How an American war hero (Hackworth)is taking his battle over Iraq to Washington

The Independent (U.K.) ^ | 12/05/03 | Andrew Buncombe

[leadpenny]

Hey Hack! Put any extra DFC's on your website lately?

[Sam Cree]

Regardless of all this, does Hackworth have any bright ideas on how he thinks we should eradicate Al Qaeda?

The criticism alone is not that helpful without alternative solutions, assuming he is right, which I am not, yet.

[dead]

Like McCain, Hack peaked very early in life.

I'll just say I appreciate his military service, and leave it at that.

I really do appreciate it.

[b4its2late]

Regardless of all this, does Hackworth have any bright ideas on how he thinks we should eradicate Al Qaeda?

None that I've heard. I've only heard criticism from him lately (lately being within the last year or so).

[RobertM]

With friends like this, who needs enemies.

[My2Cents]

I also notice that Hack has recently changed his toon on Wesley Clark, calling him "the Perfumed Prince" back in 1999, but today calling him "insightful."

For some reason, Hackworth has a bee up his butt about Rumsfeld. It seems personal. Plus, we have to remember that Hackworth now makes his living as a talking head on cable. I would guess that he believes he better positions himself if he is one of the lone voices of contrarian perspective in a sea of other military experts who back this President and what we're doing in Iraq. He reminds me a little bit of Larry Klayman...Once Clinton was out of office, his only way to keep his gig was to start appealing to the Bush haters. It's all about distinguishing yourself. If this is the case, while he is a great military hero, I have little respect for him as a TV commentator.

[Faraday]

I will continue to post the following whenever Col. Hackworth ventures out to comment. From the autobiographical military history, In the Company of Heroes, by Michael J. Durant (CWO4, Ret.), Night Stalker pilot and POW in Mogadishu, p. 351:

I was stunned and infuriated when self-described military hero Colonel David Hackworth attacked me in the press.

He accused me not only of "ersatz" heroism but of having spilled my guts to the enemy while in captivity--without any substantiating information to back up his claim. I didn't mind people speaking their piece, but Hackworth had sent letters to the editors of my hometown newspapers in both Clarkville, Tennessee, and Berlin, New Hampshire.

I had no idea what had spurred this very personal attack, but I was infuriated. At the time, had I run into him, I would have choked him. I responded to his rantings with my own letter to the editor, wondering why a man who considered himself a fine example of military leadership would chastise a fellow soldier in public, and challenged him to debate the issue. Shortly afterward, I received a postcard from Hackworth, claiming that he "didn't have the time" to discuss it with me. I was furious. He clearly had the time to rip me apart in public, but not to face me man-to-man.

Yet when things like this happened, I could only assume that some men could only bolster their self-worth by diminishing the deeds of others. I did not consider myself a hero, just a soldier who had done his best under difficult circumstances. Most of the true heroes I had ever known were dead. The rest of us were just survivors with medals.

[Britton J Wingfield]

I'm sure Rumsfeld is an 'arrogant ahole' if you happen to be on the other side of an issue he feels deeply about.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

[SBprone]

"in too many cases, if the insurgents bait us and goad us into leveling buildings and homes, the people inside will then hate us (even if they did not before) and we have created more recruits for the guerrillas."

I wasn't aware that there were any residents of Samarra that didn't hate us. If I'm wrong about this then it would be counterproductive to shoot up the place, but if I'm right then it makes sense to instill some fear in the populace.

These are Sunni Arabs. If they hate us already they should fear us as well.

[futureceo31]

I was at a venture capital forum meeting (during the heydays of the .COM bubble) and one of the speakers was Hackworth. Was kind of wondering what a military man was doing at an expensive event for people looking for money and how to succeed in the .COM economy but he seemed to have a screw loose somewhere. I admire the man for his courage and bravery and his "most decorated soldier in America" title but it seems that is his moniker to sneer at anyone who disagrees with his views. Just my 2 cents..

[chudogg]

The ROE [rules of engagement] under 'Iron Fist' is such that the US soldiers are to consider buildings, homes, cars to be hostile if enemy fire is received from them (regardless of who else is inside). It seems to many of us this is more an act of desperation LOGIC!

[futureceo31]

Read an article from one of the Iraqi bloggers who discussed this and said that there were 100 or more "insurgents" who had attacked these 2 convoys. I am not able to find the source of the article but does not seem like they were just shooting at civilians...

[Plutarch]

That email from "A Combat Leader" sounds fairly legitimate, but contains no specific information not already known from press accounts.

[mrsmith]

'"Hack, most of the casualties were civilians, not insurgents or criminals as being reported." ... many people firing from rooftops or alleys that looked like civilians, not the Feddayeen "'

Oh, if by "civilians" he means people shooting at our troops, then I suppose he does think many of those killed were "civilians" LOL!

I doubt that a "battle commander" would call un-uniformed people shooting at him in an ambush "civilians", but I'm no expert.

[richardtavor]

As much as a hero as Hackworth was in Vietnam, I have heard accounts from friends that served with him, and the comments he made then are like the ones he makes now (they got him retired in 'Nam.) The grunts who served under him always loved him, but he does have difficulty in keeping his mouth shut--whether he is right or not, time will tell.

[meenie]

The incident in Samarra will come out in due time. There have been two versions.

[futureceo31]

'"Hack, most of the casualties were civilians, not insurgents or criminals as being reported." ... many people firing from rooftops or alleys that looked like civilians, not the Feddayeen "'

I guess the Fedayeen are now disgusing themselves as civilians... duh...

[ladyinred]

Colonel Hackworth, 72, described the US Defence Secretary as "an arrogant asshole".

Well, with all due respect, It takes one to know one.

[mystery-ak]

Thanks for posting that...My hubby has met Mike Durant and had him sign his book for my son...Hackworth is a media hound and does not speak for the troops as he claims.