Book Review For "The War Within"
Written by: Bob Woodward 487 pages ISBN: 1-4165-5897-7 Simon & Shuster Publishing $32.
00 5 Stars Book four of Woodward's on the Bush presidency examines the President's decision making process and how he guided the war through 2006 and into the early half of 2008.
The writing is crisp and sharp.
Woodward's observations and conclusions will stun the reader.
Woodward opens the book with a cast of characters to help the reader understand the principals involved in the war's decision making.
Woodward then takes the reader in for a hard landing as he discusses the rising violence in Iraq and how the generals on the ground, Casey and Abizaid, appeared oblivious to the fighting, focusing more on "numbers," because that's what the President wanted to see.
While Casey and Abizaid strive to downsize, the conditions on the ground won't let them.
Early in 2006, President Bush realizes the strategy isn't working, but instead of pursuing the more traditional channels like the Dept.
of Defense or the Joint Chiefs of Staff for answers, he commissions his National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley to do a study to determine why the war strategy is failing and what can be done to fix it.
As Hadley is pursing this agenda through back door channels, the bi-partisan Iraq study group is formed with five ranking democratic and five ranking republicans to determine what the war strategy is and to offer suggestions to fix it.
During the summer of 2006, Hadley and the study group, working independently, conduct numerous intensive interviews.
Also shaking up things behind the curtains is retired general Jack Keane, who has a sharp, precision laser-like understanding of Iraqi society, it's leadership, and what the U.
S.
can do to bolster it's strategy.
Keane guides the key players in the game toward a viable strategy that might work.
It's Keane who inspires General Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to convene a counsel of colonels to examine the U.
S.
war effort.
It's Keane who recommends General David Petraeus to take over from General Casey, and it's Keane who has a side door "in" with Chaney and Bush.
Bush's strategic overview done by Hadley and the Iraqi study group finish around the same time, approximately six-to-seven months after they began.
Most of the Bush team recommendations mirror the study group - including a surge.
Sadly, as Woodward points out, it took six-to-seven months for Bush to reach a change in strategy - something that should have happened on a tighter time table.
Another change is a result of pure partisan politics - Bush waits until after the November 2006 elections and the loss of both houses of Congress to the democrats to let Rumsfeld go, the implication being if the republicans retained the Congress, Rumsfeld would have stayed.
Bush holds no one accountable - not Rumsfeld, nor Casey and Abizaid who each receive a promotion.
His lack of a timetable for a new strategy prolongs the destruction in Iraq.
He fails to seek the advice of those in place to give it - the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Woodward's writing is tight.
He breaks down the hard to follow issues in such a way the reader understands the situation and the consequences of Bush's action.
"The War Within" is a fascinating study of the President himself, his makeup, and the legacy he will leave the nation with.
00 5 Stars Book four of Woodward's on the Bush presidency examines the President's decision making process and how he guided the war through 2006 and into the early half of 2008.
The writing is crisp and sharp.
Woodward's observations and conclusions will stun the reader.
Woodward opens the book with a cast of characters to help the reader understand the principals involved in the war's decision making.
Woodward then takes the reader in for a hard landing as he discusses the rising violence in Iraq and how the generals on the ground, Casey and Abizaid, appeared oblivious to the fighting, focusing more on "numbers," because that's what the President wanted to see.
While Casey and Abizaid strive to downsize, the conditions on the ground won't let them.
Early in 2006, President Bush realizes the strategy isn't working, but instead of pursuing the more traditional channels like the Dept.
of Defense or the Joint Chiefs of Staff for answers, he commissions his National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley to do a study to determine why the war strategy is failing and what can be done to fix it.
As Hadley is pursing this agenda through back door channels, the bi-partisan Iraq study group is formed with five ranking democratic and five ranking republicans to determine what the war strategy is and to offer suggestions to fix it.
During the summer of 2006, Hadley and the study group, working independently, conduct numerous intensive interviews.
Also shaking up things behind the curtains is retired general Jack Keane, who has a sharp, precision laser-like understanding of Iraqi society, it's leadership, and what the U.
S.
can do to bolster it's strategy.
Keane guides the key players in the game toward a viable strategy that might work.
It's Keane who inspires General Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to convene a counsel of colonels to examine the U.
S.
war effort.
It's Keane who recommends General David Petraeus to take over from General Casey, and it's Keane who has a side door "in" with Chaney and Bush.
Bush's strategic overview done by Hadley and the Iraqi study group finish around the same time, approximately six-to-seven months after they began.
Most of the Bush team recommendations mirror the study group - including a surge.
Sadly, as Woodward points out, it took six-to-seven months for Bush to reach a change in strategy - something that should have happened on a tighter time table.
Another change is a result of pure partisan politics - Bush waits until after the November 2006 elections and the loss of both houses of Congress to the democrats to let Rumsfeld go, the implication being if the republicans retained the Congress, Rumsfeld would have stayed.
Bush holds no one accountable - not Rumsfeld, nor Casey and Abizaid who each receive a promotion.
His lack of a timetable for a new strategy prolongs the destruction in Iraq.
He fails to seek the advice of those in place to give it - the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Woodward's writing is tight.
He breaks down the hard to follow issues in such a way the reader understands the situation and the consequences of Bush's action.
"The War Within" is a fascinating study of the President himself, his makeup, and the legacy he will leave the nation with.