Posted on 10/01/2004 9:02:38 AM PDT by Pikamax
Hewitt: Pull out of Iraq now, hire mercenaries By Bret Hayworth, Journal staff writer
VERMILLION, S.D. -- CBS "60 Minutes" creator Don Hewitt said the U.S. should pull quickly out of Iraq, since too many young Americans are perishing in a "hellhole" in which they are unprepared to fight.
As he was announced for his first public event connected with winning the 2004 Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism at the University of South Dakota, Hewitt strongly voiced his opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. That came immediately after Neuharth introduced Hewitt as "the one who taught Walter Cronkite and Mike Wallace, dozens of other bigshots ... what news is all about."
Looking out at over 100 young college students, Hewitt said his thoughts went to them, and the similar-aged American soldiers being killed by insurgents in Iraq. "I have been thinking, how do we get out of this awful, terrible situation that we are in that we should never have got into in the first place?" Hewitt said. "I thought about this last night," he continued. "The reason we are not winning the war in Iraq is because it is not a war. It is mayhem. It is not Bunker Hill. It is not Valley Forge. It is gunfight at OK Corral. And I'm not sure we can fight a war like that. I don't think they teach beheading in Annapolis, I don't think they teach car bombing at West Point. That is so foreign to the American kids who are there now."
With nearly 1,100 Americans killed in Iraq over 18 months, Hewitt said he has "a very radical" solution. "I think we should get up and leave and go do what the French did years ago," he said, "hire a foreign legion. I think we should hire mercenaries" who know how to fight against such unconventional methods. "I think you have got to send killers to deal with killers, and I don't think these American kids are killers," he said.
As for the reasons the Bush administration led the country against Iraq, Hewitt said, "I never thought Saddam Hussein was a threat to us. Iran was a threat to us."
Hewitt shared an email from a Wall Street Journal correspondent, who cited "a significant turning point came with a wave of abductions and kidnappings," and now "the insurgency is rampant, with no signs of slowing down." He said the Iraqi police being trained are ill-equipped to protect anyone, and some insurgents have even infiltrated their ranks.
"This is so different than anything America has ever faced," he said. "This is different from Vietnam. This is not a war, this is a gang fight, this is a gang war, this is like an inner city fight between two gangs. American soldiers have no business being in the middle of it, because they don't know anything about it." Looking out over the USD students, he said, "I don't want you guys to go to Iraq."
No one in the crowd spoke against Hewitt's comments. Neuharth said the South Dakota National Guard has been one of the most tapped states for providing soldiers to Iraq.
Neuharth said some will chalk up Hewitt's comments to a member of the liberal media, but noted, "he is nothing, politically." Hewitt said he voted for strong Republicans like Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. "I am not in either camp, I only say what I say because I am petrified," Hewitt said.
He is nothing, period.
"I am not in either camp, I only say what I say because I am petrified," Hewitt said.
Pussy.
." Hewitt said he voted for strong Republicans like Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. "I am not in either camp, I only say what I say because I am petrified," Hewitt said."
Sure, and I used to be the Shah of Iran.
Where was Hewitt during WW2 when we lost a half million, he could have kept us out of Germany. Hitler was not a danger to anyone except Russia.
Why does this remind me of the final days of Rome?
Another citizen demonstrates his profound ignorance of the American military.
The list is long and distinguished.
"...buy himself some sack"
OK, that was a good one.
They should double the pay of the Iaraq army, use the oil money to pay for it and reconstruction.
Only problem is that as a staunch conservative, I cannot seem to rectify goverment ownership of assets (oil) and the means of production. Any ideas?
Maybe set up Oil as a seperate corporation(s)- anyone who works for the oild company gets shares... make each site an independant company (for compatition)
In the past two years in Los Angeles there have been almost 1000 homicides.....
Quick! We must pull out of L.A.! It's a quagmire...a quagmire I tell you.....
NeverGore :^)
Exactly. Hire a bunch of barbarians. Give them strategy, tactics and equip them. When the knock on the door comes, toss your wives and daughters out to be gang raped and give the rapists your wallet. This may buy you enough time to escape the initial slaughter and live out your life in slavery.
DTOM
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