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
Results 1-5 of 30
Page xiv
... Oval Office for one hour and 15 minutes on Saturday, July 10, 2010. Bob Woodward July 25, 2010 Washington, D.C. CAst of ChArACters THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES Barack xiv NOTE TO READERS.
... Oval Office for one hour and 15 minutes on Saturday, July 10, 2010. Bob Woodward July 25, 2010 Washington, D.C. CAst of ChArACters THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES Barack xiv NOTE TO READERS.
Page 11
... Oval Office interview on July 10, 2010, President Obama told me he did not want to confirm or deny specific quotes for this book. “What I'll try to give you is a general overview of how I was thinking at any particular point in time ...
... Oval Office interview on July 10, 2010, President Obama told me he did not want to confirm or deny specific quotes for this book. “What I'll try to give you is a general overview of how I was thinking at any particular point in time ...
Page 17
... presidential candidate. It had happened before. Petraeus denied he had political ambitions. On Monday, November 10, Obama met with Bush alone in the Oval Office. The focus was the financial crisis, but Bush said the intelligence problem ...
... presidential candidate. It had happened before. Petraeus denied he had political ambitions. On Monday, November 10, Obama met with Bush alone in the Oval Office. The focus was the financial crisis, but Bush said the intelligence problem ...
Page 41
... Oval Office at 6:45. That summer, Bush had ordered Lute to do an Afghanistan strategy review. Go deep, go wide, Bush had said, get to the bottom of where we are after seven years. Lute wasn't entirely sure whether he was on a fact ...
... Oval Office at 6:45. That summer, Bush had ordered Lute to do an Afghanistan strategy review. Go deep, go wide, Bush had said, get to the bottom of where we are after seven years. Lute wasn't entirely sure whether he was on a fact ...
Page 45
... Oval Office as Mumbai sorted through the blood and rubble. You guys get planning and do what you have to do to prevent a war between Pakistan and India, Bush told his aides. The last thing we need right now is a war between two nuclear ...
... Oval Office as Mumbai sorted through the blood and rubble. You guys get planning and do what you have to do to prevent a war between Pakistan and India, Bush told his aides. The last thing we need right now is a war between two nuclear ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
added adviser Afghan Afghanistan agreed al Qaeda American answer Army asked assessment attacks believed Biden Blair briefing build Bush called campaign chapter chief clear Clinton comes commander commitment continued counterinsurgency decision defeat defense director don’t Donilon forces Gates give goal going Graham ground guys Hayden Holbrooke insurgency intelligence interviews Iraq Jones July Karzai killed later leaders look Lute McChrystal McConnell meeting military mission months Mullen national security noted November Obama operations option Pakistan Pentagon person Petraeus political president presidential problem Qaeda questions request Riedel secretary seemed Senate September showed sources speech staff strategy Taliban talk tell terrorist things thought tion told troops trying United vice wanted Washington Post White House York