Skip to comments.
Britain 'held hostage' by US policy [Britain's top General]
Scotsman (Britain) ^
| 15OCT06
| Brian Brady
Posted on 10/16/2006 2:29:53 AM PDT by familyop
BRITAIN'S top soldier spoke out against the government's handling of the campaign in Iraq because he feared Britain was being "held hostage" by US policy in the region, friends claimed last night.
General Sir Richard Dannatt sparked a furious row over Tony Blair's foreign policy last week when he warned that British troops should leave Iraq soon because they were "exacerbating the security problems" there.
Allies of Sir Richard last night claimed he had been expressing deep concerns shared by colleagues in the highest ranks of the military - and that the real target of his attack was Washington, not London.
"He believes we are being held hostage by American policy in a number of ways," said a senior army officer who served with Dannatt. "The Americans had not done enough planning for the peace that would follow the war-fighting phase.
"We have been the prisoners of American policy failures ever since. That is what a large proportion of our senior military officers think and it is what lies behind Sir Richard's comments."
Sir Richard is believed to favour focusing on the international effort in Afghanistan.
TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 200610; afghanistan; britain; dannat; dannatt; general; iraq; richarddannatt; surrenderjunkies
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-42 next last
1
posted on
10/16/2006 2:29:55 AM PDT
by
familyop
To: familyop
This guy has is still active duty... why?
LLS
2
posted on
10/16/2006 2:59:03 AM PDT
by
LibLieSlayer
(Preserve America... kill terrorists... destroy dims!)
To: familyop
Hmmm, I thought elected officials set foreign policy in the UK. Guess not...
And for the record, we pretty much let British troops secure the peace in their assigned areas however they chose. We all know what happened after their lectures on the gentler kinder way of doing things...
3
posted on
10/16/2006 3:07:20 AM PDT
by
DB
(©)
To: familyop
"...friends claimed last night.
...Allies of Sir Richard last night claimed...
...said a senior army officer who served with Dannatt...."
Now, I thought the guy should have been fired last week with his comments, but this is all from people who say he said things. Sounds like typical tabloid journalism.
4
posted on
10/16/2006 3:44:30 AM PDT
by
rlmorel
(Islamofacism: It is all fun and games until someone puts an eye out. Or chops off a head.)
To: rlmorel
You probably won't want to see this, either, then. I know that I didn't.
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH POLLOCTOBER 2006
ICM Poll
Excerpt:
Q4. When do you think Britain should aim to pull its troops out of Iraq? |
Now |
41% |
By the end of the year |
13% |
By the end of 2008 |
4% |
Should stay until they are no longer needs |
36% |
Don't know / refused |
5% |
|
Q5. When do you think Britain should aim to pull its troops out of Afghanistan |
Now |
41% |
By the end of the year |
11% |
By the end of 2008 |
5% |
Should stay until they are no longer needs |
37% |
Don't know / refused |
6% |
5
posted on
10/16/2006 3:59:29 AM PDT
by
familyop
("G-d is on our side because he hates the Yanks." --St. Tuco, in the "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly")
To: rlmorel
There are uglier survey results on the way from over there.
Poll shows British public agrees with military chief that troops should pull out of Iraq
The Associated Press
by way of the
International Herald Tribune Published: October 15, 2006
LONDON A poll published Sunday said 74 percent of Britons agree with a controversial comment by their country's army chief that British troops should leave Iraq "sometime soon." He also won the support of several top newspapers.
I certainly don't believe that our US forces should cut and run, though. We need to put at least another brigade of our own in Basra to clean up the mess there and finish the job. Cutting Iran off from that part of Iraq would be a good start.
6
posted on
10/16/2006 4:18:56 AM PDT
by
familyop
("G-d is on our side because he hates the Yanks." --St. Tuco, in the "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly")
To: rlmorel
Sounds like typical tabloid journalism. Fortunately it is. Although they're really hammering this angle. However, Sir Richard's most recent remarks claim otherwise.
From the BBC
He later told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that when he talked about pulling out of Iraq "sometime soon", he meant "then when the mission is substantially done we should leave".
"We don't want to be there another two, three, four, five years. We've got to think about this in terms of a reasonable length of time."
He said the view that the presence of UK troops "exacerbates" the problems was "not right across the country", but in parts of it.
And he later said in a statement: "I'm a soldier - we don't do surrender, we don't pull down white flags. We will remain in southern Iraq until the job is done - we're going to see this through."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6046822.stm
To: The_Englishman
sometimes I wonder why these people speak to the media given that anything they say can and will be used against them
8
posted on
10/16/2006 5:19:05 AM PDT
by
Mac1
To: rlmorel
"Sounds like typical tabloid journalis."
Is there any other?
9
posted on
10/16/2006 5:48:42 AM PDT
by
Mi-kha-el
((There is no Pravda in Izvestiya and no Izvestiya in Pravda.))
To: Mi-kha-el
Boy, you hit that one on the head. Seems like that is all we get from the printed media today.
They are Dead Men Walking (the media) and they do not know it.
10
posted on
10/16/2006 5:59:39 AM PDT
by
rlmorel
(Islamofacism: It is all fun and games until someone puts an eye out. Or chops off a head.)
To: rlmorel
"...friends claimed last night.
...Allies of Sir Richard last night claimed...
...said a senior army officer who served with Dannatt...."
Definition of Hearsay.
