Upcoming Woodward Book on Bush and Iraq Drawing Notice

By: E&P Staff A new Bob Woodward book is always an event, and the next one? Only more so.

His new top-secret book, "State of Denial," published by Simon & Schuster, will appear in a few days, preceded by the usual rollout: Washington Post and Newsweek excerpts, and a CBS "60 Minutes" report this Sunday. The subtitle of the book is, "Bush at War -- Part III." Its existence and title were just revealed this week.

The timing is remarkable. A current bestseller by New York Times columnist Frank Rich criticizes Woodward for being too cozy, in two previous books, with the Bush administration's spin on the Iraq war.

CBS disclosed today that in the "60 Minutes" interview, Woodward tells Mike Wallace, among other things, that Henry Kissinger often meets with and advises the president, and that the Bush administration has not told the truth regarding the level of violence, especially against U.S. troops, in Iraq.

He also reveals key intelligence that predicts the insurgency will grow worse next year: "The truth is that the assessment by intelligence experts is that next year, 2007, is going to get worse and, in public, you have the president and you have the Pentagon [saying], 'Oh, no, things are going to get better.' Now there?s public, and then there?s private. But what did they do with the private? They stamp it secret. No one is supposed to know."

Adds Woodward, "Now what?s Kissinger?s advice? In Iraq, he declared very simply, ?Victory is the only meaningful exit strategy.' This is so fascinating. Kissinger?s fighting the Vietnam War again because, in his view, the problem in Vietnam was we lost our will."

Woodward tells CBS that when Mr. Bush had key Republicans to the White House to discuss Iraq, he told them, "I will not withdraw, even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me."