger, "Calling Iraq a Serious Threat, Bush Vows That He'll Disarm It," New York Times, January 29, 2003, http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/29/politics/29BUSH.html.

62 Bush laid out his bill: George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 28, 2003, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html.

63 "Don Rumsfeld has my full support": Kori Schake, author interview.

64 "Title X motherfuckers": Woodward, Plan of Attack, 118.

65 "It's the only time in my life": Schake interview.

66 it "would give us international": David Manning, a foreign policy adviser to Tony Blair, recorded the conversation in a five-page memo, dated the same day, January 31, 2003. The Manning memo was first reported in a book by a British law professor in early 2006. See Sands, Lawless World, 273. Don Van Natta Jr. of the New York Times later reviewed the memo himself and divulged further details from it. See "Bush Was Set on Path to War, British Memo Says," New York Times, March 27, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/international/europe/27memo.html?pagewanted=all.

67 "This isn't going to cut it": Isikoff and Corn, Hubris, 17678.

68 "a disaster" and "incoherent": Powell, It Worked for Me, 219.

69 thirty-eight allegations: Isikoff and Corn, Hubris, 179.

70 finding no evidence: 9/11 Commission Report, 22829.

71 "pretty well confirmed": Dick Cheney, interview, Meet the Press, December 9, 2001, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/cheneytext_120901.html.

72 "unconfirmed" but still holding: On September 8, 2002, for example, Cheney went back on Meet the Press and raised the Atta meeting without being asked about it. "Mohamed Atta, who was the lead hijacker, did apparently travel to Prague on a number of occasions. And on at least one occasion, we have reporting that places him in Prague with a senior Iraqi intelligence official a few months before the attack on the World Trade Center." Cheney acknowledged that there was a debate about "was he there or wasn't he there." Asked what the CIA said about the report, Cheney said, "It's credible [but] unconfirmed at this point." See transcript, http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/bush/meet.htm.

73 "Iraq & al-Qa'ida: Interpreting a Murky": CIA report, June 21, 2002, http://www.levin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/supporting/2005/CIAreport.062102.pdf.

74 Jami Miscik, the deputy director: Suskind, One Percent Doctrine, 19091. See also Tenet, At the Center of the Storm, 34950.

75 found no evidence of "command": CIA report, "Iraqi Support for Terrorism," January 29, 2003, http://www.levin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/supporting/2005/CIAreport.012903.pdf.

76 "We should hit Khurmal": Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown, 44647.

77 "This is something Condi has": Rice, No Higher Honor, 18990.

78 "If he had done that to me": Stephen Hadley, author interview.

79 Bush watched on television: Rice, No Higher Honor, 200.

80 "He persuaded me": Mary McGrory, "I'm Persuaded," Washington Post, February 6, 2003, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32573-2003Feb5.html.

81 "we share the position": Baker and Glasser, Kremlin Rising, 225.

82 "France is clearly trying to": Donald Rumsfeld to George W. Bush, memo, February 18, 2003. Accessed at http://www.rumsfeld.com.

83 "We need a lot of Powell": Bryan Burrough, Evgenia Peretz, David Rose, and David Wise, "The Path to War," Vanity Fair, November 2004, http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2004/05/path-to-war200405.

84 "Is France an ally or a foe?": Mann, Rise of the Vulcans, 355.

85 "Are you going to take care": George W. Bush, Decision Points, 251.

86 "could you give us some idea": Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, February 25, 2003.

87 "Some of the higher-end predictions": House Budget Committee hearing, February 27, 2003.

88 "My personal view is that it will": Donald Rumsfeld and General Richard Myers, press briefing, February 28, 2003, http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=1976.

89 had "been misinterpreted": Eric Shinseki to Donald Rumsfeld, "End of Tour Memorandum," June 10, 2003, http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/documents/shinseki.pdf.

90 Neither Rumsfeld nor Wolfowitz ever asked: Graham, By His Own Rules, 412.

91 "I'm against silence": Elie Wiesel, e-mail exchange with author through spokesperson. See also Fleischer, Taking Heat, 316.

92 "You don't understand how big": Dan Bartlett, author interview.

93 "the only regime change": Campbell, Blair Years, 671.

94 International Atomic Energy Agency concluded: Mohamed ElBaradei, "The Status of Nuclear Inspections in Iraq: An Update," March 7, 2003, http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/2003/ebsp2003n006.shtml.

95 refused to back off: Eventually, Christopher Meyer, the British ambassador, agreed that "the yellow cake claim later turned out to be false." See DC Confidential, 259.

96 removing between 1 percent: Frank Miller, author interview.

97 "It's hard to imagine punishing": Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown, 51517.

