Posted on 03/13/2006 9:35:40 PM PST by smoothsailing
You make good points but Doug Rokke was the military's leading specialist in dealing with DU and in fact created many of the protocols in dealing with this problem and I've heard two interviews with him where he's categorically stated that the radioactivity associated with DU will last decades if not longer and will kill far more people than Saddam ever dreamed of.........I can provide you info on where to hear the interview if you'd like.......it is very, very powerful. If the majority of Americans across the country heard his interview we'd be out of Iraq in a month or sooner.
Not when the book is written by the likes of Ralph Peters. The man is a retired Army Intelligence officer. He's got two books (of 48) on the Army War College reading list Put his name into the War College's search engine, and you get 90 hits, either articles he's written, or other's comments on those articles.
Now don't get me wrong, I like Rummy, and I like his style. But about some things, I think he's too much the former corporate executive, and not enough the former Navy aviator. (He retired from the Naval Reserve in '89 as a Captain). Of course I don't always agree with Peters either, especially his opinion of the Air Force and it's procurement system, I thought the Air Force system was not very good, until I got a look at those of the Army and Navy. Yuck. (Of course the comparison is not 100% fair, since my "look" at each came at different times in the last few decades.)
Well, yes, but at that level if you aren't getting the resources you need, you make it known to your boss, and if you can't get what you need (Support for increased resources, since Congress actually doles them out) from him, you fall on your sword, noisily.
If Peters says it's going well, you can be assured that he is saying what he truly believes. There is no political agenda here. He despises Rumsfeld.
The hypocrist of the mainstream media never ceases to amaze me. If they want to be open leftists and write for Mother Jones, fine. That is their right and there is a proclaimed agenda at publications like that. But to pretend to be from a nuetral, unbiased news source and consistently toe the leftist line to fulfill some idea of a "mission" is hypocritical, dishonest and dangerous.
Bottom line - if they want to make the world a better place they should go work for the Peace Corp.
I don't know the original source of their disagreement, they've both been around a long time.It might go back further than the past five years.
I'm glad you're aware of Rokke and his message.....I have no doubts the MSM is doing selectively reporting over there (as usual) but after what I've learned about DU, it'll make me sick seeing smiling Iraqi kids knowing there's a good chance many will die from radiation poisoning or seeing our young warriors living in an environment that has bred high rates of cancer, leukemia, and other debillitating non-combat related diseases among our vets.......it's a travesty.
I'm glad you're aware of Rokke and his message.....I have no doubts the MSM is doing selectively reporting over there (as usual) but after what I've learned about DU, it'll make me sick seeing smiling Iraqi kids knowing there's a good chance many will die from radiation poisoning or seeing our young warriors living in an environment that has bred high rates of cancer, leukemia, and other debillitating non-combat related diseases among our vets.......it's a travesty.
MUST READ PING
How many Baghdad eyewitnesses do we need to form a concensus?
Bump.
It's true. I'm in Baghdad. I've been posting things similar to what Peters says for some time now.
I have nothing to gain or lose by posting the truth. I just call it as I see it.
Another viewpoint to consider
Not this crap again. [sigh] An insurgency was anticipated before the first boots ever hit the ground. Anybody who wants to nitpick with 20/20 hindsight, including Mr. Peters, is welcome to. But it's nothing but armchair quarterbacking. The Administration knew full well the Fedayeen freaks and foreign terrorists would be active. Sure, they hoped the insurgency would die more quickly. Who didn't?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-10-24-insurgence-intel_x.htm
Excerpt from a USA Today hit piece, but it puts this nonsense to bed:
Two reports by the National Intelligence Council, a group of senior analysts that pools assessments from across the nation's intelligence community, warned Bush in January 2003, two months before the invasion, that the conflict could spark factional violence and an anti-U.S. insurgency, the official said.
At least until the next time someone here repeats it as Gospel.
Honestly, who in his/her right mind would NOT have anticipated an insurgency? Can anyone really say that? It's patently absurd.
When Peters is Secretary of Defence he can run things his way.
Or he can do what his critics say.
Rumsfeld is the best thing that has happened to America Armed Forces in the last 30 years - At every turn he is looking to release our warriors and let them fight - He is not a man looking for excuses or "why we can't reasons" from the old big Green......which is why there are plenty of old dinosaurs out of that old big Green that tend to take shots at him.
Rummy is a good man, but his stubborness and pride are his biggest flaws.
Those are two qualities on the battlefield that all leaders have...and must have.
SecDef Rumsfeld has helped to lead a much needed change throughout our military....and not only regarding personnel, equipment and tactics....but even more importantly in attitude and philosophy.
He has help lead in fighting the most successful unconventional war in history.
Thanks for the ping.
I'm with you. And the screams from some of the retired brass tell me he is indeed making some tough decisions. Good on him!
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