Posted on 07/21/2015 3:08:42 PM PDT by jazusamo
EXCLUSIVE: The Army’s top officer told Fox News Tuesday it’s “frustrating” to watch the gains he helped achieve in Iraq disintegrate at the hands of the Islamic State, saying in an exit interview that the chaos now unfolding “might have been prevented” had the U.S. stayed more engaged.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, weeks away from retirement after 39 years in uniform, spent more time in Iraq than any other U.S. Army general -- more than four years, the last two as top commander. He is widely viewed as a key architect of the Iraq surge.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News, the general tackled a range of topics, from the Iran nuclear deal to the deep cuts to U.S. Army troop levels. But Odierno had pointed words on the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria – suggesting it didn’t have to be this way.
“It's frustrating to watch it,” Odierno said. “I go back to the work we did in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 and we got it to a place that was really good. Violence was low, the economy was growing, politics looked like it was heading in the right direction.”
Odierno said the fall of large parts of Iraq was not inevitable, reiterating concerns about the pace of the U.S. troop withdrawal there.
“If we had stayed a little more engaged, I think maybe it might have been prevented,” he said. “I've always believed the United States played the role of honest broker between all the groups and when we pulled ourselves out, we lost that role.”
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Gen. Odierno: We have to be careful about over-arming ourselves
GOP USA ^ | 7/18/2015 | Staff
This is the squirming pile of toad shit that gets the 7figure post at Lockheed or some other. He made a career out of selling out honorable men.
Not the 20 year combat veteran SFC living in a trailer somewhere. He spent his career dealing with the aftermath of toad shit’s misfeasance.
“Didn’t Odierno just announce that recruiters would not be armed and that they should report for work in civies and close the blinds?”
Yeah, good riddance to Odierno. He’s ended up being just another one of the “perfumed princes” in the Joint Chiefs.
******
"President Hillary" vs. ISIS: I'm sorry, but I just can't see "President Hillary" having the mental and decision-making skills and backbone to go toe-to-toe every day with the killers of ISIS.
I can't help it, but when it comes to making tough presidential decisions---like how to deal with the murderers of ISIS---I see frightened "President Hillary" running all the time to husband Bill to seek his advice. Sorry Hillary.
Odierno is a servant of the Usurper.
And NONE of the stinking GOP spoke up.
They were too busy passing ObamaTRADE
and using the IRS against conservatives.
Agreed. Saddam held that place together and the US pulled the plug. Civil war between the factions was inevitable. There was no victory in Iraq; just a temporary lull in the fighting. Everything that the US did there made things worse for us.
Now, if Muslims want to kill other Muslims, who are we to intervene? Just wish we could get the Christians out of there.
His next step is to end racism and economic oppression in America by integrating all our ZIP codes to the satisfaction of The American People. No doubt we'll all have free medical care by then too as he'll work those little glitches out, too. Rejoice! Start cutting the palm fronds!!
How many thousands of people have gotten killed due to the President’s incompetence and foolishness?
...and yet, Odierno NEVER so much as sqweaked against Obama, NEVER bet his stars and offered up his resignation in protest to what Obama is doing to our military, actively participated by setting policies in feminizing and turning the Army into a freak show. Always the good soldier, right Ray?
LOL! Loved the whole post but that's a jewel! :)
Well said.
Odierno is just a perfumed prince.
He should have resigned in protest long ago.
Agreed...If he’d have resigned he’d have retired with honor as well as making a statement against this pathetic CinC.
Thank God he’s leaving. 39 years of setting us back militarily.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.