"Plan of Attack"

[H2O Man]

Bob Woodward has authored two books about the Bush administration. In 2002, he published "Bush at War," which is described as "the behind-the-scenes story of how President George W. Bush and his top national security advisors, after the initial shock of the September 11 attacks, led the nation to war" in Afghanistan.

In 2004, his second book, "Plan of Attack", was described as "an astonishingly intimate portrait of President George W. Bush, his war council and allies as they launch a preemptive attack on Iraq .....Woodward's fly-on-the-wall account reveals the secret meetings, key decisions, conflicts and raw emotions as they are rarely seen in contemporary history."

Considering the central role that the Cheney-based lies about the Niger yellow cake played in the "plan of attack," Woodward has surprisingly little to say about the issue. On pages 201-2, he discusses the preparation for Bush's October 7, 2002 speech in Cincinnati.

The early drafts of the speech had the following line: "And the regime has been caught attempting to purchase up to 500 metric tons of uranium oxide from sources in Africa, a key ingredient in the enrichment process."

Woodward notes, "The basis for this was an unsubstantiated report from British intelligence that Iraq had recently attempted to buy uranium oxide, known as 'yellow cake,' from Niger. The CIA was unsure of this for a number of reasons and had shared its concerns with the British. A former ambassador, Joseph Wilson IV, had been sent to Niger to check out the report and found nothing to substantiate it. The CIA memo recommended that any reference be dropped from the Cincinnati speech, and it was."

Woodward goes on to detail how Bush, in the speech which was covered on Fox network, did compare the situation in Iraq to the Cuban missle crisis, going so far as to quote John Kennedy's address to America during the tense nuclear stand-off.

On pages 294-5, Woodward includes but two short paragraphs on the infamous "16 words." Woodward calls this "one of his more innocuous accusations." He states that people ranging from Dick Armitage to CIA spokesman Bill Harlow were skeptical about this intelligence on Iraqi WMD. However, this "skepticism apparently did not make it in any convincing form to the president. The unambiguous pronouncements of the heavyweights Tenet, Cheney, and Rumsfeld prevailed."

And that is about all that Woodward, that fly speck on the wall, wrote about Niger and the yellowcake/Wilson scandal.

[DemonFighterLives]

1. Woodward has been developing a smell about him for awhile

His little meetings with dubya and fawning over him seemed below his intellectual ability. He chose his own path and now must try to keep himself out of the fracas.

[H2O Man]

5. Woodward has an agenda.

And it goes beyond selling books. He must be exposed for this.

[progressoid]

20. I dunno if he has an agenda

I get the impression he has been riding that watergate gravy train for a looong time. While I have only read quotes from this book, it seems to me to be, at best, uninquisitive and perhaps just plain incompetent.

It is curious that the Wh would allow him such access considering their penchant for secrecy. But could it be because they knew he would do a sloppy job?

[H2O Man]

23. I do not

think he did a "sloppy job."

[Laurab]

31. Nor do I

it was, if I remember correctly, on the Repuke's recommended reading list, and I couldn't figure out why, because the picture I got after reading that book was not a pretty one, at all. But, I guess my mind set is a bit different from those on the right, the right might see it differently, and I can't imagine even TRYING to think like they do.

Wasn't that the book that told us how, at the start of the war, Bush pumped his fist in the air and said "Feels GOOD", or something like that? I was appalled.

[Mandate My Ass]

27. Nobody sings so many songs as convincingly as a Mockingbird

Journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward broke the stories on Watergate (late 70's) in the Washington Post, having gained access to what the CIA was trying to keep from congress about its program of using journalists at home and abroad, in deliberate propaganda campaigns. It was later revealed that Woodward was a Naval intelligence briefer to the White House and knew many insiders including General Alexander Haig. A high-level source told Bernstein, "One journalist is worth twenty agents." CFR/Trilateralist Katharine Graham, in a 1988 speech given to senior CIA employees at Agency headquarters said, "We live in a dirty and dangerous world. There are some things the general public does not need to know and shouldn't. I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take legitimate steps to keep its secrets and when the press can decide whether to print what it knows."

http://www.prisonplanet.com/analysis_louise_01_03_03_mockingbird.html

[DemonFighterLives]

32. He seemed to think that keeping it silent, he could cash in again

The investigation is going on now Mr Woodhead and we ain't playing the throat game again.
What kind of a man would sit silent on information for 2 years while the pResident and everyone else was supposedly searching for the source.
On Imus this morning, they are saying that most of the suspects have been denying the leaker role. They stuck up the picture of Jabba Armitage.- Don't know but wouldn't doubt it.

[EVDebs]

22. I should say so after so much hagiography....

And just who is Woodward anyway ? Find out at the DU post at

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5373313&mesg_id=5373313

[DemonFighterLives]

33. Thanks for that

I never knew that he gave Wm. Casey the kiss of death. I often wondered why Mr Casey didn't make it to testify and had always assumed he took his special pill to save the poppies.

[Just Me]

2. I didn't read his 1st book. I don't intend to acquire his 2nd one.

He appears to be attempting to write an abusively inaccurate account of history and I refuse to support that.

