Bush at War the Book;

Bush at War

The book; Bush at War, written by Bob Woodard reads as if a factual recitation of the events that took place during the approximately six-month time frame following the tragic happenings that occurred on September 11, 2001 in New York City. The book is written as an account of the response President George W. Bush had to that terrorist attack, what he and his cabinet members did, how they thought, felt and acted, and how his fortitude and belief in what he was espousing led to an entire nation changing its cultural beliefs concerning war and how it was conducted. It is a book that contains many insights into the why's and wherefores of the war on the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

At first glance, it seemed as if the book would cover Bush's war against Saddam Hussein and Iraq, but such was not the case. Instead, the book's focus was on the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001 that led to war against Afghanistan. It really wasn't until the epilogue of the book where the case (at least initially) was made for waging war against Iraq. The book at that point makes a statement that what was being considered was, "What would happen if there was a nuclear attack, killing tens or hundreds of people?" (Woodward pg 349) The book says that a free country such as the United States could find itself becoming a police state. Woodward says; "What would the citizens or history think of a president who had not acted in absolutely the most aggressive way? When did a defense require an active offense?" (pg 349).

However, the book's main focus was the on the actions of the Bush presidential team and their actions, reactions and interactions after 9/11.

The characters on the presidential team included names that have become very familiar to the American public. Of main importance for the readers are the following characters; the President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Assistant to the President Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

There were also a number of lesser characters but for the most part the main 'players' of the book are those stated above. Throughout the book, the characters are 'fleshed out' and their individual traits become quite familiar to the reader. For example we find that one of the reasons that Powell is chosen as the Secretary of State is because, "he was an available vehicle to move Bush toward the center, and he became the almost certain choice for secretary of state" (pg 12). As the book progresses we learn more concerning all the characters including Colin Powell. It was interesting to read how Powell often brought out a more diplomatic viewpoint than those offered by Donald Rumsfeld.

Powell seemed to have a clearer view of the big picture as evidenced by his statement on page 181 which was; "We can't do Special Forces operations out of Uzbekistan until we get CSAR. Once we get the CSAR in, then let's look, really look at the whole situation." Powell was also more inclined to try diplomacy vs. military might. His viewpoints also seemed to be more of a realistic assessment of what was and could happen.

This is evidenced by a statement on page 192 that said, " Now it looked like the main U.S. presence in Afghanistan if and when the Taliban was going to be Rumsfeld knew it, Powell knew it. On this issue, they had at times been almost glaring at each other across the table. Rumsfeld wanted to minimize it, Powell wanted them to face the reality of it."

Donald Rumsfeld, more than any other character in the book, seemed to grow into his role. Initially he was portrayed as more of a 'behind-the-scenes' individual, reluctant to voice his viewpoint, not truly prepared to accept the role into which he was thrust. Later in the book he becomes a more dominant force, even several times requesting private meetings with the president. The book also states that Rumsfeld became more of a media star because of his daily dealings with the press. This constant interaction with the press and their barrage of (sometimes) irrational questions, and the way that he handled such interaction, led him to more of a comfortable, and comfortable individual.

Condoleezza Rice was also portrayed in a very confident light, and the reader is often surprised to discover that she was many times a guiding force in regards to how the main characters of the book interacted. Another surprising aspect concerning Rice is the large degree of confidence President Bush has in her judgment.

Oftentimes Rice is portrayed in the book as a coordinator, and she believed that was her role. "...she didn't feel it was her place to tell the president that this wasn't likely or possible. She was a coordinator. If pressed hard after the president had heard the views of the others, she would give her opinion, but only then." (pg 144).

Rice's role as coordinator seemed to be more involved with the president than even Vice President Dick Cheney's role. Cheney was oftentimes out of the scene due to the overwhelming number of threats against either the President or the White House. Cheney's desire was to protect the line of ascension, and he did so many times by staying away from those threatened areas or personages. When he was on the scene, he played the part of the informed, and thoughtful advisor to the president. He was characterized as a quiet individual, "but when he spoke, everyone listened."

The book did an excellent job of describing all the main characters and their roles in the events that took place. Especially enlightening to the reader was how the book portrayed President Bush. Many of his comments as quoted in the book show him to be a thoughtful and intelligent human being. For example on page 144 he is quoted as saying; "In an interview, the president recalled this day. One of my jobs is to be provocative, he said, seriously, to provoke people into - to force decisions, and to make sure it's clear in everybody's mind where we are headed....I was trying to force the issue without compromising safety."

Later on page 145 he says that "provocation was going to be one tool. Did he explain or warn Rice or the other war cabinet members that he was testing, planning on being provocative?" He says no, he was the commander and that he did not have to explain why he says the things he says. Many times he wishes to have an explanation as to why people in the War Cabinet do the things they do, but at the same time "I don't feel like I owe anybody and explanation." (pg 146).