The Presidential Election of 2000 was a strange one. With Democratic candidate Al Gore seemingly the winner, voting irregularities caused the Supreme Court to intervene, stopping the recount in Florida. When it was all over, George W. Bush was the 43rd President of the United States. With him he brought a cabinet and staff of "neo-cons," whose guiding principles included an aggressive foreign policy that favored confrontation and regime change. Despite all the campaign promises, Bush's first eight months in office seemed to produce more vacations at his Texas ranch than decisions, meaningful policies or ideas. The media had a field day, with reporters asking "Mr. President, when are you going to do something?"

Many wondered who was really in charge in the White House. Vice-President Dick Cheney seemed to have an inordinate amount of power, while counter-terrorism czar Richard A. Clarke was on the way down, demoted from cabinet-level officer to sub-cabinet level--his constant warnings about Osama bin Laden, the terrorist mastermind of al-Qaeda, had gotten on the nerves of Cheney, Presidential advisor Condi Rice and others. His reduced status meant the United States' readiness for a terrorist attack was seriously reduced. CIA director George Tenet had also provided a slew of warnings--all to no avail.

'9/11' changed everything. The devastating attack of that day took thousands of lives and left a part of lower Manhattan and one of the five sides of the Pentagon in ruins. While all evidence pointed to bin Laden and al-Qaeda as solely responsible for the attacks, President Bush ignored top advisors' advice to drop paratroopers into the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan to intercept al Quaeda and instead soon had the United States at war with both Afghanistan and then Iraq, the latter nation with no clear ties to al-Qaeda and nothing to do with 9/11. In retrospect, the war with Iraq seems inexplicable, so how did it happen? One might view 9/11 and its aftermath--the "war on terrorism" as a huge game of chess, with the Black pieces representing the Bush administration and their war policy and the White side being the forces of moderation. The game might also be seen as occurring entirely within the halls of the U.S. government, with the white side represented by Richard A. Clark, Gen. Colin Powell and the Clintonites and the black side consisting of the neo-cons, with Vice-President Cheney nominally in charge. Cheney would later often be referred to as the "prince of darkness."

It was a cold day in January 2001 and President Bill Clinton spent one of his last afternoons in office briefing President-Elect George W. Bush. As Clinton pointed out the dangers posed by Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist network, Bush looked uninterested and seemed to be staring into space. Finally, Clinton decided his warnings were falling on deaf ears and he escorted Bush out of the Oval Office and into the banquet room, where the staffs of the incoming and outgoing administrations were getting acquainted over cocktails and where a buffet dinner would be served that evening.

Like a battlefield at dawn: 2 rows of pawns--one row white and one row black--face each other, each row backed by its own arsenal of knights, bishops, rooks, a King and a Queen.

Two men, who would soon become good friends in life and bitter antagonists over a chess board, didn't realize it yet, but a much bigger chess game, one with huge implications for the United States and other nations, had already begun.

After dinner the crowd gradually thinned out, until most of those remaining were long-time Washington professionals. A short, chubby, balding man in his late '50's approached a member of the incoming Bush team. "Sam Trumbull," said the former, holding out his hand. "I work for Richard A. Clarke."

"Levitt Paul," said the sturdy-looking, dark-haired younger man as he shook hands. Paul looked like he could be doing TV ads for Bow-Flex, in spite of being in his mid-forties. "You must spend a lot of your time on the Middle East."

"Sure do--we're looking at al-Qaeda," said Trumbull.

Paul studied the older man. "Our team's more interested in Iraq."

Trumbull frowned. "Then we're in trouble--Iraq's no threat anymore--hasn't been since the '90's."

"Wait a minute," said Paul. "Al-Qaeda's an enemy, all right, but Iraq's got the resources."

"Have you forgotten the USS Cole, Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, the embassies in …?"

Paul looked pensive. "We haven't forgotten, we just don't think bin Laden and al-Qaeda could have done all that."

"We're in trouble, all right," Trumbull said, looking at Paul intently. "You a neo-con?"

"They hired me for my convictions, as much as my experience, I guess. Don't know that I'd call myself a neo-con, exactly, though I've worked for Don Rumsfeld, Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz."

In the larger game and in the tradition of chess, the White side would normally make the first move, but this time nothing happens, as both sides warily eye each other and prepare to do battle.

Trumbull stared intently at Paul. "Wolfowitz--that explains why you think Saddam's the only Mid-East threat."

"What makes you think he isn't?"

"He shot his wad during Desert Storm. He's got no big weapons left."

Paul looked like he knew he had the upper hand. "Get that from the CIA, did you? They missed his whole nuclear program in 1991. He would have had a bomb in less than two years."

