State of Denial by Bob Woodward

State of Denial

by Bob Woodward

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History & Foreign AffairsPolitics & Power

Who pushed Bush to replace Donald Rumsfeld? In Woodward's account, his own chief of staff did, twice, and Bush kept him. This third book on Bush at war sets the upbeat public story on Iraq against internal assessments predicting more violence.

Core ideas
  • Warnings from inside: Jay Garner, John Abizaid and James Jones all flagged trouble, and a February 2005 State Department assessment described Iraq as a failed state.
  • A Pentagon apart: Rumsfeld ignored Condoleezza Rice's calls until Bush had to intervene, though Rice's office dismissed reports of their disputes as ridiculous.
  • Before the war: The account reaches back to a July 2001 meeting where George Tenet and Cofer Black warned Rice of a possible al-Qaeda attack and felt brushed off.
Published2006
Pages576
ISBN9780743272230
ReadJan 2026

Connected to 7 other books

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