WASHINGTON - (Business Wire) The Washington Post publishes exclusive excerpts from Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Bob Woodward
’s highly anticipated book, "The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008,
” September 7
th – 10
th. Woodward presents an intimate account declassifying how the Iraq War has been run inside White House, the Pentagon the State Department and intelligence agencies and the U.S. military headquarters in Iraq. Woodward reveals that the U.S. conducted an extensive spying operation on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and points to covert techniques that shaped the course of the Iraq War.
The excerpts, which focus on some of the most critical moments in the war between 2006 and 2008 and examine George W. Bush as a war-time president, plus interactive elements on washingtonpost.com are available here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/warwithin
On Sunday: In the summer of 2006, with violence and U.S. casualties skyrocketing, Bush acknowledges to himself what he doesn’t publicly: The war had taken a perilous turn. Bush finally approves a secret war review in October 2006, conducted “under the radar” because of the approaching mid-term elections. Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence surveillance of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki provides the Bush administration a transparent view of the actions of America’s new ally.
Today: In the fall of 2006, the nation’s military leaders found themselves badly out of sync with the White House over what to do in Iraq, with one of the Joint Chiefs telling Bush, “You’re stressing the force, Mr. President, and these kids just see deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan for the indefinite future.” But as the surge progressed in 2007, violent attacks began to drop dramatically in Iraq. Was the surge the reason for this reversal? Knowledgeable officials say the influx of troops was just one of four factors, and not the most consequential one.
On Tuesday: By the late summer of 2007, retired Army Gen. Jack Keane had established an unusual back-channel relationship with the president and vice president, a kind of shadow general advising them on the Iraq War. When the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff tried to rein in Keane, the White House intervened on Keane’s behalf. The influence of Keane, an outsider, is more evidence of how Bush had lost confidence in his top military advisers.
On Wednesday: Just as war defines a nation, a president’s leadership in war defines him. Based on hundreds of interviews with those who saw Bush in action, as well as six sessions with Bush since 2001, Woodward provides a final assessment of Bush as a war president: “He often displayed impatience, bravado and unwavering personal certainty about his decisions. Perhaps most troubling to some in his administration, the result was sometimes a delayed reaction to realities and advice that ran counter to Bush’s gut instincts.”
On washingtonpost.com, readers can dive even deeper into Woodward’s accounts:
- Woodward will be available to answer reader questions on Wednesday, September 10th at 1:00 pm ET
- Eleven, raw audio excerpts from Woodward’s interviews with President George W. Bush
- Visual storyboard illustrating the intense debate over President Bush’s surge strategy
- Timeline charting Iraq war events, violence, civilian deaths and U.S. fatalities
- Video highlights from the CBS “60 MINUTES” Sunday interview with Woodward
Woodward, along with fellow Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein, uncovered the Watergate scandal that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. "The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008,” published by Simon & Schuster, will be available in bookstores beginning Monday, September 8, 2008.
About washingtonpost.com
washingtonpost.com is an award-winning news and information destination that delivers world-class reporting and innovative multimedia content, creating a truly interactive news experience. Using the latest technology and tools, washingtonpost.com encourages participation and content customization across all platforms, allowing readers to engage with washingtonpost.com anytime, anywhere. Winner of four consecutive Edward R. Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence for Non-Broadcast Affiliated Web site, washingtonpost.com is owned by Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, the online publishing subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. (NYSE: WPO)
Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
Maria Cereghino, 703-469-3176
maria.cereghino@wpni.com
