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 xv
... COUNCIL National Security Adviser General James L. Jones, U.S. Marine Corps, retired Deputy National Security Adviser Thomas E. Donilon Senior Adviser and Coordinator for Afghanistan - Pakistan Lieutenant General Cast of Characters χν.
... COUNCIL National Security Adviser General James L. Jones, U.S. Marine Corps, retired Deputy National Security Adviser Thomas E. Donilon Senior Adviser and Coordinator for Afghanistan - Pakistan Lieutenant General Cast of Characters χν.
Page xvi
... Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Benjamin Rhodes Chairman , Interagency Policy Review of Afghanistan - Pakistan Bruce O. Riedel DEPARTMENT OF STATE February 10 - March 27 , 2009 Secretary of State Hillary ...
... Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Benjamin Rhodes Chairman , Interagency Policy Review of Afghanistan - Pakistan Bruce O. Riedel DEPARTMENT OF STATE February 10 - March 27 , 2009 Secretary of State Hillary ...
Page xvii
... Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Stephen R. Kappes Michael J. Morell July 25 , 2006 - April 14 , 2010 May 6 , 2010- ( previously CIA Director for Intelligence , 2006–2010 ) UNITED STATES MILITARY Commander , United ...
... Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Stephen R. Kappes Michael J. Morell July 25 , 2006 - April 14 , 2010 May 6 , 2010- ( previously CIA Director for Intelligence , 2006–2010 ) UNITED STATES MILITARY Commander , United ...
Page 1
... John Podesta, Bill Clinton's chief of staff for the final two years of his presidency, and James Stein- berg, a former deputy national security adviser in the Clinton White House. " We're going to go in with the president - Chapters 1-33.
... John Podesta, Bill Clinton's chief of staff for the final two years of his presidency, and James Stein- berg, a former deputy national security adviser in the Clinton White House. " We're going to go in with the president - Chapters 1-33.
Page 14
... deputy president in the right circumstances. Though he and Obama were from Chicago, they did not know each other well. On one hand, Emanuel was surprised he was being offered such a critical assignment. On the other, Emanuel, who was ...
... deputy president in the right circumstances. Though he and Obama were from Chicago, they did not know each other well. On one hand, Emanuel was surprised he was being offered such a critical assignment. On the other, Emanuel, who was ...
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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