98 Three to five divisions: Rice, No Higher Honor, 19495.

99 No one at the meeting: Feith, War and Decision, 36768.

100 "the vice president wants to make": Tenet, At the Center of the Storm, 34142.

101 "Would you like me to come": Karen Hughes, author interview.

102 "going through motions": Campbell, Blair Years, 679.

103 "extremely frustrated": Sammon, Misunderestimated, 17879.

104 "I am just not going to be": Tony Blair, Journey, 341.

105 "If another country tried to introduce": Woodward, Plan of Attack, 358.

106 "It's an old Texas expression": George W. Bush, Tony Blair, and other leaders, news conference, March 16, 2003, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030316-3.html.

107 "If you win the vote in Parliament": Campbell, Blair Years, 679.

108 "Do you think the American people": Dick Cheney, interview with Tim Russert, Meet the Press, NBC, March 16, 2003, http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/bush/cheneymeetthepress.htm.

109 "You sure better find these": Stephen Hadley, author interview.

110 "How are you doing, Gerson?": Michael Gerson, author interview.

111 "All the decades of deceit": George W. Bush, address to nation, March 17, 2003, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030317-7.html.

112 A team led by Hadley: Hadley interview.

CHAPTER 14: "MAYBE WE'LL GET LUCKY".

1 "I would like to address your team": Dan Bartlett, author interview. See also George W. Bush, interview with Tom Brokaw of NBC News, April 24, 2003, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=14#axzz1kdCZ5Zoi.

2 "for the peace of the world": George W. Bush, Decision Points, 22325.

3 Colin Powell wordlessly reached: Purdum, Time of Our Choosing, 106.

4 "you could see the weight": Eric Draper, author interview.

5 "Dear Dad": George W. Bush, Decision Points, 22325.

6 "All of that comes home to roost": Bartlett interview.

7 "Can I come over?": Bush interview with Brokaw.

8 "too good a scenario to pass up": Tenet, At the Center of the Storm, 39195.

9 "I was hesitant at first": Bush interview with Brokaw.

10 "How solid are your sources": Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown, 45960.

11 "Okay, all right": Sammon, Misunderestimated, 18385.

12 "Dick, what do you think": Dick Cheney, In My Time, 45960.

13 "Let's go," he said: George W. Bush, Decision Points, 254.

14 moved the Oval Office couches: Joe Hagin, author interview.

15 as overwhelmed as he had been: Pamela Hudson Nelson, author interview.

16 "Maybe we'll get lucky": Ronald Kessler, Laura Bush, 16061.

17 "the only time I can remember": Gerson interview.

18 thirty-nine Tomahawks: Gordon and Trainor, Cobra II, 17276. Originally, forty-five Tomahawks were ordered, but an unanticipated problem with the navy's communications system complicated the strike.

19 "On my orders," he said: George W. Bush, address to nation, March 19, 2003, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030319-17.html.

20 "Whoops," Laura said: Purdum, Time of Our Choosing, 111.

21 "We tried everything possible": Fleischer, Taking Heat, 33940.

22 "It was pretty graphic": Nelson interview. See also Ronald Kessler, Laura Bush, 16061.

23 "He is just totally immersed": Purdum, Time of Our Choosing, 119.

24 Reports to Bush and Cheney: Zenko, "Foregoing Limited Force."

25 "everything would be on the table": Joseph, Countering WMD, 56.

26 "When Bush has finished with Iraq": Muammar el-Qaddafi, interview with Le Figaro, March 11, 2003, http://worldpress.org/Europe/989.cfm.

27 "We had a real concern": Robert Joseph, author interview.

28 "We have got to get moving": Donald Rumsfeld to George W. Bush, memo, April 1, 2003, http://library.rumsfeld.com/doclib/sp/321/2003-04-01%20to%20President%20Bush%20re%20Iraqi%20Interim%20Authority.pdf#search="2003-04-01."

29 Camp Lejeune had sent: CNN, April 4, 2003, http://articles.cnn.com/2003-04-03/politics/sprj.irq.bush_1_war-criminals-finer-sight-upbeat-progress-report?_s=PM:ALLPOLITICS.

30 "There's no finer sight": George W. Bush, address at Camp Lejeune, April 3, 2003, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/04/20030403-3.html.

31 "He's in heaven": Mike Allen, "Bush Upbeat on War Progress in Visit with Marines," Washington Post, April 4, 2003. See also Jennifer Loven, "Bush Seeks to Comfort Families of the Fallen," Associated Press, April 3, 2003.

32 "that wrenching realization": Ari Fleischer, author interview.

33 "I made the decision": Woodward, State of Denial, 155.

34 "a useful corrective": Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown, 48994.

35 "They're hooking it up": Bush interview with Brokaw.