The War Within
A Secret White House History 2006-2008
Bob Woodward
SIMON & SCHUSTER
New York ï London ï Toronto ï Sydney
ALSO BY BOB WOODWARD
State of Denial
The Secret Man
(with a Reporter's Assessment by Carl Bernstein)
Plan of Attack
Bush at War
Maestro: Greenspan's Fed and the American Boom
Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate
The Choice
The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House
The Commanders
Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981ñ1987
Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi
The Brethren
(with Scott Armstrong)
The Final Days
(with Carl Bernstein)
All the President's Men
(with Carl Bernstein)
SIMON & SCHUSTER
Rockefeller Center
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Copyright © 2008 by Bob Woodward
All rights reserved,
including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
SIMON & SCHUSTER and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-6091-3
ISBN-10: 1-4165-6091-2
Photography credits appear on backmatter.
Visit us on the World Wide Web:
http://www.SimonSays.com
To Elsa
CONTENTS
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Two extraordinary people helped me with the conception, reporting, writing, and editing of this book: Brady Dennis, a 2000 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a veteran reporter for the St.
Petersburg Times, agreed in early 2007 to work for me full-time. He is that rare combination of gifted writer and great newshound, an exceptional journalist with both narrative and investigative skills. Furiously independent, wise and resourceful in every way, he is an engine of good sense and sound judgment, a tireless worker who insists on fairness and accuracy. He is a tough and tenacious reporter, and a decent and genuine soul. His generosity, calm nature and constant good humor have made the longest days seem shorter, the largest obstacles surmountable. As we worked together, I came to rely on him heavily and trust him completely. Always positive, he reminds me of what Ben Bradlee, my mentor at The Washington Post, must have been like in his youth. I can think of no higher
compliment to either of them. Brady has been a partner and a confidant, and there would be no book without him. I hope he realizes that.
Evelyn M. Duffy, a 2007 English and Creative Writing graduate of George Washington University, is a young wizard of old and new media. She can track down anything and anyone. In the space of a year, she gained an extensive understanding of the U.S. government and the Iraq War. She has transcribed hundreds of hours of recorded interviews with people from President Bush to cabinet officers, from White House aides to military and intelligence officials. Diligent, caring, and learned, she added value to every page of every draft. Anyone who thinks the younger generation doesn't appreciate literature, history, and current events has not met Evelyn. At 23, she already has written and produced a one-act play called Nighthawks, based on Edward Hopper's famous painting of four lonely souls in a late-night diner. It is raw and modern and wonderfully mysterious. I know that much more fine writing lies ahead for her. Evelyn is a terrific editor, full of stamina and intellectual curiosity. I consider her my friend for life. You get only a handful of those.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
