[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"Maj. Gen. John Batiste was offered three stars if he returned to command in Iraq, but refused because he didn't want to 'work with' Rumsfeld anymore."

That has been posted repeatedly by people who hold views similar to yours but I've not been able to find anything that confirms it.

Convince those of us who are skeptical of the General's motives please.

Michael Frazier

[AntiGuv]

I originally read it in the Washington Post. Here's an article I just Googled up from The Nation:

The Generals Revolt

Batiste commanded an army division in Iraq and was offered three-stars as well as the No. 2 position there. He chose instead to retire rather than continuing to serve under Rumsfeld.

Here it is also at PBS and ABC News.

[AntiGuv]

Here's the Washington Post article where I first saw it: Rumsfeld Rebuked By Retired Generals.

Batiste's comments resonate especially within the Army: It is widely known there that he was offered a promotion to three-star rank to return to Iraq and be the No. 2 U.S. military officer there but he declined because he no longer wished to serve under Rumsfeld. Also, before going to Iraq, he worked at the highest level of the Pentagon, serving as the senior military assistant to Paul D. Wolfowitz, then the deputy secretary of defense.

[kabar]

If you scratch the surface on these flag officers who come out to denounce Rumsfeld, you will usually find that the person has some personal grievance or is seeking a personal gain or both.

After a quick, cursory examination of Baptiste, I found a hint of both. There was some controversy about Baptiste being appointed to a heretofore non-existent job as a Second Deputy Commander Named for V Corps and the Army's unusual explanation, V Corps explains appointment of a second deputy commander. I found it interesting that the second article contained the speculation that, "Some observers of the chessboardlike movement of top generals had thought Batiste a contender for Sanchez’s job. King said nothing could be ruled out."

Was Baptiste unhappy about the way this was handled? Was he upset at Rumsfeld and the Army?

It is also worth noting that approx two weeks before Baptiste went public with his statement about Rumsfeld, he had been named President of Klein Steel. "The newest one is Klein's president, John Batiste. Batiste started just two weeks ago but is already looking toward the company's future. "We want to dominate the Rochester area,” Batiste said. “We want to dominate New York and then, beyond that, New England." Klein Steel

Could Baptiste's ambitious plans for Klein Steel include some free publicity and higher public profile for the new company president?

Baptiste did speak out against the war plan while in uniform in April 2004: US game plan in Iraq questioned. "Two US generals in Iraq have criticised the policy of excluding senior Baath Party members - including Iraqi army officers - from jobs in the post-war administration. Maj Gen John Batiste - commander of the US First Infantry Division - told the New York Times newspaper that it would be a good thing to harness their energies."

Baptiste has been very chummy with the press: " Retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste, now president of Klein Steel Service in Rochester, N.Y., was in Iraq until February 2005 and never turned down a reporter wanting to be embedded. He said that the stories those assignments generated were mostly "wonderful. You have to take a risk. We owe to the citizens of our country to tell them what is going on. You can't cover it from the Green Zone. I share everything with embeds. What we're after is balance. You have to open up; you're foolish not to. I never regretted taking them into my confidence."

The Post and the Whole Picture in Iraq