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 8
... called it. But in that part of the world, people often ran toward automatic weapons fire and explosions—instead of away from the danger—to see what was happening, McConnell explained. Civilians were killed in the raid, causing all hell ...
... called it. But in that part of the world, people often ran toward automatic weapons fire and explosions—instead of away from the danger—to see what was happening, McConnell explained. Civilians were killed in the raid, causing all hell ...
Page 10
... called Computer Network Attack (CNA), was the most sophisticated stealthy computer hacking. Cyber teams could break into computer systems in foreign countries. Their digital work somewhat resembled the targeted quick strikes by the ...
... called Computer Network Attack (CNA), was the most sophisticated stealthy computer hacking. Cyber teams could break into computer systems in foreign countries. Their digital work somewhat resembled the targeted quick strikes by the ...
Page 16
... called him “King David.” Some on his staff called him “The Legend of Iraq.” Colleagues believed that Petraeus was so competitive that he preferred fighting a war when the odds were against him, even with both hands tied behind his back ...
... called him “King David.” Some on his staff called him “The Legend of Iraq.” Colleagues believed that Petraeus was so competitive that he preferred fighting a war when the odds were against him, even with both hands tied behind his back ...
Page 22
... called Find, Fix and Finish operations—the finding of targets, fixing their locations, and then attacking them from the air or ground. Yet only about 25 percent of the military's aerial surveillance aircraft were in the war zones. There ...
... called Find, Fix and Finish operations—the finding of targets, fixing their locations, and then attacking them from the air or ground. Yet only about 25 percent of the military's aerial surveillance aircraft were in the war zones. There ...
Page 31
... called Clinton personally, he turned on all the spigots. He said he wanted her to accept. This is a particularly momentous period in our history, he said, and you would have the authority to conduct diplomacy and to act as a major ...
... called Clinton personally, he turned on all the spigots. He said he wanted her to accept. This is a particularly momentous period in our history, he said, and you would have the authority to conduct diplomacy and to act as a major ...
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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