CHAPTER 6

The information in this chapter comes primarily from background interviews with six firsthand sources.

* * *

Al-Qaeda launched: Joshua Partlow and Naseer Nouri, "Dozens Are Killed in Violence Across Iraq," The Washington Post, June 27, 2006, p. A16.

A few days later, on Saturday, July 1: Edward Wong, "Car Bomb Kills More than 60 in Iraq Market," The New York Times, July 2, 2006, p. A1.

A Sunni female member: "Sunni Female Legislator Kidnapped in Baghdad," Associated Press, July 1, 2006.

All hell broke loose: Donna Miles, "Leaders Praise Fortitude of Stryker Brigade Families," American Forces Press Service, December 25, 2006, www.defenselink.mil/news/articles.html.

Jennifer Davis: "172nd Stryker Brigade Tour of Duty in Iraq Extended; Family Members Speak Out Against the War," MFSO press release, July 28, 2006, www.mfso.org.

Rumsfeld sent a SECRET snowflake: Author's review and notes of a SECRET document dated August 2, 2006.

Casey waited a week to answer: Author's review and notes of a SECRET document dated August 9, 2006.

Rumsfeld went to Fort Wainwright: Rumsfeld made this trip August 26, 2006, according to Robert Burns, "Defense Secretary Praises Soldiers Doing Extra Duty in Iraq, Says Families Should Not Be Angry," Associated Press, August 26, 2006.

One woman asked why her husband: Michael Hastings, "Straight to the Heart," Newsweek, September 18, 2006, p.

36.

In a SECRET snowflake to Pace: Author's review and notes of a SECRET document dated August 26, 2006.

On July 7, President Bush answered: Presidential Documents, July 7, 2006, p. 1290 (Vol. 42, No. 27), www.gpoaccess.gov/wcomp/v42no27.html.

On July 19, Hadley called Rumsfeld: Author's review and notes of a SECRET document.

Rumsfeld snowflaked Casey: Author's review and notes of a SECRET document.

Instead, Casey said: Author's review and notes of a SECRET document.

On July 19, she sent: SECRET document dated July 19, 2006, and declassified by the White House in 2008 in response to specific questions asked by the author.

But other events: Charles Babington, "Stem Cell Bill Gets Bush's First Veto," The Washington Post, July 20, 2006, p. A4; Edward Wong and Michael Slack-man, "Iraqi Denounces Israel's Actions," The New York Times, July 20, 2006, p. A1.