"You got me there," said Trumbull. "The CIA had no human intelligence then, no boots on the ground--Jimmy Carter did away with all that. They've come a long way since."

"The CIA--hah! They better look out," said Paul. "Cheney's coming!"

"What's that about the CIA? Now you're getting personal."

"Cheney has it in for them--doesn't think much of Director Tenet, either. Then again, who needs an ass-kisser who got to be head of the CIA by naming his agency's headquarters after the first President Bush?"

Trumbull rubbed the side of his head with his hand then made a face in which his eyebrows lowered and the skin on his forehead furrowed. "You think Cheney's powerful enough to get rid of Tenet?"

"Ever hear of the Halloween Massacre of '75? Cheney and Rumsfeld, working together, reconfigured the Ford administration ..."

"Yeah, I seem to recall that," said Trumbull "but ..."

"Henry Kissinger lost his National Security Advisor post and the Secretary of Defense and Director of the CIA got fired. George Bush Senior got the job at CIA. There's a new Prince of Darkness in town, buddy."

"I thought that was Robert Novak," said Trumbull.

"Novak, that's a joke! Calls himself that--he flatters himself. It's what some people call George Pearle and that's a lot closer to the mark, but Pearle's an advisor, he has no power--he's just a glorified policy wonk, like Novak's just a newspaperman. Dick Cheney's the new Prince of Darkness and Don Rumsfeld's wearing a red cape and carrying a pitchfork too. He didn't get to be Secretary of Defense by being Mr. Nice Guy."

"Sounds like the new President's overmatched," said Sam Trumbull.

"That's an understatement. You mark my words--the last man standing around here's apt to be Dick Cheney--he knows where the levers of power are, how and when to pull them and … God help anybody who stands in his way."

"So Bush is going to be a hand-puppet President?"

"That's one way of putting it."

"Say, do you play chess?" asked Sam.

"I believe I heard the game mentioned when I was at Yale. It's been a while, but I think I can remember how to move the pieces."

"You should come by my place. I have a really nice board."

"Your wife must be a real chess widow."

"I'm divorced--going on five years."

"My girlfriend walked out three months ago--does that count?"

"It all counts. By the way, I'm at the Watergate."

"Fancy schmancy! All my years in Washington and I've never been there."

"You will now," said Trumbull, handing Paul his business card. "The address is on it. How about Thursday at seven o'clock? And don't eat dinner--I'll call out and have them deliver some stir-fry."

"Sounds good."

On April 30, 2001 the Bush administration held its first high-level meeting on terrorism. Before the meeting Bush looked distracted, unsure. With him were Vice-President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who gently ushered the President into a small room next to the large conference room where the meeting would take place. When they emerged, Bush looked far more confident and attentive, like a light had just been switched on inside his head. Cheney and Rumsfeld followed him into the meeting, which included Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, policy advisor George Pearle, counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke, Clarke's assistant Sam Trumbull, White House Middle East policy advisor Levitt Paul and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. That evening Trumbull and Paul talked over their now-weekly game of chess.

In the local game and against tradition, the Black side begins with a distorted version of the Ruy Lopez opening: king's pawn moves out one square, at the same time keeping the king protected and uncovering the queen and the king's bishop, allowing either to dash out to the center of the board and beyond, where they could do whatever damage they see fit. The White side makes its first move: the king's rook's pawn moves forward two squares, along the edge of the board

Levitt Paul spoke first. "Haven't played this game much, have you?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Very weak opening, moving your pawn over along the side. In chess you try to control the center of the board, not the side."

Sam replied "Don't worry about it--I know what I'm doing. By the way, how did you like that Wolfie today?"

Paul looked slightly offended.

Sam continued "How about when he said 'Why are we starting off the meeting talking about this one man bin Laden?' And 'who cares about some little terrorist living in a tent in Afghanistan?'"

"Hey, he says what he thinks."

"It's what he thinks that worries me," answered Trumbull. "I wish your guys would listen when it comes to Afghanistan. There are plenty of good reasons Clarke wants to support the Northern Alliance, let them fight al-Qaeda and the Taliban for us … step up the Predator flights ..."

Paul continued to look offended: "And you don't still think Saddam's not a threat?"

"Not anymore."

"Boy, are you guys naive."

Despite the provocation Trumbull maintained a poker face. "Your move."

Paul hesitated, his thoughts more on terrorism than the game. "I loved that look on Clarke's face when Wolfie talked about bin Laden."

