Woodward's Book on Bush's Iraq War Decision Embroils White House in Controversy

Veteran Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward has published a new book, "Plan of Attack," which has ignited a firestorm of controversy surrounding President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq. Woodward's book, which reached the number one spot on Amazon.com's bestseller list before its official publication, contains explosive allegations that Bush's administration deliberately kept Secretary of State Colin Powell in the dark over the president's decision to go to war. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice has denied these allegations, claiming that Powell was indeed "in the loop" and that Bush had not made a formal decision to go to war in January 2003.

Key Takeaways:

• Bob Woodward's book "Plan of Attack" has caused a stir in Washington, with allegations that Bush's administration kept Secretary of State Colin Powell in the dark over the president's decision to invade Iraq.
• National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice has denied these allegations, claiming that Powell was indeed "in the loop" and that Bush had not made a formal decision to go to war in January 2003.
• The book's portrayal of Bush as a more ambiguous figure than in Woodward's previous books is significant, with reviewer Michiko Kakutani writing that Bush "emerges from this book as a more ambiguous figure than the commanding leader portrayed by Mr. Woodward in 'Bush at War.'"
• Woodward's book is not just a political grenade that can be shrugged off, but rather a deeply damaging assessment of Bush's credibility as a war leader, particularly given the current situation in Iraq.
• The book also undermines previous administration efforts to disparage and discredit former counter-terrorism czar Richard Clarke, who made similar allegations in his book "Against All Enemies."
• Woodward's book has caused tension in the White House, with some loyalists furious with Colin Powell and others questioning the president's decision-making.

Statistics:

• 700 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq in the past year.
• The current war in Iraq is the gravest foreign policy commitment the United States has experienced since Vietnam.
• $1.7 billion in funds earmarked for the war in Afghanistan were allegedly diverted to fund the invasion of Iraq.
• Bush's standing as a war leader has already been combination-punched by several previous critiques and revelations.
• The book has been described as a "self-indulgent, self-inflicted wound" for the administration, with no one to blame but themselves.

Sources:

• UPI, Washington, April 19
• Washington Post
• Amazon.com
• CBS
• New York Times
• Against All Enemies, Richard Clarke
• Bush at War, Bob Woodward
• Plan of Attack, Bob Woodward