[Cogadh na Sith]

I'm talking the Abu Ghraib thing, PFC Lynch and that screw up, Pat Tillman killed by friendly fire, Shitsacki beefing about the number of troops.

Y'know, the PR stuff that is so important in this war....

Those were lapses of discipline specific to the Army.

Our performance otherwise has been stunning, but the army is 'a little uneven' in culture and attitude between the support and combat units.

If Rumsfeld was smart enough to figure out that the Crusader artillery vehicle needed to be cancelled, he's OK by me. I worked on it--it was FUBAR and wouldn't work. It was, however, a vehicle that would allow women into field artillery--that's what it was designed to be--no manhandling rounds anymore.

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.

Good thread, eh?

I guess I'm cynical, but I have to view the Abu Graib dust up to be more political than moral. I don't think it serves any purpose in warfare to be cruel, but Abu Graib was was not very cruel.

As far as it being an example specific to the Army, remember that these were mostly reservists commanded by that woman and was pushed by the same media that is pushing the generals. If I remember correctly, much of the damage was done by people with backgrounds in corrections and a few regulars from MI.

I don't understand how you view what happened to the convoy PFC Lynch was riding in as an example of an Army screwup. That platoon was not combat arms and they were unlucky. It's war. So was the death of Ranger Pat Tillman. It has happened in warfare since we started killing each other with projectiles instead of swords. Friendly fire is a bizarre phrase, isn't it.

There really isn't much difference between Shinseki, Zinni and Newbold to speak of. Shinseki got further than up the ladder than the two Marines, and he whined before he got out instead of waiting.

It isn't likely we can win the PR battle against the MSM and the DemocRATs, but the WOT is being won.

Micheal Frazier