Black moves another pawn out toward the center of the board, allowing the queen to move diagonally out to her left. White's next move: the queen's rook moves out 2 squares along the edge of the board, right behind its pawn, allowing the rook to move across the board and also making it a target

Sam felt he was gaining an edge, both in the game and the argument they were having. "And how about Bush's deer-caught-in-the-headlights look before the meeting? Come to think of it, he looked like that during the meeting."

"I admit it, he had that look. I told you Sam, Cheney and Rummy are programming him with their ideas. They think Desert Storm left the job half-finished, with Sadam still in power and Bush hasn't forgotten that Saddam tried to kill his father. Mark my words, we'll have a war with Iraq."

After a few more moves the Black side has moved the king's bishop out, where it cuts across the board and takes out the White rook without fear of retaliation: advantage Black side

"Sometimes I feel this is all just a big game of chess. But if it is, I'm not sure what piece Bush would be," said Sam.

Paul looked up from the game. "Bush is king even if he doesn't look like it to you."

"Hey, you called him the hand-puppet."

"No, you did. Give him a chance." Levitt thought for a minute. "I like your idea--a big game of chess--piece against piece. I'd say it's Cheney vs. Tenet and the CIA, Rumsfeld vs. the Pentagon ..."

A smile crossed Trumbull's face. "Wolfowitz versus common sense ..."

"Let's lay it out--Bush is king on my side."

"Ok. By the way, your team is Black--that's symbolic."

"Thanks, Sam. My bishops are Wolfie and Pearle, one knight is Carl Rove, the other I'm not sure yet, the rooks are Rummy and Cheney."

"If Bush is king, who's queen?"

"Condi."

Sam looked surprised.

Paul grinned from ear to ear. "C'mon, she's perfectly positioned ... black woman, PhD, neo-con. I know she's only National Security Advisor, but she's no independent advisor; she's got Bush's ear, she backs him up and she'll be rewarded for it."

"I hear you," said Trumbull. "So now your team's on the board--all but one knight, anyway."

"Now for the white pieces."

"Let's see, my king and queen are Colin Powell and George Tenet."

Levitt grinned. "Powell? He's part of the administration, and he's black … this is the white team"

"Cut it out. He's no neo-con--he's a good guy!"

"Very funny," said Paul. "And the rest of your team, the alleged good guys?"

"My bishops are Richard A. Clarke and weapons inspector David Kay--if we ever go into Iraq, I think he'll find Saddam's got nothing. For one of my knights I'll pick the media--the other I don't know yet. For my rooks I'll take the Pentagon and Congress."

"So, we're all staffed up, except we're both short one knight."

"That's right."

"Now let's not take this too seriously--you know, moving pawns and all that. We'll just talk about the moves in general terms--Black knight advances, Tenet captured by Cheney, White king Powell in check, and so on."

Sam imagined a gigantic chess board in front of him. "As Shakespeare said, 'the game's afoot'--let's continue."

Sam Trumbull's ill-considered, White side strategy of hugging the edge of the board comes undone, as Levitt's Black pieces take further control of the center of the board, followed by a lightning strike and quick checkmate. The first game goes to the Black side

By the summer of 2001 the CIA was intercepting a great deal of radio traffic, much of it suggesting that a direct attack on the United States was imminent. On June 25 Richard A. Clarke met with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and laid out the danger posed by Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network. On July 10 CIA Director George Tenet presented Rice with similar warnings based on the information his agency was picking up. The night of July 10 Levitt Paul and Sam Trumbull met for their usual round of chess.

Another game begins and once again Sam Trumbull makes the mistake of allowing Black to begin the game. Black starts with the same opening moves as before: king's pawn moves out to the center of the board, uncovering the queen and a bishop, either of which can strike diagonally across the entire board

"Heard Tenet met with Condi today," said Paul.

"That's what I heard. Bet I know what happened: Tenet warned her about bin Laden and al-Qaeda and she ignored him."

"Just like her meeting with your boss Mr. Clarke, eh?"

Sam studied his opponent. "That's right, Clarke got demoted to sub-cabinet level because neo-cons don't want to hear the message, so they shot the messenger. They just don't want to be bothered; they're like ostriches with their heads in the sand. Now his warnings don't go to cabinet-level people and we're all less safe. So, who the hell's protecting this country? What do you think?"

The White side imitates Black's strategy: king's pawn moves out to the center of the board

Paul noticed the change in strategy from the earlier game. "Looks like you've been watching me."

"That's right," said Sam.

Paul continued: "Sam, my man, I'm part of the Bush team, but when I hear every intel agency's picking up this al-Qaeda stuff I start to wonder."

"Aha--a break in the dam! We're getting through to you at last."

