"While the book itself is not yet public, the picture of Iraq policy that is presented in the Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) article is at least incomplete," National Security Adviser Steve Hadley said in a statement issued by the White House Friday.

The book, "The War Within: A Secret White House History, 2006-2008," due out Monday, offers a new reason for the cutback in Iraqi violence. The surge of U.S. combat troops wasn't the main reason for the steep drop in violence; rather, it was new covert techniques allowing U.S. military and intelligence officials to locate and kill insurgent leaders and key members in extremist groups, said The Washington Post (NYSE:WPO), where Woodward is an associate editor.

Hadley said entering into fall of 2006 the existing strategy wasn't working so Bush ordered a comprehensive review.

Concerning a statement in the report that Bush was "detached," Hadley said, "President Bush drove the process to conclusion and made a tough decision" to send more troops.

The surge allowed for three other "combined to reduce the violence," Hadley said -- covert operations, Moqtada Sadr's decision to corral his militant followers and the so-called Anbar Awakening in which Sunnis joined in fighting al-Qaida.

"It was the surge that provided more resources and a security context to support newly developed techniques and operations," Hadley said.