[H2O Man]

6. Woodward has abused

the trust that many people had placed in him, from his work 30 years ago.

[im10ashus]

7. I don't know about you.

But my letter to the WaPo went out this morning. He needs to be held responsible.

[H2O Man]

8. Great!

He needs to be fired.

Do you have an address and/or e-mail address for the WaPo? Thanks!

[im10ashus]

10. Yes sir I do.

[e-mail].

[H2O Man]

11. Thanks!

I will have my letter out by noon.

[Pirate Smile]

19. Your OP is damning. I hope you send it to many places and I hope

the press starts picking up on this.

Great work!
:patriot:

[Tiggeroshii]

18. He was the first reporter to bring our to fact that the Administration was

gonna use 911 as a reason for war and had decided as early s 2002 that they were going to invade Iraq.

[EVDebs]

30. That's funny, PNAC had decided far earlier than 2002

and had stated a 'new Pearl Harbor' would be needed to get the public to go along for the ride.

Looks like the 'cover story' took you in too, because Bob said so...it must be true...BULLSHIT.

[Me.]

3. "A Slam Dunk"

Is the most widely quoted bit from what Wayward wrote. In fact, when hyping his book and in his attempts to substantiate B***'s position, he repeated it any number of times. His behavior regarding the Plame matter has been unconscionable. It is going to be interesting to see how up front and center he is going to be in the next couple of weeks or if he will seek "deep cover".

[Spazito]

15. I have a lingering question about that 'slam dunk' quote

Has Tenet ever even acknowledged he, indeed, said that? All I have ever found is quotes from Woodward attributing that expression to Tenet. Given what we now know about Woodward, why should we take his word that Tenet said it as gospel?

According to Woodward, it was bush who told Woodward that Tenet said "slam dunk". Why did Woodword not make any mention of trying to confirm with Tenet himself that that quote was correct?

[many a good man]

25. Tenet has never confirmed saying it

Not to my knowledge, at least.

[hootinholler]

4. And the title of his 3rd book will be:

The book I can finally write? His behavior has been, um what's the word, reprehensible, that's it, thanks Dick.

-Hoot

[EVDebs]

24. Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics ? n/t

[realFedUp]

9. There should be a conversation

about a reporter who sits on information vital
to Americans regarding our security, lives etc.
in order to publish it in a future book.

Seems treasonous.

[Pithy Cherub]

12. The Washington Post's crony system is modeled on the bush-league

White House. If another reporter were to do what Woodward did they would be fired for insubordinaton, incompetence and violations of the Code of Ethics and Professional Code of Conduct. To willing KNOW Baghdad Bob Woodward had information material to a federal investigation and have such a large egregious ethical lapse and hide behind protecting a potentially felonious source is the height of hypocrisy. For the Management, Downie, to facilitate and excuse Woodwards lapses of journalistic ethics says something about his moral ability to lead that nationally disgraced fishwrap.

Woodward did not want to be subpoenaed because he would have the same non-excuse as his bedmate, Judith Judas Miller. Woodwards conflict of interest was to book sales and not to the nation or the Washington Post's readers. He needs to resign and letters should go to the Washington Post to that effect. Woodward is a emissary and accomplice to the continuing lies and degradation of this nation by the Cheney/Bush administration.

What a scumbag, Baghdad Bob Woodward! Blech and a pox on that House! :puke:

[H2O Man]

13. This will result

in long-term damage for the White House. It is sad that Woodward would show so little respect for journalism, and for the justice system. Yet both are in such a state that it will require some tension to help to repair them.

Woodward should be treated like any employee who steals.

[EVDebs]

28. His Op Mockingbird insider knowledge of Plame makes the whole

domestic propaganda infrastructure investigateable by Fitz. It's ILLEGAL for intel and military PsyOps to be doing this stuff DOMESTICALLY.

Until Fitz impugnes Woodward's "credibility", which is why this charade has gone this far in the first place, nothing will get done in DC. Gridlock for three more years...

Operation Mockingbird has to come out and become PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. The media can't restore it's cred nor the government itself. Murtha was right today, the Republic is at stake. You can drink the kool aid with Jim Jones, oops, I meant George Bush, or you can start asking questions !

Joe Wilson knows that the civil war in the intell community needs to end by pulling the weeds...and that means Goss to begin with.

[ClayZ]

21. "Baghdad Bob Woodward"

Now there is a "Talking Point"!

[bonito]

14. kick n/t

[Just Me]

16. I'd like to be inside the walls of that man's brain and heart.

Sometimes, I wonder if I am the only person whose motives and feelings are fully exposed.

Honesty seems so dead,...and I ponder: have we become so self-centered that we are destroying ourselves?

BAH! Random thoughts.

[bleever]

17. Wasn't Tenet part of the decision to pull the quote from the Cincinnatti

speech?

I don't think we'll ever see the book from George Tenet that tells his side of this, but what a twisted tale it must be.

I also agree that the "slam dunk" quote is only sourced to Woodward, but taken as gospel, and that this is curious.

[EVDebs]

26. Taken from Wm Casey on Woodward's Ouija board !

[bleever]

29. Actually, the Ouija board didn't actually speak, it kind of nodded.

Just before losing consciousness.