The White side has moved both knights out to the center of the board, but Black has moved both a bishop and queen out, the later two being able to cross the entire board in one fell swoop. Now White makes an ill-considered move: uncovering its king by moving its queen's pawn forward, thus exposing the king to an attack along a diagonal line across the board, something a bishop or a queen is designed for. This is the move Levitt has been waiting for, as his king's bishop moves out to put White's exposed king in check

Sam, appropriately, looked shocked to see his side in sudden jeopardy. "How'd you do that?"

"Natural talent, Sam." Levitt Paul studied the board in front of him. "It's just that my people won't admit to anything that's not in their game plan. It's like they're cast in stone."

"That's r--i-i--i--g-h--t."

"Ok, Sam. So, what exactly are we picking up on bin Laden?"

"There's al Qaeda traffic all over the place. I think they're going to attack mainland USA--and soon."

"They wouldn't dare," answered Paul. "They're Arabs, living in the desert."

"Think, Levitt--you don't need a big country with an army to attack the U.S. In fact, that would be way too easy to detect and prepare for. Today the perfect attack force is a small cadre with a bomb--they can strike anytime, anywhere."

"Ok, ok--so how's our big board looking now--you know, in the larger chess game that affects our country and our lives."

"I'd say white advanced briefly but was chased back by the black queen ... no pun intended."

"No advantage given?" asked Paul.

"It appears so. Come to think of it the White side has been stymied, so a minor advantage to Black."

The White side must protect its king by moving the queen's bishop out one square, which now threatens the Black bishop, which must move to avoid being captured. White and Black continue to battle it out, with no clear advantage given, although black's sudden attack shows it can easily surprise and possibly out-maneuver White, so advantage to Black side

On the morning of September 11, 2001, a jumbo passenger jet loaded with fuel crashed into the North Tower of Manhattan's World Trade Center. President Bush was reading "My Pet Goat" to a classroom of second graders, yet when told of the crash he kept on reading and making fish faces at the kids for a full seven minutes. Shortly thereafter another passenger jet crashed into the South Tower, while a third crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth went down in a field in Pennsylvania. By late morning the World Trade Center Towers lay in ruins and the area around them looked like a bombed-out section of London after the Blitz, while part of the Pentagon suffered a similar fate. The United States was caught completely unprepared, unable even to mobilize a coordinated squadron of fighter jets to defend against the attacks.

Four days later the President and his team met at Camp David to discuss America's response. Richard A. Clarke and George Tenet repeatedly stated that all preliminary indications from the FBI and the intelligence agencies pointed to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda as being solely responsible for the attacks, but Paul Wolfowitz stuck to his guns about Saddam and Iraq being not only responsible for the attacks, but "the real threat."

At a National Security Council meeting on September 17, Bush insisted that America's retaliatory capabilities be directed at Saddam Hussein and further stipulated that plans be drawn up to occupy Iraq's oil fields, should that become necessary. In spite of his comments he listened to the advice of George Tenet and the CIA and directed bombing attacks against al-Qaeda's training camps in Afghanistan. This air attack was later referred to as "The CIA's greatest hour." Tenet could hardly have realized that both he and his agency, as the primary source of information to the White House, were quietly being undercut by Vice President Dick Cheney.

Early in 2002 Trumbull and Paul sat in a Washington, D.C. pub. They had picked a booth where no one was seated around them.

"This is like a bad spy novel," said Sam, "and believe me, I know a bad spy novel when I see one."

Levitt Paul answered "I'm getting a whole new perspective. You should see where they've got me."

"Where's that?"

"The Pentagon."

Trumbull's eyebrows raised. "What are you doing there?"

"I told you Cheney's arch enemies are Tenet and the CIA--I think he hates them more than he hates the terrorists. He's doing an end run around said CIA. He went over there every day to bully them into telling him what he wanted to hear--that Saddam has nukes. But they couldn't tell him that because there are no nukes, so he's buying the information he needs to give him the information he needs to make the case for war with Iraq. He's opened up his own intelligence office--his very own CIA--at the Pentagon and staffing the place as we speak. The White House will now get its mis-information directly from Cheney and his new 'agency'--bought and paid-for 'intelligence' that the neo-cons want to hear."

Sam looked sad. "Makes you wonder why we even have a CIA."

"There's more," continued Paul. "It's who Cheney's people are talking to that worries me. Sheik al Libi's an al-Quaeda agent who's been captured by the Egyptians and through them he's telling our new intel office what they, or rather what Cheney and Rummy want to hear."

"In other words, that Iraq has close ties to al-Qaeda and Saddam's to blame for 9/11."

