Gingrich breaks ranks to attack US 'failure'

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 12/08/03 | Alec Russell

[Pokey78]

An influential member of the Pentagon's main advisory body has broken ranks and criticised America's record in post-Saddam Iraq saying that after taking Baghdad America "went off a cliff".

Newt Gingrich, a senior member of the Defence Policy Board which advises Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, said yesterday that America had been prosecuting an ineffective military campaign at the expense of the political moves essential for victory.

He told Newsweek that the army had not learned the lessons of Vietnam in how to run a counter-insurgency campaign.

Mr Gingrich, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, said the army had failed to tackle the aftermath with a swift handover of responsibilities to the Iraqis.

He added: "I am very proud of what Tommy Franks [the commander in the war] did up to the moment of deciding how to transfer power to the Iraqis. Then we go off a cliff."

[OldFriend]

The media is keying in on Newt thinking out loud about something that hasn't happened yet.

He like her heinous, is revelling in his so called victory on the medicare bill and wants another fifteen minutes.

[Az Joe]

At first glance, I can't agree with Newt.

[OldFriend]

Gradually over five years, like they did in Germany? Too bad you seem to forget it's only eight months.

[gooleyman]

They fumbled the thing starting with allowing the country to plunge into chaos.

-----
I don't understand how you can be so sure of what they "should" have done. I think things have happened as they should. Who's to say that if they had done what you suggest that some of those newly transformed Military men wouldn't have cold-cocked some of our men because they all of a sudden were to be trusted. I think more of our guys would have been killed because they may have let their guard down a little too soon. There's been a whole lot of woulda-shoulda-couldas floating around. We've been dealt a hand and must now play it. This ain't Five Card Stud.

Just MHO.

[deport]

Newty is making a prophet out of Ms Hillary when she was talking about dissent in the policy arena it seems....

Sitting in his office in downtown Washington, Gingrich searched on his computer for the Web site of the Coalition Provisional Authority, set up in Baghdad to oversee the reconstruction and democratization of Iraq. “I’m told over there that CPA stands for ‘Can’t Produce Anything’,” says Gingrich. “Home page of the New Iraq,” he quotes. Then: “The opening quote is, of course, by [CPA chief Paul] Bremer. Next quote is by Bush. Next quote is by U.S. Ambassador Steve Mann.” He scrolls down. “Now this is a big breakthrough. They do have the new Iraqi ambassador to the U.S. On the front page. That is a breakthrough,” he repeats, adding, sotto voce, “I have been beating the crap out of them for two weeks on this.” His basic point: where are the Iraqi faces in the New Iraq? “Americans can’t win in Iraq,” he says. “Only Iraqis can win in Iraq.”

Gingrich argues that the administration has been putting far too much emphasis on a military solution and slighting the political element. “The real key here is not how many enemy do I kill. The real key is how many allies do I grow,” he says. “And that is a very important metric that they just don’t get.” He contends that the civilian-run CPA is fairly isolated and powerless, hunkered down inside its bunker in Baghdad. The military has the money and the daily contact with the locals. But it’s using the same tactics in a guerrilla struggle that led to defeat in Vietnam.

[joesbucks]

Re: Your comments to Reagan Man.

He should keep his mouth shut even IF he is correct?

[OldFriend]

We had two choices, overrun their positions or murder them all.

What would YOU have done?

[PhiKapMom]

? Because Newt was head of the Contract with America doesn't mean he gets a free pass the rest of his life. He is also the person who had to resign as Speaker of the House or did you forget that and it almost cost us the House -- we lost a lot of seats that year.

I respected Newt until he had to resign as Speaker of the House. He should have known better with what he had going then to critize Clinton the way he did. That was dumb!

Comparing what we said to Tip O'Neill shows your lack of understanding about how Newt has hurt the Republican Party with his escapades!

[swheats]

An influential member of the Pentagon's main advisory body has broken ranks and criticised America's record in post-Saddam Iraq saying that after taking Baghdad America "went off a cliff".

Is this another backhand slap against the State Department? Seems he doesn't speak against the administration's handling of the war unless he's angry with State for some reason.

[PhiKapMom]

He should quit opening his mouth when he doesn't have all the facts and doesn't look at the big picture! But that's my opinion and I reserve the right to express it.

If he opens his mouth, then he can expect what comes with it -- sound like Hillary and expect that you will be treated like her by some people who choose to believe that turning over Iraq to the Iraqis too soon would be even more of a disaster without capturing Saddam!

I don't apologize for my low opinion of Newt Gingrich today and never will. He let all of us down when he was forced resign as Speaker after his extra curricular activities became public. He was stupid. If you want to act like he did, then don't run for office. What he does in his private life was his own business and I could care less until he ran and became Speaker of the House and then trashed Clinton the way he did. What did he expect? He should have known better!

He can say whatever he wants and I can choose to tell him to shut-up! Or don't I have a right to tell him to shut-up or go over a cliff? I don't admire him and haven't for sometime way before Pres Bush was elected.

[exit82]

Thank you,PhiKapMom. I couldn't have said it better.

[PhiKapMom]

Odd she makes her statements in Iraq and now he comes up with his? What's going on?

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks -- took me a minute to figure out what he was saying! Then I was amazed!

[Mo1]

How in the world do you do a swift hand over to the Iraqis that have been for many years under an oppressed ruler with no governing training amongst themselves? Yes they should be put in charge as quickly as possible but hell it's only been some 9 months at best that they've even been liberated... with infrastructure torn to hell...

And of all people, Newt SHOULD know better then to say something like what he did

[auboy]

Newsweek gets him to spout off (Newt does love to talk), and then Timmy invites him to follow Hillary on MTP, to discuss the Newsweek article.

Do I see a pattern here? When your ideological opposites start slapping you on the back and high-fiving you, you'd best be looking for the trapdoor.

[joesbucks]

You have a right to do whatever you please as long as it's not immoral, indecent or illegal.

Yes, Newt is all the things you said regarding his personal failures. He let a great many of us down with his shortcomings in that arena.

That being said, it appears that Newt is close to the action, likely has much insider information and likely has just about as much infomration as most of the decision makers. I don't know that, but my guess is that I'm more right than wrong.

But my true question is, should he, or for that matter anyone who has sound information that we have been a failure since major hostilities ended or keep quiet about it (and in fact they are correct)? Or do we only want the White House line (which may in fact be more factual than Newt's comments)?

[marktwain]

AFAIK, Dick Morris has been a Republican all along. He just worked for Clinton. He worked for several Republican campaigns before Clinton, as I understand it. He is a real RINO, though.

[Archangelsk]

He told Newsweek that the army had not learned the lessons of Vietnam in how to run a counter-insurgency campaign.

Draft dodging, philandering blowhards should keep their mouth shut at all times when it comes to things service related.

[Doe Eyes]

Doesn't Newt Boy know we are at war? We should throw his treasonous butt in jail.

[exit82]

i don't know that he has been a Republican all along. He worked for Clinton for 20 years, much of that tinme as a personal confidant. Morris has handled many political campaigns, some for Republicans such as Trent Lott and Pete Wilson.

I think he is more of a politcal chameleon, adjusting to whomever he serves at the moment, for the right price.

I've just never seen him referred to as a Republican, long or short term.I can't imagine Clinton having him around for so long if he was of another political persuasion.