Bush at War
Through a series of one-on-one interviews, Woodward fleshes out theseadvisers, the key architects of Bush's foreign policy. Vice President DickCheney is seen mostly as a man of principle, utterly convinced that theUnited States will soon be targeted for another terrorist attack.According to Woodward's account, this conviction spurred Cheney to read allintelligence reports avidly, making him an ideal ad informed counsel to thepresident immediately after the attack. However, this fear interferes withCheney's objectivity, leading the vice president to form an alliance withDonald Rumsfeld against Colin Powell. Powell is portrayed as a man with little administrative support, theone often thrown into diplomatic battles. CIA director George Tenet is theobliging lackey. Only Condoleeza Rice, who rarely engaged in backroompoliticking with the boys, is spared from Woodward's more scathing Through these behind-the-scenes accounts, Woodward depicts anadministration that is the antithesis of its predecessor's cautiousapproach to terrorism. Even prior to September 11, Woodward contends thatthe Bush administration shows a stronger willingness to engage in military
UzbekistaniPrime Minister Islam Karimov's demands in return included NATO membership,$50 million in aid from the US Eximbank and a promise that the US wouldhelp in addressing the growing problem of Islamic fundamentalism in theregion. The pragmatic Colin Powell argued strongly for the need forpublic support. It is disturbing in itself that such life or death policies can bebased on a few people's gut instincts. Many times in the book, for example, Woodwarddiscusses how the president would badger his advisors, impatient over thedelay in designing a battle plan. Rather, the administration relies heavily on the gut instincts of a few keyplayers. Furthermore, there is littlediscussion of other efforts to secure bilateral support for the warsagainst Afghanistan and Iraq. " This book confirms the belief of war critics who contend that theadministration's response to the September 11 attacks were premature andoverblown. However, Powell's emphasis on "practicalities andpriorities" was cast aside in favor of other official who were determinedto war, first against Afghanistan. In many ways, this book confirms what many administration critics fearabout Bush's war machine. It is cause for greater concern,however, that the president himself is willing to act based on suchreasons. In conclusion, Woodward's account confirms what many people fear aboutthe Bush administration's foreign policy. In a provocative statement, Woodwardfurther states that many officials wanted to attack Iraq as well, as a formof "insurance policy" should the Afghan campaign be less than stellar. At the centerof the drama are people who advocate war and military invasions as the onlyviable response to terrorism. Rather than diplomaticnegotiations based on different perspectives, equal input and an achievedconsensus, the Bush war room is a locker room of key people.
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Acceptance Essays