Paul smiled. "Yeah. And then there's Chalabi ..."

"He of the Iraqi National Congress ...:"

"Yeah, he of that. He's also figured out what the White House wants to hear. Cheney's intel network is sucking up what Chalabi and the INC tell 'em like it's an ice cream soda. If you didn't know already, Chalabi wants Sadam Hussein's job and he thinks the U.S. will help him get it. A war will topple Sadam and guess who's there to step into his shoes? Mr. Chalabi, the guy who sold him out."

Sam shook his head.

"And there's another source," said Paul.

"Another bogus source of intel?"

"Yeah, he's bogus too. He's code-named 'Curveball' and that's really apropos, 'cause this guy's a drunk, a flake and God knows what else."

"Where'd they dig him up?"

"He's related to somebody in the INC and our guys will listen to anybody who'll say that Saddam's got a link to al Quaeda. It's like Cheney's guys are Catholics and Curveball's the Pope."

"God, and we think it's the rest of the world that's messed up."

"We're going to war with Iraq. Maybe not this month, but soon. The neo-cons want regime change in Iraq like you've never wanted anything in your life."

"I thought you were one of them, Levitt."

"I don't like the way they do things. The Republicans play rough and the neo-cons play rougher than anybody I've ever seen."

Sam scratched his head. "How do you like their yellowcake story?"

"Yeah--now they're telling us Sadam's buying yellowcake uranium. Former Ambassador Joe Wilson's gone to Niger to find out if it's true. He's not one of them--he'll tell the truth."

"I wonder what they'll do to him when he does?"

"I hadn't thought of that," said Paul. "Yellowcake's a complete fabrication. There is no uranium ore going to Iraq."

"You think I don't know that? So, how's the big chess game going?"

Levitt looked down at his beer. "Bush is acting like he's his own man, the way he ignored Cheney and went with the CIA's plan to bomb Afghanistan. He's no hand-puppet, he's a neo-con ideologue like the rest of them. He's actually got convictions--that makes him even more dangerous. Let's say he's shown independence and made a move. Remember he's king--he's not moving to middle of the board where he's vulnerable ..."

"So, where'd he move to?"

"I've got it, he castled--he's moved sideways, away from Cheney, toward Rumsfeld."

"I don't know if that makes any sense at all," said Sam, "but I'll buy it for now. How about the rest of your guys?"

"It's getting interesting. Condi's Bush's 'point man,' if you will, repeating all that crap about yellowcake. Let's say our queen's advanced to row four--she's becoming more powerful by the day and she's at the center of the board, where she can attack any other player. And your guys?"

"Clarke was on the board for a while, but he was driven back. Tenet got the President to bomb Afghanistan, but now he's--out of moves, the way I see it. I just decided Ambassador Wilson's my other knight, but he's been stymied--your move."

Paul looked more confident that he had before: "Cheney's in high gear with his intelligence operation, so let's put him out on in the middle of the board, like Condi. Tenet's made his one big move and lied to do it. He just telling Bush what he wants to hear in order to keep his job, meaning your White Queen is out of moves and eventually she'll get shot down. It's like one of those old-time naval battles, my ships are ready to fire when their guns come to bear on your pieces. Better watch it, buddy--you're out gunned!"

"My king's Colin Powell--he was a four-star--lots of war experience."

"This is politics, buddy. That takes away all his cred and makes it look like my Black battleships are arrayed against your White row boat and a few sailors, floating around in the water."

"No comment."

The White side tries a gambit to contain the Black queen--it doesn't work

When Joe Wilson returned from Niger, he reported he'd found no evidence of yellowcake uranium ore being sold to Iraq, but that news didn't seem to change anything. The machinery Vice President Cheney had put in place began to move--slowly at first, then more swiftly, gathering only the information he wanted to hear. On August 27, 2002 he gave a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, in which he spelled out his case for going to war with Iraq, repeatedly alluding to that country's alleged "nuclear weapons program." Congress reacted strongly to the speech, especially Cheney's assertions that if left to his own devices Saddam would have such weapons 'very soon.' Of course, the only evidence of Saddam's nuclear weapons was Cheney's speech.

As White and Black battle for control, Sam could sense he was in over his head

Sam could only admire his friend's command of the game. "Was that the Spanish opening you pulled on me, you rascal?"

"Some people call it Ruy Lopez."

"Throwing that 'chess master' stuff at me, eh? You've been around this game a long time, haven't you?"

A smile crossed Paul's face.

