Woodward: Bush Said His Iran Strategy Was "They're A**holes"

There's been so much going on with the campaign lately, that I hadn't paid much attention to Bob Woodward's newest book, The War Within.

Tonight he was on Real Time with Bill Maher (video below) and he relayed a couple of interesting items.

First, he said that during White House discussions on Iran, a senior military leader asked Bush what his strategy was. Bush's answer? "They're assholes." Just gives you a sense as to how crude and clueless our current president is, and how desperately we need a change.

Second -- and this was really interesting -- he maintained that the surge was not the cause of the decrease in violence in Iraq. Instead, Woodward said a covert program run by the U.S. military was the primary reason for the decrease in violence. Woodward didn't get specific, but it basically sounded like a targeted assassinations program.

According to Woodward, the administration has confirmed his account. Seems like that might be something for McCain to ponder the next time he wants to say that the surge is the defining reason he ought to be elected president.

Here's video:

Comments

[Angelo91214]

I can't wait for the Hague to line up Bush, Cheany, Rumsfeld and RIce and convict them for war crimes.

[KarlaElisa]

Has anybody heard a peep about how Bush threatened the House with martial law if they did not pass the bailout package????
See for yourself...a Rep discusses it on the house floor:

http://www.thoughtcrimes.org/s9/index.php?/archives/2618-BushCo-threatens-martial-law-to-get-bill-passed.html

[bdaved]

It's too late to do any good but somebody could tell George Bush that "Duck Soup" was not an instructional video.

[MsYellowDog]

That's what I especially dislike and distrust about Bob Woodward,and the selective memory he seems to have,as to what he did or did not know about the "truth" of being around-in Shrub's maniacal version of the White House.The same man that helped uncover the lies and deceits of the Nixon administration,helped force Nixon from office before he could do any more damage to the American people and the US Constitution,has for the past few years behaved as a lap-dog during the worse raping and pillaging of the same people and the same US Constitution.I can't reconcile these two versions of the same man,and I am hideously disappointed that he didn't help to rid us of this cancer that abides in the White House,but rather "observed" and did nothing that might have helped end this horrible administration earlier,instead of watching them "serve out their term."

[Querent]

Seems to me this was his electoral strategy, also, and his stategy of governance, as well.

[LizzieTish]

In Woodward's book, he makes it clear that Bush and his minions were aware of the fact that their strategy was NOT working; but did NOTHING for 2 years. While Bush was navel-gazing, men and women were being maimed and killed in Iraq. What were they waiting for? How can Bush defend his lack of action? Such utter incompetence deserves time in federal prison for what amounts to murder.

[Querent]

He was busy reading "My Pet Goat". He didn't get to finish it the first time.

[MajorKong]

Who needs a strategy when you've got a slogan?

That pretty well sums up this administration's approach to just about everything.

[NotMcCain]

Bush thinks everyone who disagrees with him is an a-hole. So does Cheney. And McCain. And Palin.

That's who these people are--stubborn, ignorant, divisive, haters..

Obama/Biden '08

[nellie]

So it was the Purge rather than the Surge that "worked."

And as for Bush's Iran strategy, is anyone really surprised?

[Gorgonzola1]

anyone remember the Phoenix program in Vietnam? it was designed to identify, kidnap, interrogate, and then kill the cadre of the Viet Cong.

it was an abysmal failure,in part because the killing came too soon. it was beneath us as a country, too

[RTIII]

What an interview. I missed it but am glad it got posted here so I could see it - thanks.
.

[ibsteve2u]

Wow - I hope the world's other leaders are not as stupid as Bush, and see Bush as representative of all Americans.

[nellie]

He's not st.upid. He's mean.

[SeriousBlack]

And thus the result when you elect someone who you'd like to have a beer with. Had enough yet, Republicans? Oh... I guess the answer is no, since you'd like to see Palin in office.

[Birdman]

Sounds like McCain's stratgey as well.... bomb ... bomb ... Iran

[sean6886]

"They're A$$H@les" is also John McCain's stance on Iran.

Obama/Biden 2008
Yes We Can