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RUMSFELD UNDER FIRE(Wesley Clark has accused Rumsfeld of putting troops at risk )
SKY NEWS ^
| 03/26/2003
| SKYNEWS
Posted on 03/26/2003 8:08:17 PM PST by 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."
TOPICS: Heated Discussion
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To: Burkeman1
The civilian casualties in Iraq will be higher it appears now, much higher. Serbia appeared to be expelling a people in Kosovo. It appeared to be the agressor. The PR was totally different beyond the merits. On the merits, I was a hard liner on taking Slobo down, and am proud of it.
61
posted on
03/26/2003 8:32:33 PM PST
by
Torie
(w)
To: LenS
I am no Milosevic fan or slavophile. That war was a dishonest disgrace from start to finish. And the way in which it was conducted- with a bombing ceiling to ensure no chance of American casualties to protect the feeble poll ratings of Clinton was criminal. Clarke is a disgusting toady of Clinton and the definition of a politicized general. I was opposed to the Iraqi war up until the first shot was fired. But I at least know that Bush is a man of honor and will conduct this war accordingly.
62
posted on
03/26/2003 8:32:52 PM PST
by
Burkeman1
(i)
To: The Ghost of Richard Nixon
YEp..they were supposed to have gone in from TURKEY,.....
63
posted on
03/26/2003 8:32:52 PM PST
by
KQQL
(^@__*^)
To: Stopislamnow
Col Hackworth describes Wesley as one of the "perfumed princes" of the clintoon era. He was just a clinton "butt boy".
To: river rat
lol..............
65
posted on
03/26/2003 8:33:58 PM PST
by
KQQL
(^@__*^)
To: over3Owithabrain
35k? What was the estimate of Gulf 1? I'm not sure it is that much unless you include injured. I wish we'd get some of those reports though. Tired of the media BS on our side only.
To: KQQL
Shut the F*ck up Clark. You ain't perfect either.
During his term as Nato Commander, Europe, General Wesley Clark gained a reputation as a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails career soldier. He held a high-profile position during the 1999 Kosovo war.
His words at the beginning of Nato's bombing campaign set the tone for the alliance's tough line with President Milosevic.
"We're going to systematically and progressively attack, disrupt, degrade, devastate and ultimately, unless President Milosevic complies with the demands of the international community, we're going to destroy his forces and their facilities and support," he said.
But the campaign was not as swift and decisive as Nato had hoped and there were a series of mistakes, including the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.
During the air strikes there were rifts between General Clark and the British commander General Sir Mike Jackson.
"I'm not going to start the Third World War for you," the British commander reportedly told General Clark during one heated exchange.
General Jackson overruled Gen Clark by refusing to send troops to stop Russian forces taking control of Pristina airport.
Nato bosses denied General Clark had been asked to leave his post early because of his handling of the Kosovo conflict. He stepped aside for administrative reasons, to make way for his successor General Joseph Ralston.
67
posted on
03/26/2003 8:34:38 PM PST
by
philetus
(Keep doing what you always do and you'll keep getting what you always get)
To: KQQL
Wesley Clark is a bloomin' idjit. And a Democrat.
68
posted on
03/26/2003 8:34:52 PM PST
by
Palladin
(Proud to be a FReeper!)
To: KQQL
Clark is a war criminal and mass murderer of civilians, and is mentally unstable. He should STFU. Just wait, the first time he's really challenged on an issue while on TV, he's gonna snap and go banannas like McCain does all the time. But, since they won't show McCain's insanity fits, they probably won't show Clark's either. The man is DANGEROUSLY INSANE.
69
posted on
03/26/2003 8:35:01 PM PST
by
thatdewd
(Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.)
To: KQQL
That boy Clark is a Mooslim appeaser.
To: kimosabe31
Given that Clark started taking pot shots at Rummy, do you anticipate that retired military types will step forward to set the record straight on Wesley should his campaign gain a head of steam?
To: WOSG
He's not wrong...just nice to have more armor to go with it ! ;-) With all the pin-pricking by the irregulars, an M-1 with each supply convoy would be nice. Turkey played a big role in messing things up if you ask me.
To: Torie
I don't want to get into a fight about that disgusting conflict. But we can agree the tactical limitations set up by Clinton were bound to kill civilians. In this war we may end up killing more (it is a far larger operation) but Bush has at least done everything in his power to lesson it- the same cannot be said about Clinton.
73
posted on
03/26/2003 8:36:31 PM PST
by
Burkeman1
(i)
To: KQQL
I wonder if Bubba is behind this..?? More likely Bubba's wife. This is her MO.
To: WOSG
"Rummy *is* right.
war plan is good be could be more innovative ... could be doing more special ops and leadership undermining in baghdad,"...
It is a complete screw-up. Many serious mistakes, but fundamental error is the classic underestimation of ones adversary. The regulars didn't just rollover and 'surrender en masse'. 'Shock and Awe' had virtually no effect. Leadership not wiped-out in 'capitulation strike'. "Command and control' not elimated. No 'Popular Shite uprising' in the south.
U.S. sending frantically adjusting deployments and dispatching emergency reenforcements. Not a pretty picture.
To: Burkeman1
not only that we took out their water, electricity, and civilian infrastructure and caused thousands of deaths as a result.Not to mention the Chinese Embassy.
To: KQQL
Thank God Les Aspen is not still alive.
77
posted on
03/26/2003 8:37:39 PM PST
by
Newbomb Turk
(Live from the ladies room here at Tubbys .)
To: LenS
Serbia was easy--this is hard!!
Did we win any muslim friends by defeating the european christians?
no, we just freed up the muslim fighters to go elsewhere.
78
posted on
03/26/2003 8:38:26 PM PST
by
faithincowboys
(God Bless Our Troops!)
To: over3Owithabrain
Funny how Al-Jihada, BBC, and CNN cannot even come up with a guess as to how many Iraqi fighters are deadWe have dropped over 5000 1000# bombs already. I calculate that if each one only killed one person we are way over 5000. I bet most killed at least 10 to 50.
Hey teach hows my math.
79
posted on
03/26/2003 8:40:59 PM PST
by
Newbomb Turk
(Live from the ladies room here at Tubbys .)
To: griffin
Who is Wesley Clark? It's spelled KLArk.
80
posted on
03/26/2003 8:41:06 PM PST
by
F-117A
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