The following week after his speech, Cheney and members of the intelligence-gathering operation he had set up at the Pentagon took a short ride to the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. After a brief meeting with Director George Tenet, Cheney and his aides were ushered around various analysts' offices, where they were allowed to ask as many questions as their "All-Source" clearances permitted. After looking around the large room, Levitt Paul looked at the Vice President and said "Excuse me, sir, I see somebody I know. Could I ..."

"Sure, go over and talk to him," said the Vice President, almost too enthusiastically. Get all the information you can out of him. Let him know what we're looking for, OK?"

"Yes, sir, will do."

A moment later Paul was standing at a desk manned by Sam Trumbull. "What are you doing here, Sam?"

"I could ask you the same thing. My boss loaned me to the CIA. The guy I work for here said to give you guys anything you want. Christ, we're supposed to put out a National Intelligence Estimate in two weeks--they usually take months. Tenet had to admit to Congress there was no NIE on Iraq and no WMD--what an embarrassment!"

"I'm supposed to grill you," said Levitt. "It was Cheney's speech--he said Iraq's very close to having nukes. Now Congress wants to know what the CIA knows and Cheney's going to pad the NIE with what he wants 'em to hear."

"This country's going down the tubes," observed Sam. As the Vice President headed for the office of senior analyst Paul Pillar, Sam followed him with his eyes. "Look at that. Now he's going to try to arm twist the best analyst in the place."

"No, it's subtler than that," said Levitt. "He'll just keep asking Pillar if he's found anything on Iraq's WMD and, if he hasn't, Cheney will just keep sending him back to check his data again. By the way, the big game's getting more complicated every day. Cheney's using all his pawns to maximum effect."

"Pawns?"

"Pillar, Chalabi, Curveball, al-Libi--he's pursuing his war agenda with everything he's got."

"God help us all," said Trumbull, shaking his head.

A little over two weeks later the NIE came out. Though it was made available to Congress, it was read by few Congressmen, which was just as well, for it contained much outdated information. When the President read it, he was so taken aback he called the CIA and asked for George Tenet. When the Director came to the phone Bush just said "This is the President--is this all there is?" The President wanted a personal assurance from Tenet that there was a clear link between al-Qaeda and Iraq--and that Iraq's nuclear weapons program was bearing fruit.Tenet told Bush what he wanted to hear, expressed in his usual basketball terminology with the infamous words "It's a slam dunk, Mr. President."

One night that week Sam Trumbull was awakened from his bed by the phone. "Hello?"

"It's Levitt. Tenet's exposed himself--maneuvered himself to the side of the board, directly in Cheney's sights and it's Cheney's move. Nighty-night."

Sam said "Nighty-night to you, too," as he hung up.

Black slowly but surely gains the advantage, as white loses two pawns and a knight

In early October 2002 the Congress voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution. During a break after the vote several legislators huddled together.

Senator Bob Graham shook his head and told his colleagues "We've been had. The neo-cons made their decision to go to war long ago and they stage managed this whole thing."

Another senator said "Aren't you being a little cynical, Bob?"

"Hell no. I heard about Cheney's daily visits to the CIA--the intel community's been used as a public relations tool to sell us the war."

The second senator asked "Where was our National Security Advisor all this time? Why didn't she ask for more or better data?"

"Because she's a part of their team," answered a third Senator.

That night Sam Trumbull was in his pajamas, drinking a glass of seltzer to settle his stomach before retiring, when the phone rang.

"Hello?

"Sam, it's Levitt."

"At least you called before I went to bed this time--what's up?"

"Some pieces just moved on the big board."

"I know, Congress passed the war resolution and ... where's that leave us?"

"We're all in trouble," said Levitt. "The Black side's practically won. Congress made the wrong move, they've pulled themselves out of the game, Cheney's about to capture Tenet and you might say the White king's in check."

"White king's in check? What the hell does that mean?"

"Powell's king, right--for now? Well he's not really on Bush's team ... that means he's out of there too. It's gonna be like the Massacre of '75--heads of CIA and State are both going down together."

Sam could only offer "This isn't helping my sour stomach any--I better get another glass of Alka-Seltzer--hold on." There was a long pause. "Ah, that's better. I guess it's our move." There was another pause. "Levitt, you still there?"

"Yeah, I was thinking."

"About what?"

"About what next move the White pieces should make."

"And?"

"I can't think of one. G'night."

