notes to pages 333‒347 425- Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 166, 213, 225; Baker, “How Obama Came to
Plan for ‘Surge’ in Afghanistan.” - Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 177.
- Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 135–37, 147–48, 150–51, 218–21; Pfi ff ner,
“Decision Making in the Obama White House,” 257. - Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 4.
- Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 195; Pfi ff ner, “Decision Making in the Obama
White House,” 256. - Mullen even tried to block the presentation to the president of the coun-
terterrorism option, but Obama got wind of it and insisted on hearing
the details. Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 237–38. - Defense Secretary Gates hoped to make up the diff erence with contin-
gents from NATO allies. Baker, “How Obama Came to Plan for ‘Surge’
in Afghanistan.” - Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 315–16.
- Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 145.
- Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 251ff ., 270–71, 277–80, 290–91, 301–2, 304;
Pfi ff ner, “Decision Making in the Obama White House,” 258–59. - Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 325.
- Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 331.
- Baker, “How Obama Came to Plan for ‘Surge’ in Afghanistan.”
- “Obama’s Address on the War in Afghanistan,” New York Times , Decem-
ber 2, 2009. - Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 230–31.
- Carlotta Gall, “A Slice of Afghanistan Well Secured by Afghans,” New
York Times , May 23, 2011. - For a skeptical analysis of the American approach, see Bing West, Th e
Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan (New York:
Random House, 2011). - Dominic Tierney, “Did Karzai Sabotage Peace Talks in Afghanistan?”
Atlantic , September 5, 2011, http://www.theatlantic.com/international/
archive/2011/09/did-karzai-sabotage-peace-talks-in-afghanistan/244511/. - See, for example, Jane Perlez, “Meeting with Pakistani Leaders, Kerry
Seeks to Ease Anger over Bin Laden Raid,” New York Times , May 16, 2011 ;
Matthew Rosenberg, “Clinton Gets Cold Reception,” Wall Street Journal ,
May 28–29, 2011. - Woodward, Obama’s Wars , 356–57, 363–67.
- Elisabeth Bumiller and Jane Perlez, “Pakistan’s Spy Agency Is Tied to
Attack on U.S. Embassy,” New York Times , September 22, 2011.
Conclusion
- Both presidents had other, more far-reaching goals, especially reaching an
accommodation with the communist superpowers. Th ese goals, though con-
nected to Vietnam, did not depend on a particular outcome in the confl ict.