Top 10 Revelations from Bob Woodward's "Plan of
Attack"
"Plan of Attack, the new book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward, provides
an inside view of the Bush administration's plans to invade Iraq, shattering the
myths pushed by a White House obsessed with politics. Woodward interviewed 75
top administration officials and learned that the administration's public story
about how and when the war was planned was full of holes."
Here are just a few of the top revelations about the Bush administration's rush
to war from Woodward's book.
1. STEALING MONEY FROM AFGHAN WAR FOR IRAQ: Bush Took Money From Afghan War
For Iraq -- Bush Hid Move From Congress
"Some of the funding would come from the supplemental appropriations bill
being worked out in Congress for the Afghanistan war and the general war on
terrorism. The rest would come from old appropriations. By the end of July, Bush
had approved some 30 projects [for Iraq war plans] that would eventually cost
$700 million. He discussed it with Nicholas E. Calio, the head of White House
congressional relations. Congress, which is supposed to control the purse
strings, had no real knowledge or involvement, had not even been notified that
the Pentagon wanted to reprogram money." [p. 137]
2. EARLY OBSESSION: Bush Had Rumsfeld Draw Up War Plan In 2001
On November 21, Bush pulled Rumsfeld into one of the cubbyhole offices near the
Situation Room and said "I want you...What kind of war plan do you have for
Iraq.?" After a brief discussion, Bush told him "Let's get started on
this. And get Tommy Franks looking at what it would take to protect America by
removing Saddam Hussein if we have to." [p. 2]
3. EARLY ACTION: Bush Team Decided To Go To War In Jan 2003 -- Two Months
Before Bush Claimed He Had Yet To Make Up His Mind
January 13, 2003, Bush to Powell: "The president said he had made up his
mind on war. The United States should go to war." [p. 270]
March 6, 2003, Bush to Public: Bush: "I've not made up our mind about
military action." [Bush News Conference, 3/6/03]
"... Monday, Jan. 13, Powell and Bush met in the Oval Office... 'I really
think I'm going to have to do this.' The president said he had made up his mind
on war. The United States should go to war. 'You're sure?' Powell asked. Yes,
said Bush." [p. 270]
"...in Washington in early January 2003, Bush took Rumsfeld aside. 'Look,
we're going to have to do this, I'm afraid,' he said... It was enough of a
decision for Rumsfeld." [p.261]
4. SHARING SECRETS WITH THE SAUDIS: Cheney And Rumsfeld Showed Top Secret Map
To Saudi Ambassador
"...on Saturday, Jan. 11, Cheney invited Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the
Saudi ambassador, to his West Wing office. Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard B. Myers,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were also there... Sitting on the edge of
the table in Cheney's office, Myers took out a large map labeled TOP SECRET
NOFORN. The NOFORN meant NO FOREIGN -- classified material not to be seen by any
foreign nation... Staring intently at the 2-by-3-foot Top Secret map, Bandar, a
former fighter pilot, asked a few questions about air operations. Could he have
a copy of the large map so he could brief Crown Prince Abdullah? he asked,
referring to the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia. 'Above my pay grade,' Myers
said. 'We'll give you all the information you want,' Rumsfeld said. As for the
map, he added, 'I would rather not give it to you, but you can take notes if you
want.'" [p. 264]
5. ELECTION POLITICS: Bandar Says Saudis Will Fix Oil Prices For 2004
"According to Prince Bandar, the Saudis hoped to fine-tune oil prices over
10 months to prime the economy for 2004. What was key, Bandar knew, were the
economic conditions before a presidential election, not at the moment of the
election." [p. 324]
6. RUSH TO JUDGEMENT: Bush Team Quick To Link Saddam, 9/11
Wolfowitz "estimated there was a 10 to 50 percent chance Saddam was
involved in the 9/11 attacks -- an odd conclusion that reflected deep suspicion,
but no real evidence." [p. 26]
7. FAITH-BASED DIPLOMACY: Bush Sidestepped Important Diplomatic Questions
"'We will win," the Polish president said, but sounding like Colin
Powell, he added plaintively, 'but what are the consequences?' After a pause, he
continued, 'You need wide, broad international support. We are with you, don't
worry about it. The risk is the U.N. will collapse. What will replace it?'"
These were hard questions that Bush sidestepped, saying only, 'We believe that
Islam like Christianity can grow in a free and democratic manner.'" [p.276]
8. VICE PRESIDENT FANATIC: Colin Powell Thought Dick Cheney Had
"Fever" For Attack on Iraq
"Powell thought Cheney had the fever. The vice president and Wolfowitz kept
looking for the connection between Saddam and 9/11. It was a separate little
government that was out there -- Wolfowitz, Libby, Feith and Feith's 'Gestapo
office,' as Powell privately put it... Powell thought that Cheney took
intelligence and converted uncertainty and ambiguity into fact. It was about the
worst charge that Powell could make about the vice president. But there it
was." [ p.292]
9. FATHERLY CRITIQUE? Scowcroft Received Bush Sr.'s Approval On Critical
Op-Ed
"No one was as close to Bush senior as companion, loyalist and foreign
policy soul mate. Scowcroft had coauthored the former president's memoirs. He
sent him an advance copy of the article and received no reaction. That meant it
was okay. The Wall Street Journal ran his article on August 15 [2002] under the
provocative headline, 'Don't Attack Saddam.'" [p.160]
10. MORE WMD DECEPTIONS: Bush Told Elie Wiesel That Attack On Iraq Would Keep
Saddam From Attacking Israel With WMD
On February 27, 2003, Bush told Elie Wiesel "If we don't disarm Saddam
Hussein, he will put a weapon of mass destruction on Israel and they will do
what they think they have to do, and we have to avoid that." [p. 320]