After Black loses two pawns and White loses two pawns, a knight and a bishop, Black's advantage in numbers starts to take its toll

In January 2003 President Bush gave his State of the Union speech, in which he followed Vice President Cheney's agenda by stressing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, in particular the importation of yellowcake uranium ore that Saddam had supposedly purchased from Niger. Well aware of Ambassador Joseph Wilson's trip to Niger and of Wilson's conclusions, CIA Director George Tenet had tried to get the reference to yellowcake off the President's speech. Strangely, he personally cleared the speech without reading the advance copy that he was sent. Like Condi Rice, he seemed to be not an independent source of information but a member of the President's team. When Secretary of State Colin Powell prepared to deliver his own speech to the United Nations he was "directed" by Scooter Libby, a member of Cheney's staff, to repeat the yellowcake story. When Powell went to Tenet for confirmation, he was told by the Director the yellowcake story was "iron-clad."

The day after Secretary of State Powell's speech to the United Nations, Levitt Paul received a phone call at work.

"Hello?"

"It's Sam. What do you think of our boy Tenet now?"

"In relation to what? You know what I've always thought of him."

"C'mon, Levitt. Powell's speech--you heard it, didn't you? All that yellowcake crap ..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Tenet must've cleared all that."

"How could he have cleared something that was patently untrue? And Tenet knew it was untrue. The guy's a wimp."

"That's all you're calling him? I told you how he got his job. He's setting a new low standard. Got a call on another line--talk to you later, buddy."

The Iraq war started out impressively for America, as bombings reduced Saddam's palaces to rubble, then turned into a fiasco as Defense Secretary Rumsfeld sent a tiny force up the main highway toward Baghdad, expecting American soldiers to be greeted by adoring Iraqis throwing flowers. It quickly became apparent that a vastly larger force was required and soon British and American forces were slugging it out street by street in Iraqi cities. This was a situation the American public had long dreaded. A massive hunt for the alleged weapons of mass destruction ensued and inspector David Kay was forced to conclude "There aren't any."

Black continues to pound away at White, whose pieces are falling off the board like leaves from a tree.

Among the fallout from the war and the mis-information that led up to it was Ambassador Joe Wilson's New York Times op-ed piece of July 6, 2003.

The article was based on his trip to Niger and he stated in the New York Times "I have little choice but to conclude that some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat."

Shortly after the Times article appeared, Wilson's wife Valerie Plame, a covert agent for the CIA, was "outed," in that her identity as an agent was revealed to the press, ending her distinguished career. Other fallout from the war were the disastrous decisions made by Paul Bremer, who was sent by the White House to Iraq, where his official title was Director of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance. Bremer's actions had profound implications for Iraq and for Americans who fought there. On June 3, 2004 George Tenet tendered his resignation as Director of the CIA, amid widespread suspicion that Bush's war in Iraq had gone sour and that he needed to spread the blame around.

The White queen falls off the board, leaving one to wonder whether this "queen" should have ever been on the White side. Black has lost a few pawns, like they were the terrorist foot soldiers lost in the 9/11 attacks, while White has lost most of its own pawns, said queen, a bishop, both knights and both rooks, leaving only a bishop to defend its king

That evening Sam Trumbull was watching television when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"The black rook just captured Tenet. Powell's next. They're going to get David Kay when they get around to it."

Trumbull fired back "You must think I don't read the newspaper."

"It's looking like a game of checkers, where one piece leapfrogs over a bunch of other pieces, until he's taken 'em all off the board. God, this is exciting--the White side's going down in flames!"

"Don't worry, Cheney's gonna get his--if not in this life then hopefully in the next."

"Don't count on it, Sam. Remember, this is the Prince of Darkness you're talking about--where he's going, he'll get rewarded."

"I'm going to have to see my doctor and get anti-depressants--bye."

The White side's defeat has been a foregone conclusion for some time. Finally, the White king tips over in admission of defeat

On November 15 Colin Powell resigned. That afternoon Sam Trumbull was finishing some work at his office when he noticed an e-mail from Levitt.

It read "What did I tell you? Condi's being rewarded at last; she's about to become queen in fact as well as name--long live the queen!"

It was December 14, 2004. The President had just been re-elected and was about to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to three Americans. In attendance that day were Sam Trumbull and Levitt Paul, who stood against the rear wall of a room in the White House, so they could talk without being overheard.

"How do you like this?" asked Sam, as the President put the blue medal around the shoulders of George Tenet.

Paul looked at him with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm glad it isn't a medal for courage."

Sam frowned. "Didn't have the guts to tell the President there's no link between Saddam and al-Quaeda, so now we're in a war."

Next, President Bush put the blue medal on General Tommy Franks. "At least he served over there," said Paul.

Then the Present decorated Paul Bremer.

