New book says U.S. spied on Iraqi leaders

Reuters
Friday, Sept 5, 2008

The United States has spied on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders, according to U.S. journalist Bob Woodward's fourth book on President George W. Bush, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

"We know everything he says," one of Woodward's sources on the extensive spying operation is cited as saying in the book being released on Monday, the newspaper reported.

The book titled "The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008," also says that the U.S. troop surge of 2007 was not the primary factor behind the steep drop in violence in Iraq, the Post reported.

Woodward reports "groundbreaking" new covert techniques, beginning in 2007, enabled U.S. military and intelligence officials to locate, target and kill insurgent leaders and key individuals in extremist groups such as al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Woodward did not provide much detail about the covert operations and wrote he was asked to withhold specifics because of national security concerns, the newspaper said.

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