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Bush to Award Three Medals of Freedom
Associated Press ^ | December 2, 2004

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.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cia; cpa; georgetenet; lpaulbremer; oif; tommyfranks
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To: RWR8189
Site MeterFine selections of good men!
41 posted on 12/02/2004 8:47:34 PM PST by KMC1
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Comment #42 Removed by Moderator

To: ALOHA RONNIE


Rick Rescorla (LZ-Xray vet) helping employees out of the WTC on 9/11

43 posted on 12/02/2004 10:20:41 PM PST by risk
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To: Grand_Capitalism_04
"What about Nobel Peace Prize ?"

Gotta give it to Jimmy Carter. Again.

44 posted on 12/02/2004 10:22:38 PM PST by F16Fighter
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To: MediaMole

That's my opinion, too.


45 posted on 12/02/2004 11:19:13 PM PST by alessandrofiaschi
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To: RWR8189
Politicians handing out medals to each other. Even the screwups like Tenet get one.

I'm so proud to be an American. I wonder if these guys are on the clock when they cook this stuff up?

46 posted on 12/03/2004 12:31:34 AM PST by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: SuziQ
I think your analysis is right on, SuziQ.

Nice to 'see' you. :o)

47 posted on 12/03/2004 7:58:58 AM PST by mrs tiggywinkle
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To: RWR8189

My initial reactions:

Gen. Franks-- Hell yeah!
Paul Bremer-- maybe.
George Tenet-- WTF?


48 posted on 12/03/2004 8:58:39 AM PST by RockAgainsttheLeft04 (PUNY FREEPERS: I am the Moderator-- bow down before me and await my orders...)
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To: RWR8189

Can someone please help me understand why Tenet could ever be given any award much less the PMF?


49 posted on 12/03/2004 5:42:19 PM PST by eleni121 (NO more reaching out!)
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To: eleni121

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.


50 posted on 12/04/2004 7:21:08 AM PST by ishabibble ((Toronto is a suburb of Somalia))
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To: FreedomCalls

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.


51 posted on 12/04/2004 11:48:21 AM PST by RatSlayer
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To: RWR8189

Franks was a good choice.


52 posted on 12/04/2004 11:56:01 AM PST by Angry Republican (yvan eht nioj!)
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To: txrangerette
Yeah, but he wouldn't award him a medal for dating Laura

Perhaps, the medal is for stopping dating Laura!

53 posted on 12/04/2004 3:58:35 PM PST by reg45
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To: CyberAnt

Me either. Oh well, best 2 out of 3?


54 posted on 12/04/2004 6:02:19 PM PST by anniegetyourgun (Tagline, tagline....wherefore art thou tagline.....)
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To: RWR8189
Not JimRob?

A travesty!

55 posted on 12/04/2004 6:02:57 PM PST by Jim Noble (FR Iraq policy debate begins 11/3/04. Pass the word.)
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To: anniegetyourgun

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.


56 posted on 12/04/2004 6:55:51 PM PST by CyberAnt (Where are the dem supporters? - try the trash cans in back of the abortion clinics.)
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To: RWR8189

Ping


57 posted on 12/04/2004 10:12:22 PM PST by filly (Long live the New Media!)
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