Chapter 6, Part 3 Summary

An escalation of the covert war in Iraq using the Special Forces was underway by late 2003. The group consisted of the Army Delta Force, Navy Seals, and C.I.A. Paramilitary Operatives. Their mission was to "neutralize,' that is capture or kill, Iraqi insurgents. The thought was to use "U.S. shooters and Iraqi intelligence." Prevailing opinion was that Baathist insurgents could only be dealt with by using these unconventional methods. The Pentagon knew that just killing the insurgent leaders would not stop the insurgency, because it ran at a 'cell' level, from the bottom up. Intelligence was the key. Insurgents had learned to reject easily traced cell phones and radios in favor of face-to-face communications. The Baathists in Iraq soon organized and were leading attacks against Americans. Insurgents learned to sway public support by acting in previously unaffected small...