Obama administration divided on Afghanistan, says new book

Top-level disagreements and a 3,000-man CIA covert army are among the revelations in Bob Woodward’s latest book.

Woodward, the veteran Washington Post reporter responsible for breaking the Watergate scandal, was given extensive access to the White House for his latest book, scheduled for publication next week. In it Woodward details deep rifts among U.S. defence officials and writes that many of Barack Obama’s closest advisers, including his top aide and special envoy for the region, do not believe his strategy in the Afghanistan war will work. Shortly after taking office, Obama announced a tripling of troop levels in the country. Woodward also reports that the CIA has created a secret 3,000-man militia made up of mostly Afghans who capture and kill Taliban fighters.