"This tops it all," said Sam. "This guy's the architect of Iraq's disintegration. He dissolves the Iraqi army, putting a hundred thousand armed, unemployed men on the streets, then he does the same for the Baath party, so now there's nobody left who knows how to run the country. For his piece of resistance, he closes down al-Sadr's newspaper--the country's one place to air grievances. Closing it down starts the limited civil war they've got now."

"Should be the President's Medal for Gross Incompetence" said Levitt Paul.

"How about one for myopia and bad judgement?"

"Save one of those for Wolfie," said Paul. "And I think he should be giving a fourth medal."

Sam looked up in the air, thought then turned to his friend. "OK, I give up, to whom?"

"Condi Rice--she's ripe for a medal … ignored all the warnings before 9/11 and now can't remember them. When asked about those warnings I think her words were 'That kind of doesn't ring true.' Definitely deserves a medal."

Condoleezza Rice assumed the position of Secretary of State on January 26, 2005. No sooner was she sworn in than Levitt Paul received a text message on his cell phone. Paul noticed that the number was Sam's and the message read "You told me so!"

In the fullness of time Cheney's visits to the CIA were revealed, the entire Curveball and Iraqi/WMD story unraveled and Scooter Libby was indicted for his complicity in the outing of Valerie Plame. By late fall in 2006 the war was unpopular enough and going badly enough for a special commission on Iraq to be appointed to suggest options to the president. One of the main conclusions of the commission was that the war should be turned over to the Iraqis as soon as possible, allowing for a gradual draw-down of American troops in Iraq. The President's reaction was to order some 21,500 more U.S. troops into the fray. It reminded some of the Vietnam War--constant requests for more U.S. troops, with no end in sight and no real improvement in the U.S. position.

In January of 2007 two men talked over glasses of wine in the Georgetown condominium owned by Levitt Paul.

"Why didn't you want me at the Watergate tonight?" asked Paul.

Trumbull looked up. "Sold the place--I'm retiring. Can't afford it anymore."

"Drove a dedicated public servant out of the government, did they?"

"Maybe so, but I'm getting old--it's time to enjoy myself a little."

"So how do you think the big game of chess turned out?"

"Cheney and Condi won, got everything they wanted. Bush is hemmed in by a Democratic congress, a low approval rating and a disastrous war--this increase in troops is a desperation move. I don't see how he comes out ahead, but he's a lame duck, so who cares?"

"So, we got two winners and a stymied President," continued Paul. "And the losers?"

"I'd prefer to call 'em casualties of war: Tenet, Powell, Rummy, Valerie Plame, Scooter Libby, Congress, Ambassador Joe Wilson, the American people, U.S. casualties in Iraq, tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis."

"That's a lot of losers, Sam."

"And David Kay--they stuck him in an office at Langley with no phone. And the world's a more dangerous place now that the war and the resulting instability have made Iraq a haven for al-Quaeda ..."

"Thank you ..." said Paul. "I needed to hear that, even though I've known it for a while."

"Now that we've torn Iraq apart, Iran and other Mid-East countries will want a piece of the pie," continued Sam.

"Thank you, that will do ..."

"We still haven't learned our lesson, the one that America never seems to get: don't put ideologues and paranoids in power. In the 60's anti-communist paranoids gave us the Vietnam War and this time anti-Saddam paranoids gave us the Iraqi war."

"Again, I thank you ..."

"Now that 'neo-con's' a dirty word, 'liberal' may be making a comeback ... have I left anything out?" asked Sam.

"It's hard to see how." No one said anything for a while. Finally, Levitt spoke. "I don't think you've been having enough fun, Sam--it's given you a sour outlook." There was another long pause. "What's next for you?"

"Retirement, Florida--I like water sports and warm weather. And you?"

"I may go to some think tank, or I might teach in a college. Say, now that you're moving away, how are we going to play our favorite game?"

"By mail. It's going to take me some time to recover from the game we've been playing -er watching." Sam thought for a moment. "Next time I'll take the black side, better chance of victory--first move, as per our other games, will be mine."

---

Doug Dawson hails from Brooklyn, New York, wrote extensively for the US Defense Dept. and as a freelancer had some 40 articles and fiction published by car magazines (“Vette Vues,” “Corvette Enthusiast,” “Corvette” magazine). He holds degrees in music and computer science, studied fiction writing at Johns Hopkins University and has had his short stories accepted for publication by Academy of the Heart & Mind, Ariel Chart, Aphelion Webzine, Literary Yard, Scars Publications in the U.K. (3 stories), Scarlet Review, HellBound Books, LLC (story “The Poetess” appears in “The Devil’s Doorbell 2” anthology), Goats Milk and others and poetry accepted by Page & Spine.