[Veracious Poet]

I wrote...Evidently you are the one who is missing out on history. The USS Cole was struck in October 2000. General Zinni gave up CentCom to General Franks in July 2000.

So like a true man of accountability, General Zinni passes the buck to no one (unlike certain Pentagon leaders currently). General Zinni will freely admit that it was he who organized the refueling contract in the previous years - and that it was a choice out of many bad locations. But it was General Franks who was at the helm when the Cole conducted refueling operations in October of 2000. You can't blame Zinni for CENTCOM's decision to order down support craft and not allow ANY weapons on the ready when the Cole came to berth.

[CWOJackson]

You also wrote: "General Zinni is a proven combat leader, and he's got the time (and awards) in Vietnam to prove it. He was always a straightforward hard charger."

Yes, HACKworth received medals in Vietnam also...then like Zinni he turned into a self-serving inflated ego uniform...who caused the deaths of our sailors for his political purposes.

[AlbionGirl]

Interesting info on the Cole, Franks and Zinni. I didn't know any of it.