US generals call for Rumsfeld’s ouster [Leftism behind the effort exposed.]

The Daily Telegraph (India) ^ | 14APR06 | ALEC RUSSELL

[familyop]

Washington, April 14: A whispering campaign against Donald Rumsfeld has burst into the open with two generals who helped him plan the Iraq war denouncing his leadership and calling on him to resign.

Major General John Batiste, who commanded a division in Iraq last year, became the fourth recently-retired general to attack the defence secretary for his handling of the war and demand new faces at the Pentagon.

“I believe we need a fresh start at the Pentagon,” he told CNN, adding that many of his peers agreed. “It speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out from retirement about the leadership climate in the department of defence.”

His criticism carried all the more weight because before serving in Iraq he was the senior military assistant to Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defence secretary from 2001 to last year.

The Pentagon has long sought to belittle criticism from former generals as the carping of an old guard.

Generals have been muttering about Rumsfeld almost since he took up his post in 2001, for the second time in his career, pledging to overhaul the bureaucracy and make the military lighter on its feet.

But in recent days accusations that he is a micro-manager who bullies and ignores his generals have become much more public and personal.

In a striking mea culpa, Lieutenant General Greg Newbold, the Pentagon's top operations officer from 2000 until October 2002, said at the weekend that he and other generals had failed their soldiers by not challenging the war hawks.

“Never again, we thought [after Vietnam] would our military’s senior leaders remain silent as American troops were marched off to an ill-considered engagement,” he wrote in Time magazine.

“It’s 35 years later and the judgment is in: we have been fooled again.”

He accused the politicians of distorting intelligence before the war, failing through arrogance to send in enough troops and denying the seriousness of the insurgency.

“The commitment of our forces to this fight was done with a casualness and a swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions — or bury the results.”

He concluded with a swipe at generals “who know the hard consequences of war but with few exceptions acted timidly when their voices urgently needed to be heard”.

Tom Donnelly, the editor of the Armed Forces Journal, said the new attacks were a grave development. “There is a lot of anger and frustration among army and marine officers.”

[familyop]

"Lieutenant General Greg Newbold. . .said at the weekend that he and other generals had failed their soldiers by not challenging the war hawks."

There we have it, folks. Zinni, typically more wordy and elusive with his message, voiced similar complaints. If they don't like the objectives of the War on Terror, they shouldn't have accepted their commissions to begin with. Maybe they were born 60 years too late and on the wrong side of the pond.

[Enduring Freedom]

What the Democrat-controlled military did for America.

[Enduring Freedom]

Why Rumsfeld must stay on the job.

[Enduring Freedom]

Why do I think you haven't seen this on the Couric News Network?

[Just mythoughts]

Interesting isn't it, Iran is threatening nuclear and we got a few military guys peeing their pants over mean old Rummy.

[Enduring Freedom]

WAKE UP CALL, AMERICA

[Beckwith]

Where is the "leftism behind the effort exposed?"

I even read the original article. I didn't see any leftism exposed. Did I miss something?

[Grut]

If they don't like the objectives of the War on Terror, they shouldn't have accepted their commissions to begin with. Maybe they were born 60 years too late and on the wrong side of the pond.

Say what? Most of them were commissioned in the 60s or 70s. And I don't see them objecting to the objectives of the WOT, but how those objectives have (or haven't) been achieved.

I can hardly wait for the accusations of treason to begin.

[Enduring Freedom]

If President Bush stood in front of a similar graphic with the Iranian and Saudi flags desecrated, and a banner reading "The World Without Islamofacism", the howling and squealing anti-American media would claim it was...

A DECLARATION OF WAR

[rightazrain]

“It speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out from retirement about the leadership climate in the department of defence.”

It sure does. Hope the men who served under you and still wearing the uniform are really proud. Sarcasm tag unnecessary.

[Enduring Freedom]

Get your priorities straight - your country is headed for war.

[Just mythoughts]

"He accused the politicians of distorting intelligence before the war, failing through arrogance to send in enough troops and denying the seriousness of the insurgency."


Here is your leftism, a little triad. Have you not heard the leftist bilge about distorting intelligence (Joe Wilson)???

How about Johnny MacCain and Wille Kristol push to out Rummy because of "Failing through arrogance to send in enough troops" along with a mixture of denying the seriousness of the insurgency". These two even floated the idea that Lieberman, would make a good defense sec. Remember the one who tried to become Vice President with old algore in 2000 whose policy was to NOT count military votes in order to win that election.

[shalom aleichem]

I agree with you. Should have a "gag alert" label. Also, a group of loyal generals should come out in support. Administration can't just ignore the MSM because it will pile on, kick you while you're down and become more emboldened in the face of weakness.

[familyop]

Maybe it will help to give Newbold's comments some fitting color.

Lieutenant General Greg Newbold, the Pentagon's top operations officer from 2000 until October 2002, said at the weekend that he and other generals had failed their soldiers by not challenging the war hawks.

“Never again, we thought [after Vietnam] would our military’s senior leaders remain silent as American troops were marched off to an ill-considered engagement,” he wrote in Time magazine.

“It’s 35 years later and the judgment is in: we have been fooled again.”

[mkjessup]

Get your priorities straight - your country is headed for war.

Ditto that. Anyone who can't see that, be they FR poster or disgruntled retired officers need to pull their head out of their ass and WTF up. SecDef Rumsfeld is the reason America has NOT lost the WOT.

[Enduring Freedom]

Republicans are complete idiots at times.

The Democrats want power at any cost, and will lie, contradict, sell their souls, do and say ANYTHING.

Moronic Republicans debating the merits of such treason at time of war are equally guilty of treason.

[MNJohnnie]

Note to Vietnam Generation. This is not Vietnam. Join the 21st Century. Vietnam has been over from more then 30 years. Get over it.

[Enduring Freedom]

Now you're talkin' to me, baby!

[Just mythoughts]

Ah well there are some that wear the Republican title, when they are just pretenders, makes them just as bad as the lying socialists dims in my book.

[PeteB570]

It is interesting that most of the Generals complaining are two stars.

Swannack's rant was ran in our local rag yesterday. One of the complaints (way down inside) was that Rummy had too much power on who made three stars.

Sounds like most of them got passed over for the third star and are a little POed.

For those who want to know - Be My Little General. 1, 2, 3 and 4 stars. Brigadier General, Major General, Lt General and General.