Obama's WarsIn Obama’s Wars, Bob Woodward provides the most intimate and sweeping portrait yet of the young president as commander in chief. Drawing on internal memos, classified documents, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of interviews with most of the key players, including the president, Woodward tells the inside story of Obama making the critical decisions on the Afghanistan War, the secret campaign in Pakistan and the worldwide fight against terrorism. At the core of Obama’s Wars is the unsettled division between the civilian leadership in the White House and the United States military as the president is thwarted in his efforts to craft an exit plan for the Afghanistan War. “So what’s my option?” the president asked his war cabinet, seeking alternatives to the Afghanistan commander’s request for 40,000 more troops in late 2009. “You have essentially given me one option. ...It’s unacceptable.” “Well,” Secretary of Defense Robert Gates finally said, “Mr. President, I think we owe you that option.” It never came. An untamed Vice President Joe Biden pushes relentlessly to limit the military mission and avoid another Vietnam. The vice president frantically sent half a dozen handwritten memos by secure fax to Obama on the eve of the final troop decision. President Obama’s ordering a surge of 30,000 troops and pledging to start withdrawing U.S. forces by July 2011 did not end the skirmishing. General David Petraeus, the new Afghanistan commander, thinks time can be added to the clock if he shows progress. “I don’t think you win this war,” Petraeus said privately. “This is the kind of fight we’re in for the rest of our lives and probably our kids’ lives.” Hovering over this debate is the possibility of another terrorist attack in the United States. The White House led a secret exercise showing how unprepared the government is if terrorists set off a nuclear bomb in an American city—which Obama told Woodward is at the top of the list of what he worries about all the time. Verbatim quotes from secret debates and White House strategy sessions—and firsthand accounts of the thoughts and concerns of the president, his war council and his generals—reveal a government in conflict, often consumed with nasty infighting and fundamental disputes. Woodward has discovered how the Obama White House really works, showing that even more tough decisions lie ahead for the cerebral and engaged president. Obama’s Wars offers the reader a stunning, you-are-there account of the president, his White House aides, military leaders, diplomats and intelligence chiefs in this time of turmoil and danger. |
From inside the book
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Page 7
... Obama asked, “what are we doing about that?” Not that much, McConnell indicated. The problem was sending American Obama's Wars 7.
... Obama asked, “what are we doing about that?” Not that much, McConnell indicated. The problem was sending American Obama's Wars 7.
Page 9
... Obama asked. “We haven't talked at all yet about cyber,” McConnell said. “What the Chinese did to you.” The Chinese had hacked into the Obama campaign computers in the summer of 2008 and moved files and documents out at an aston- ishing ...
... Obama asked. “We haven't talked at all yet about cyber,” McConnell said. “What the Chinese did to you.” The Chinese had hacked into the Obama campaign computers in the summer of 2008 and moved files and documents out at an aston- ishing ...
Page 19
... Obama, who saw Gates as someone who kept his ego in check, seemingly humble yet forceful. Obama had asked Podesta to set up a secret, one-on-one meeting. Retaining Gates at the Pentagon might make sense, the president- elect said ...
... Obama, who saw Gates as someone who kept his ego in check, seemingly humble yet forceful. Obama had asked Podesta to set up a secret, one-on-one meeting. Retaining Gates at the Pentagon might make sense, the president- elect said ...
Page 23
... Obama's and Gates's cars could enter. Gates was 18 years older than the president-elect. He was low-key and calm ... asked him to continue as secretary in his new admin- istration. Later, Obama recalled for me the conversation with ...
... Obama's and Gates's cars could enter. Gates was 18 years older than the president-elect. He was low-key and calm ... asked him to continue as secretary in his new admin- istration. Later, Obama recalled for me the conversation with ...
Page 27
... asked. Maybe Obama was not a vengeful person and could put past grievances aside. But there had been some raw, ugly moments on the trail, with Clinton accus- ing Obama of not telling the truth. After a February rally in Ohio that year ...
... asked. Maybe Obama was not a vengeful person and could put past grievances aside. But there had been some raw, ugly moments on the trail, with Clinton accus- ing Obama of not telling the truth. After a February rally in Ohio that year ...
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Afghan government al Qaeda American ANSF Army assessment attacks Axelrod background interviews Barack H Biden Blair Bob Woodward brigade called campaign Cartwright chairman chapter comes primarily chief of staff CIA director civilian Clinton commander counterinsurgency counterterrorism decision defeat deputy Donilon Eikenberry Emanuel firsthand sources Gates Geoff Morrell ghan ghanistan goal going Graham guys Haqqani Hayden Helmand province Holbrooke intelligence Iraq Jones July Kandahar Karzai Kayani Lavoy leaders Lute McChrystal McConnell McDonough McKiernan meeting mission months Mullah Omar Mullen national security adviser NATO Obama asked operations option Oval Office Paki Pakistan Panetta Pentagon Petraeus Podesta political President Barack President Bush President Obama presidential primarily from background Qaeda Quetta Riedel safe havens secretary of defense Senate September Situation Room speech stan Taliban insurgents talk terrorist thought tion U.S. troops United vice president wanted Washington Post White House Zardari