RUMSFELD UNDER FIRE(Wesley Clark has accused Rumsfeld of putting troops at risk )

SKY NEWS ^ | 03/26/2003 | SKYNEWS

[KQQL]

The former supreme allied commander of Nato has accused US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld of putting allied troops at risk through poor planning.

Wesley Clark said Mr Rumsfeld's insistence on a smaller invasion force had left troops vulnerable and the 300-mile oil supply line between Kuwait and Basra open to guerilla attack.

Troops had been tied up in "messy fighting" around Nasiriyah and Baghdad, he said, leading to "logistics problems".

He added that hopes of a quick victory spurred by a popular revolt against Saddam had been dashed.

"The simple fact is that the liberation didn't quite occur. They didn't rise up."

Other war veterans have also spoken out against the early stages of war planning.

Miscalculations

Ralph Peters, a military scientist and former Army officer, wrote in the Washington Post that a coalition victory would be achieved "despite serious strategic miscalculations by the office of the Defence Secretary".

The "shock and awe" strategy of aerial bombardment had failed to shatter the will of Saddam's regime, he said, and if anything had encouraged greater resistance.

"It delayed essential attacks on Iraq's military capabilities," said Mr Peters. "This encouraged at least some Iraqis in uniform to believe they had a chance to fight and win.

"Now our forces advancing on Baghdad face the possibility of more serious combat than would otherwise have been the case."

Coalition commander General Tommy Franks's draft invasion plan proposed using four or five heavy divisions moving slowly towards Baghdad.

New warfare

Mr Rumsfeld is said to have rejected this, complaining that it was too similar to the strategy used in the 1991 Gulf War. Instead he insisted on a smaller, lighter force relying heavily on special forces and air power.

Retired US Army General Barry McCaffrey, commander of the 24th Infantry Division 12 years ago, said Mr Rumsfeld had ignored warnings that he was underestimating the number of troops needed.

"I think he thought these were generals with feet planted in World War Two who didn't understand the new way of warfare," he said.

"If the Iraqis actually fight it's going to be brutal, dangerous work and we could take a couple to 3,000 casualties."

Mr Rumsfeld insisted his strategy was working.

"It's a good plan everybody agrees to, and it is a plan that in four and a half or five days has moved ground forces to within a short distance of Baghdad."

[KQQL]

I wonder if Bubba is behind this..??

[Pokey78]

Wesley Clark is running for President in 2004.

[Stopislamnow]

You betcha.

Wesley "The Slime" Clark is Clinton's Slut, bought and paid for.

[Torie]

The downside is higher civilian casualties. Fewer troops means more use of heavy fire power I would think, and that means more killing of human shields.

[Rodney King]

Good God. The war is not even 1 week old and yet somehow he knows it is a failure?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

20-20 hindsight.

[DoughtyOne]

We're fifty miles from Baghdad, and the couch potatoes are falling appart. Good Lord, we only started this one week ago.

[dts32041]

This from a guy who couldn't get his apaches up, and wanted to start WWIII with the Russians cause they flipped him the bird.

WC Clark is a rhodes scholar from Arkansas, nothing more needs to be said.

[dts32041]

Barry McCaffery, didn't know he was insulted in the white house and put in charged of the drug war.

[aruanan]

Hey, Wesley! S.T.F.U.!!

[AmericanVictory]

And who is behind Bubba?

Do we really need another Chinese carryout presidency?

[Lx]

I always think of this pampered prince as WELESLY Clark. That way he and Hillary could have received the same edumacation.

[Amazed1953]

Doesn't surprise coming from a KlinTOON crony.

[PhilDragoo]

FOX showed Clark being asked a question by a reporter.

Before answering, Clark used his cell phone to ask CNN's permission.

CNN said no, and Clark walked away from the reporter without answering.

Clark is a pissant--and that's offending a lot of decent pissant-Americans.

[Burkeman1]

I am no fan of the arrogant Rumsfield. But such criticism coming from the high altitude civilian killer of the infamous 78 day bombing campaign over Serbia and Kosovo should keep his mouth shut. I would say the only thing keeping Weseley Clarke from being in the same kangaroo court as Milosevic are North Dakota missle silos.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Wonder if this is the "military analyst" Rummy was referring to in his press conference.

[SCHROLL]

Clark would prefer us to fight this war from 15,000 feet like he did in Kosovo I guess.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Okay, so Clark is saying we haven't had enough shock and awe...

Can our leaders stop being candy asses now and start carpet bombing Bagdad back to the stone age before any more of our troops get killed?

Where's that Mother of All Bombs, dammit?