11
posted on
10/16/2006 6:18:07 AM PDT
by
UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide
(Give Them Liberty Or Give Them Death! - IT'S ISLAM, STUPID! - Islam Delenda Est! - Rumble thee forth)
Comment #12 Removed by Moderator
To: Bwanaman
13
posted on
10/16/2006 2:21:14 PM PDT
by
DB
(©)
To: DB
"malaka"?? I think Bwanaman thinks you're a Brit.......
To: Bwanaman; DB
Bwanaman wrote:
"
malaka"
Here's a link to a definition of "
malaka" for all to see. It's important that Americans see the truth of what's going on in foreign relations.
And while we're at it, "
bwana"...
One difference between the USA and the UK, is that regards for Britons by people in the USA are nearly all positive, while far too many Britons dislike Americans and regard us negatively. There are almost no anti-British statements in US media, while the British media very often spew dishonesty and hardly-veiled hatred against the USA.
15
posted on
10/16/2006 2:53:53 PM PDT
by
familyop
(Roma est perdita)
To: LibLieSlayer
Being ready for evaluation by the antique road show, I remember when General MacArthur became famously insubordinate to President Truman. Despite the disparate popularity of the General and the President, after a certain amount of time, the President prevailed. I don't know much about how the British Parliamentary system works under circumstances like this. I suppose the protocols could be complicated, which may be why resignations over there are more common under such circumstances. If the General resigned and then articulated his reasons, that would probably create a situation of greater profundity than this has. Let's see how the Brits work it out in their way, and it would be interesting to hear from some British freepers as to what, exactly, is going on. Could it be that with parliamentary elections coming up next year, the ruling party wants or needs to have a reason to change its Iraq policy before it goes down to defeat over it?
16
posted on
10/16/2006 3:00:30 PM PDT
by
mathurine
(ua)
To: Bwanaman
17
posted on
10/16/2006 3:02:55 PM PDT
by
monkeywrench
(Deut. 27:17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's landmark)
To: familyop
One difference between the USA and the UK, is that regards for Britons by people in the USA are nearly all positive, while far too many Britons dislike Americans and regard us negatively. There are almost no anti-British statements in US media, while the British media very often spew dishonesty and hardly-veiled hatred against the USA.The only Americans I hate are the ones that are being dishonest about Britain. Let's take this stage by stage -
The polls you posted show a majority against leaving "now". Still, let's also consider how questions are phrased - if people in the United States were asked if they would prefer that their boys are home or fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan, how would they answer? No one sane wants their lads to be in danger. It's a question if they understand why they're there and want to see it through.
Secondly, as The Englishman quite rightly showed, you're helping to spread a tabloid myth. Sir Richard was quoted out of context - congratulations, you're the waterboy for the media. You're doing their dirty work.
You're also doing Osama's dirty work by trying to undermine the image of Britain (and other countries) in the eyes of Americans and thus divide the alliance. I have to say if America wants to turn its back on Britain, fine, it's their choice. But before they respond to your cheap propaganda, perhaps they ought to consider the fine young people who have been killed fighting alongside America before they consider anything you have to say.
Ivan
18
posted on
10/16/2006 3:08:05 PM PDT
by
MadIvan
(I aim to misbehave.)
To: mathurine
It just could be. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Isn't it funny that General Douglas MacArthur was angry because he wanted to fight to Absolute Victory, while a sitting dim President would settle for something far less. Today we have ALL members of the Military wanting to fight this thing to Absolute Victory, and sitting dim congress-critters and Senators want to settle for appeasement and surrender.
I would pay Any amount of money to see General George Patton slap the sh!t out of lurch! "We have no place in this Country for a coward like you. I should, BY GOD, take you outside and shoot your yellow a$$ right between the eyes"!
LLS
19
posted on
10/16/2006 3:32:03 PM PDT
by
LibLieSlayer
(Preserve America... kill terrorists... destroy dims!)
To: MadIvan
Foreign relations problems need to be solved--not covered up. The following shows attitudes of Britons toward the USA. People in the USA do not have such attitudes toward Britons.
June 26-28, 2006
[Excerpts:]
Also taking everything into account, would you say your overallopinion of the US has...? %
Gone up a lot in recent years 3
Gone up a little in recent years 17
Gone down a little in recent years 47
Gone down a lot in recent years 22
Don't know 11
How much confidence do you have in the ability of the United
States to deal wisely with present world problems?
Very great confidence 1 Considerable confidence 11
Little confidence 39
Very Little confidence 28
None at all 16
Don't know 6
How would you rate George W. Bush as a world leader?
He is a great leader 1
He is reasonably satisfactory
15
He is a pretty poor leader 34
He is a terrible leader 43
Don't know 7
Do you think the American forces are doing a good job or a bad
job of helping to bring democracy to Iraq?
Yes, they are doing a good job of helping to bring democracy to 24
No, they are not doing a good job of helping to bring democracy 54
Don't know 23
Some people claim that the United States is essentially an
imperial power, one that wants to dominate the world by one
means or another. Do you think it is, or is not, fair to describe %
American as an imperial power?
Yes, it is fair to describe America in that way 58
No, it is not fair to describe America in that way 28
Don't know 14
Here is a list of paired words and phrase.
Which word or phrase in each pair do you think more accurately
describes the United States today? %
Caring 19
Uncaring 60
Don't know 21
Divided by class 63
Relatively classless 26
Don't know 12
Vulgar 65
Sophisticated 9
Don't know 26
Well led 10
Badly led 75
Don't know 14
Cultured 23
Uncultured 56
Don't know 22
Religious 61
Irreligious 14
Don't know 25
20
posted on
10/16/2006 6:28:56 PM PDT
by
familyop
(Roma est perdita)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-42 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson