Bob Woodward 60 Minutes Interview: Woodward Discusses His New Book On Bush (VIDEO)

A year and a half since the surge in Iraq, violence is the lowest it has been since the invasion. The idea of throwing another 30,000 troops into Iraq was a desperate gamble in a dark time. And only now are we finding out just how much opposition there was by the nation's top military leaders. That's among the revelations in a new book by Washington Post Associate Editor Bob Woodward.

"The War Within" is Woodward's fourth insider account from the Bush White House.

60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley sat down with Woodward for his first interview in advance of the book's release and asked him about the war within the administration after the surge was proposed by civilians in the White House.

Read full story here.

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Watch excerpts of the 60 Minutes interview.

Comments

[alfrede]

Hi,

It would be interesting to find out if Senator McCain will rely on the advice of the American Enterprise Institute staff for his military decisions. Perhaps the MSM will have the courage to ask him before the election.

We have heard so much about the administration of George W Bush that we have developed Bush fatigue as former President Bush has mentioned might happen.

The Republican Party members in Congress effectively shut down any questions about the conduct of the Bush Administration from January 2001 until they lost power in November 2006.

Since November 2006 the Republican Party has done all they can to prevent the Democratic Party from effectively questioning the policies and procedures of the Bush Administration. One only has to watch any Congressional hearing for a short time to witness it first hand.

What do U think?

[Manx]

Yes, Bush wanted the surge and dumped the generals who didn't support it, but Woodward didn't put it in context. Before the surge was announced, Bush was on a much publicized "listening tour." He said that his decision would be based on the generals' advice, that he would listen to them. That was a lie. Bush had already decided on the surge before the high-profile "listening tour." In the end, he got rid of the generals who didn't support his pre-conceived surge. The "listening tour" was a sham.

[PurplePhase]

Woodward prioritizes selling books over revealing hidden truths. The bulk of his income originates in book sales not reporting or editing. He hasn't matched his deserved fame earned during Watergate when his career took off. So now he uses smoke and mirrors augmented with spy vernacular adding a whodunit tone to his books.

Woodward went from uncovering deeply buried truths (Watergate) to presenting old news as new revelations. Most of what Woodward wrote as revelations in his books were reported and discussed by other news gatherers, presenters, recyclers in the blogosphere and the media. Woodward doesn't pound the pavement like he used to in the old days. He and his assistants mine news already reported by others. Occasionally he interviews some. Infrequently he finds something new. By the time his words are printed and expressed in farcical interviews like the one by Scott Pelley, that information was already out there by others.

The question standing out above all from his books is this. Why didn't the prestigious Woodward reveal Dubya's Middle Eastern calamities in the making before they became common knowledge?

CBS, 60 Minutes and Scott Pelley desecrated the long respected news magazine's reputation by using it as an infomercial program. Scott Pelley behaved not as a journalist but as a peddler asking questions promoting book sales. The only thing missing from that segment is the "Wait! There is more! If you act now..." marketing offer.

[BethStuart]

Violence is "way down" in terms of American soldiers. If you're an Iraqi, life is still very very dangerous. Hardly a day goes by without one or more suicide bombings. These rarely get much press coverage unless they involve Americans. The decrease in violence towards Americans may reflect the decision by all the Iraqi factions to give Washington a face-saving way out so American troops will be removed. After that, the various factions can settle each other's hash without outside interference.

Iraq was never really a nation to begin with. It was cobbled together after World War I by the British from the ruins of the Ottoman empire. Its three main ethnic groups (Sunni, Shite, Kurd) dislike each other and have for a very long time. The neo-cons who control the Republican party apparently never realized American troops would end up in the middle of a civil war.

The surge is really a sideshow.

[wordvarc]

.

The 'secret' is not secret. It's simply identifying them by data mining their calls and targeting them through the cell phones. The feds are doing the same with you and I today.

.

[microwavevictim]

For several decades our government has been experimenting with microwave and ELF (electromagnetic low frequency wave technology.) This technology is amazing stuff that can find and spy or kill it's victims. This is one of a few websites that explain the technology.

http://www.eharassment.ca/

[wordvarc]

There's really no big mystery here. The data mining technology was developed by your credit card company at your consent to use their credit services to create your profile so suspect debits could be automatically scrutinized.

The Feds pump in all data known on suspected enemies and their families. Computers search for communications connections such as how come a certain number gets many calls from known suspects just before a meeting or bombing.

The feds blew their cover by bragging how they killed a high ranking enemy in Iraq after he'd made the mistake of phoning his daughter. His phone was ID'd, easily tracked, and he was assassinated. This simple technology is extremely effective and is used today in scrutinizing all US citizens after the telecoms were recently granted retroactive immunity for violating our US privacy laws at w's request.

[wordvarc]

This is the technology that was illegally used to discover and out Eliot Spitzer.

[KareninSac]

I can't believe Woodward doesn't want to jeopardize some secret intelligence program that could help locate terrorists, etc. It's called remote viewing. The government used this technique that was discovered by the Soviets, until good ole' Republicans came into power in the Senate in 1994 and cut the spending for the program. However, the Defense Intelligence Agency turned over the program, called Stargate to the CIA. Trust me, they know where Osama bin Laden's been hiding since the towers went down. But once he's gone, how would the neocons use fear to line their greedy military industrial complex pockets. Check out "Reading the Enemy's Mind" if you want to really know what's going on.

[AlanBJ]

Fed up with the media's underreporting?

Insert the following emails into the TO: address and write a formal complaint. Have your friends join in and have their emails included in your letter of complaint.

nightline@­abcnews.co­m, [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], abcboard@a­bc.virgini­a.gov, [e-mail], support@ab­cnews.go.c­om; tblake@the­politico.c­om, letters@ne­wsweek.com­, national@w­ashpost.co­m, [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], newseditor­@MAIL.CNN.­COM, managing-e­ditor@nyti­mes.com, missioncal­endar@opra­h.com, charlieros­[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], larry.king­.live@cnn.­com, NBC_MeetTh­ePress_New­sMail@MSNB­C.COM, Dateline@N­BCUNI.com, [e-mail], [e-mail], evening@cb­snews.com, steve.capu­[e-mail], thedailysh­ow@comedyc­entral.com­, mailings@m­ail.cnn.co­m, [e-mail], [e-mail], loudobbs@m­ail.cnn.co­m, [e-mail], phil.griff­[e-mail]­, situationr­oom@mail.c­nn.com, [e-mail], dsaunders@­sfchronicl­e.com, readers.re­p@latimes.­com, [e-mail], weekends@c­bsnews.com­, abcboard@a­bc.virgini­a.gov, HeraldEd@m­iamiherald­.com, [e-mail], [e-mail], executive-­editor@nyt­imes.com, larryking@­mail.cnn.c­om, [e-mail], [e-mail], ombudsman@­washpost.c­om, Comments@f­oxnews.com­, casey.wian­@turner.co­m, nightline@­abcnews.co­m, dabrooks@n­ytimes.com

[TRIATHLON]

GEN. DAVID “BETRAY US” PETRAEUS (CENTCOM) OSAMA BIN LADIN DREAM COME TRUE

(1) Highest suicide rate in United States History of Military Personnel under “Betray US’ (US/MIC) United States Military Industrial Complex Troops are killing themselves at a rate larger than (KIA) Killed in Action.

(2) Training Former Soviet Georgian Troops, with the aid of (2) Battalions of combined (IDF Israeli Defense Force & Blackwater mercenaries) for a reinforced Brigade Attack upon (UN) United Nations “Blue Helmeted” Peacekeeper in the two break away providences, forcing Soviet Russians Troops to enter in the defense of civilians and (UN) peace keepers

(3) Using ($400M) four hundred million in (CIA/JSOC) Central Intelligence Agency/Mossad and the (JSOC) Joint Special Operations Command, for United States Special Operations Forces, clandestine operations against Georgia, Iran, and Pakistan, in violation of International Law

(4) Afghanistan has one resupply route of two or (50%) reduction caused by the (JSOC) pre-dawn ground assault on the village of Angor Adda, located in South Waristan on the Afghanistan / Pakistan boarder, the first proven incursions into Pakistan by (US/MIC) forces.

(5) Pakistan a Nuclear Power sour on the (US/MIC).

(6) Iraq needs (16) Brigades of (US/MIC) and (19) Brigades of combined (Blackwater/ IDF Israeli Defense Force) a total of (35) Brigades of Occupation Troops to keep a lid on it, or (140K) One-hundred forty thousand combat troops, plus (Halliburton/KGR) support personnel.

Mission creep, need time, money, body bags, draft more troops!

[toochie50]

No Progressivegoat44:

We are sure that is what McSame and Bush will drag out the carcas of OSBL just before the election - could it be the "October surprise"? or is it just PALIN - when finally it's discovered that the downs child AIN'T hers but her daughters???

good news:
ALL WE NEED TO KNOW GUYS:

Electoral vote today
fivethirtyeight.com updated daily - best website for accurate polls/predictions - read all about how it's done:

9/8/08
OBAMA: 303.9
mc: 234.1

that's all we need to count on - 270 needed to win!

[coonce]

As usual we get a new book or story out by this man each election cycle -- purporting to be harmful toward Bush or McCain (maybe one line in the book) only to grab the attention of voters --- then show them ALL that is GOOD about the admin, the war and John Mccain.

He's a walking talking commercial ad for REPUBLICANS and have been for years.

[CompliantMedia]

Kudos.

It is heartening to see others who recognize that Bob Woodward is a McCain supporter and was a Bush supporter. I am speculating that he may currently have some reservations about Bush.

[Doofus]

Here's yer secret weapon...

'unknown forces released by an experiment operating within the newly-discovered magneto-gravitic or electro-gravitic spectra ... that can selectively kill people by releasing the internal pressure of their cell membranes. ... a race-selective weapon which can kill members of one race while leaving those of others unharmed.' (Heinlein, 'Sixth Column'/'The Day After Tomorrow')

Also works on people with certain undesirable political persuasions.

Either that or they're just listening in on phone conversations.

[ProgressiveGoat44]

Maybe Barry will take the secret weapon to the cave in Pakistan and get BinLadin.... With this new super weapon we can afford to gut the military budget, and send that money to some grass roots socialist organizations.

[prestodan]

You are a brainless tool. Why don't you get lost, and quit posting your dimwitted crap on here. Do us all a favor.

[DickTater]

here you go, laser on airplane platform

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/09/tactial-laser-l.html

[Caniculus]

What about the secret technology Woodward vaguely describes? This is undoubtedly the most significant disclosure in the interview. What the hell is he talking about? And if it's so secret, how does Woodward know about it? (Perhaps it's a particle beam or microwave laser aimed like a sniper rifle from an airplane or satellite that sends a needle like beam through the skull to cook the brain cells of some unsuspecting SOB -- a technique which probably would not even be discovered by an autopsy.)

Since those with the security clearances to know about this new technology (that rivals the airplane and the tank) would have violated the law to disclose it to Woodward, I believe that means only two people could have legally disclosed it: Bush or Cheney. Or it means that Woodward has secretly maintained a security clearance since his early days as a Naval Intelligence officer -- which could account for his unique ongoing access to the Whitehouse and the Pentagon, which would make him a propagandi­st/apologi­st for the war economy, not a journalist.

And if this new technology changes the balance against Al Qaeda, doesn't it also shift the balance against the Russians? But what's scariest, if they can secretly use it against hiddent terrorist leaders, couldn't they also use it secretly against . . . us?

[Doofus]

Or maybe it's just the exploding micro-chips they've been
secretly implanting in our heads for so many years
now, from the fluoride in the drinking water.

Or maybe, it's just Woodward's head they're messing with.

[microwavevictim]

I think you're onto something when you mention microwave technology. Once locked onto its victim, mictrowave technology being a very sophisticated technology, can not only track an individual, but it can cause varying amounts of pain and discomfort to control and alter a persons intentions. It is very powerful and can also be used to kill its intended victim.

[Chandidevi]

http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/cin_hacker_2.htm

McCain is a "Rhinestone Hero".

[wordvarc]

.

We are sentimental about McSame's service and love him because he was a POW victim for his country.

But he's really had no military leadership to admire and respect.
.