In January 2003, President Bush “gave the Pentagon the lead responsibility for the management of postwar Iraq. This decision, in the words of one U.S. official, ‘sent out the signal that they [the Pentagon] are really in charge and reinforced and amplified their mandate to say ‘to hell with everybody else.’ “ [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Larry Diamond, Squandered Victory, Page 281