Through a series of one-on-one interviews, Woodward fleshes out these
             advisers, the key architects of Bush's foreign policy. Vice President Dick
             Cheney is seen mostly as a man of principle, utterly convinced that the
             United States will soon be targeted for another terrorist attack.
             According to Woodward's account, this conviction spurred Cheney to read all
             intelligence reports avidly, making him an ideal ad informed counsel to the
             president immediately after the attack. However, this fear interferes with
             Cheney's objectivity, leading the vice president to form an alliance with
             Donald Rumsfeld against Colin Powell.
             Powell is portrayed as a man with little administrative support, the
             one often thrown into diplomatic battles. CIA director George Tenet is the
             obliging lackey. Only Condoleeza Rice, who rarely engaged in backroom
             politicking with the boys, is spared from Woodward's more scathing
             accounts.
             Through these behind-the-scenes accounts, Woodward depicts an
             administration that is the antithesis of its predecessor's cautious
             approach to terrorism. Even prior to September 11, Woodward contends that
             the Bush administration shows a stronger willingness to engage in military
             maneuvers. The author crystallizes this approach in the Bush doctrine,
             which states that the United States will hold "no distinction between those
             who planned these acts and those who harbor them."
             This book confirms the belief of war critics who contend that the
             administration's response to the September 11 attacks were premature and
             overblown. The pragmatic Colin Powell argued strongly for the need for
             public support. However, Powell's emphasis on "practicalities and
             priorities" was cast aside in favor of other official who were determined
             to war, first against Afghanistan. In a provocative statement, Woodward
             further states that many officials wanted to attack Iraq as well, as a form
             of "insurance policy...