Posted on 12/02/2004 3:08:16 PM PST by RWR8189
WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) is awarding the nation's highest civilian honor to three men central to his Iraq (news - web sites) policy, the White House announced Thursday.
Bush has chosen retired Gen. Tommy Franks, who oversaw combat in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and the initial invasion of Iraq, former CIA (news - web sites) Director George Tenet and former Iraq administrator L. Paul Bremer to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The president will hand out the awards at a White House ceremony Dec. 14, press secretary Scott McClellan said.
Franks is a retired four-star Army general who commanded U.S. forces when Bush ordered the Iraq invasion in March 2003. He didn't decide until summer to endorse Bush's re-election, but then spoke on the president's behalf at the Republican National Convention and campaigned for Bush through the fall.
Tenet left the CIA in July after seven years as director. He was criticized for intelligence failures on his watch, including the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the never-proven prewar allegations that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
Bremer was the top U.S. official in postwar Iraq until he oversaw the transfer of power to an interim Iraqi government in June.
This fall, Bremer suggested the United States had paid a price in Iraq in the immediate aftermath of major combat operations because it did not have enough troops in place to stop the looting.
Those remarks gave Bush critics ammunition for their claims that the administration's postwar planning was inadequate.
Bremer tried to calm that controversy by saying he had constantly supported the president's strategy in Iraq.
The Medal of Freedom, established by President Truman in 1945 to recognize civilians for their efforts during World War II, was reinstated by President Kennedy in 1963 to honor distinguished service.
Gotta give it to Jimmy Carter. Again.
That's my opinion, too.
I'm so proud to be an American. I wonder if these guys are on the clock when they cook this stuff up?
Nice to 'see' you. :o)
My initial reactions:
Gen. Franks-- Hell yeah!
Paul Bremer-- maybe.
George Tenet-- WTF?
Can someone please help me understand why Tenet could ever be given any award much less the PMF?
Because Mr. Tenet would never understand a bunny with a pancake on it's head...just as I never understood why he was ever in that job, ever. Clinton/Reno/Tenet is the short answer to 9/11.
RE: "Excuse me, but what has Tommy Franks done since leaving the service to deserve a Medal of Freedom? ...
The Medal of Freedom is for civilian service."
That was my reaction too. I really like Tommy, but he hasn't done anything YET as a "civilian" to justify the award. I think if GWB had just waited till the end of the second term, then Tommy would have done something to justify it by then.
Franks was a good choice.
Perhaps, the medal is for stopping dating Laura!
Me either. Oh well, best 2 out of 3?
A travesty!
I agree .. but the President may have done it for another reason. I suspect the President may feel that Tenant was used by the Clinton-leftovers to deceive Bush with the "slam dunk" WMD stuff. I see it as a slap in the face to the Clinton people.
Ping
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