"Who is George Bush?"
Bob Woodward, Washington Post assistant managing editor and noted investigative journalist, focused his speech last night before a capacity crowd in Old Cabell Hall on answering this question.
Woodward explained to the audience the experience of writing his latest book, "Plan of Attack."
"If you want to know who Bush is, the Iraq decision is the perfect model," Woodward said. "From Bush's point of view, democracy is an article of faith. It is a natural state of mankind and womankind to have democracy."
Woodward said his book focuses on the 16 months before the launch of the War in Iraq, beginning with a preliminary war discussion between President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld two months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Compiling information from low and mid-level aides and military personnel, Woodward said he compressed his notes into a 21-page memo which he sent to Bush along with an interview request.
Woodward was granted three and half hours with Bush -- the longest interview with a sitting president in history, he said.
"When you address the system of war the way this country is set up, it's a one person decision," Woodward said.
Woodward implicitly criticized Bush's pre-war planning, asserting that the president had not prepared well to address the reality of war. Woodward said Bush admitted in their interview to not developing any sort of diplomatic policy for dealing with Iraq even after 10 months of military planning.
He also cited the administration's lack of communication between cabinet members, unconvincing intelligence linking Saddam Hussein to weapons of mass destruction and statements made by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz predicting that the Iraq War could be won in a week.
Woodward said he asked Bush how history will judge his actions in regard to Iraq.
"History ... we won't know -- we'll all be dead," Woodward said Bush told him.
Despite the president's efforts to dodge the question, Woodward said he agreed with Bush on that anecdote.
"You can't tell in the moment of the presidency what the right agenda is," Woodward said. "Courage often means walking alone."
Woodward also criticized Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, citing him as being too silent on the issue of Iraq.
"We are electing a commander-in-chief," he said. "We need to know more about how John Kerry will fill that position."
Woodward also discussed terrorism last night, stating that al-Qaida wishes to destroy the American economy. He explained the lack of an attack since Sept. 11 means that terrorists are holding out for a massive attack.
"When something doesn't happen, it should have happened -- [Al-Qaeda] should have attacked again," he said. "Someone is telling them to wait. The likelihood of a 'bring them to their knees attack' is quite real."
Second-year Engineering student and Bush supporter, Frank Tseng, said his perspective on the president did not waiver as a result of Woodward's comments.
"He had some good things to say," Tseng said. "Even though I'm more conservative, I feel that getting to know another perspective on the issues is important. That is why I came."
The University Programs Council invited Woodward to the University.
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