Posted on 12/17/2006 5:14:36 PM PST by STARWISE
The former secretary of state Colin Powell said Sunday that badly overstretched U.S. forces in Iraq were losing the war there and that a temporary U.S. troop surge probably would not help.
In one of his few commentaries on the war since leaving office, Powell quickly added that the situation could be reversed. He recommended an intense coalition effort to train and support Iraqi security forces and strengthen the government in Baghdad. Powell was deeply skeptical about increasing troop levels, an idea that appears to be gaining ground as President George W. Bush weighs U.S. strategy options.
"There really are no additional troops" to send, Powell said, adding that he agreed with those who say that the U.S. Army is "about broken."
He said he was unsure that new troops could suppress sectarian violence or secure Baghdad.
He urged the United States to do everything possible to prepare Iraqis to take over lead responsibility; the "baton pass," he said, should begin by mid-2007.
"We are losing — we haven't lost — and this is the time, now, to start to put in place the kinds of strategies that will turn this situation around," Powell said on CBS-TV.
(snip)
Powell endorsed .... group idea: opening talks with Syria and Iran.
He has kept a low public profile since leaving office in January 2005, but has emerged at points in the debate over Iraq to weigh in, as when he said that Iraq was embroiled in civil war.
(snip)
A troop increase, he said Sunday, "cannot be sustained." The thousands of additional U.S. soldiers sent into Baghdad since the summer had been unable to stabilize the city and more probably could not tip the balance, Powell said. The deployment of further troops would, moreover, impose long-term costs on a badly stretched military.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
And the BS just keeps flying...
Jeez...one time cuttin' off the head of the snake an, killin' it; the next, he's petting the snake. I'm confused. Is this rational? Pod person?
Powell carried President Bush's messages to General Schwartzkoff. Basically he was a glorified messenger boy.
"Powell was always a political officer. Has almost no Command time."
Blatant misinformation. Powell was a BNCO in 1973, and commanded V Corps.
"After completing the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Ranger Course, and Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, General Powell was stationed as a lieutenant in Germany. Subsequent operational assignment took him to Fort Denvens, Massachusetts; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and Fort Carson, Colorado. General Powell served two tours in Vietnam from 1962 to 1963 and1968 to 1969. He was also a battalion commander in Korea from 1973 to 1974. He later commanded the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and the U.S. Army's V Corps in Germany. Prior to being named Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he served as the Commander in Chief, Forces Command headquartered at Fort McPherson, Georgia.
In addition to his selection as a White House Fellow in 1972, General Powell's assignments in Washington, D.C. included duty as Senior Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense and as Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. He served as Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Energy for a brief period. In December1987, President Ronald Reagan named General Powell as the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, a post in which he served until January 1989."
So Reagan chose a liberal do-nothing dolt?
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/inauguration/transition/powell.html
I hope he runs, so he can get less than 1% in the primaries. He is a useless POS that got credit when it wasn't due in the first Gulf War. Stormin' Norman was the hero, not this jerk. I have no respect for this career political soldier.
Powell is an interesting case. Why would a person like him, who has behaved like he has, have devoted his his life to the military? He is obviously a traitor but this guy is a General! How in the world did he manage to get to the level he achieved? Racial quotas? Stupid superior officers? I've never been in the military so I have no frame of reference to gauge the militaries' compitence in promoting officers. The guy is certainly no Omar Bradley or Dwight Eisenhower. Would it actually be possible for a black racist, wallowing in self pity, to work his way up the ranks to become a general without messing up enough somewhere during the 20 - 30 years it would take to do it, and then to become Secretary of Defense before anyone realized what he actually was. Wow, it's hard to understand.
At one time I would've voted for this guy for President. Now, hell no.
"Secretary Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years, during which time he held myriad command and staff positions and rose to the rank of 4-star General. He was Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs from December 1987 to January 1989. His last assignment, from October 1, 1989 to September 30, 1993, was as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense. During this time, he oversaw 28 crises, including Operation Desert Storm in the victorious 1991 Persian Gulf war."
General Powell received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation from CCNY in June 1958.
http://www.state.gov/secretary/former/40385.htm
And you call him a traitor because he states the obvious?
I am beginning to feel the same. Although that might be Free Republic.
One thing for sure, one, anyone, will ONLY get national exposure through the window of the media matrix, by not supporting our President, and I'm not a total Bush supporter (too much a CFR puppet). The hate is tangible.
Powell's resume is impressive; his public statements lately are not.
Colin Powel has proved himself a political lightweight.
It appears he rose in the upper ranks due to his skill at being just another Washington DC. beltway manipulator rather than true leadership.
What a dissapointment.
Powell appears to be posturing for a position on the Democrat ticket or Democrat Cabinet in 2008...
ANY retired General who speaks to the press while forces are in harm's way and reports they are "losing" -- is an indefensible asshole.
Frank conversations about the nature of the war -- should be held in the appropriate arena, and the press is NOT that arena. Powell carries no portfolio to be making this sort of assessment or announcement.
Powell has jumped the shark to his eternal regret...
Semper Fi
The republican party has more or less become RINOs and affirmative action minoritys..
2008 awaits.. (jaws theme..) The great White Shark is pregnant with malificence and shes hungry..
Let us peruse the military resume's of Paul Wolfowitz, the erstwhile Deputy Secretary of Defense that championed the Iraq intervention, and his most recent successor:
"On February 5, 2001, President Bush announced his intention to nominate Dr. Paul Wolfowitz to be Deputy Secretary of Defense. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 28th and sworn in March 2, 2001 as the 28th Deputy Secretary of Defense. This is Dr. Wolfowitz's third tour of duty in the Pentagon."
"For the last seven years, Dr. Wolfowitz has served as Dean and Professor of International Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of The Johns Hopkins University. SAIS is widely regarded as one of the world's leading graduate schools of international relations with 750 students, studying on campuses in Washington, D.C.; Nanjing, China; and Bologna, Italy. As Dean, he led a successful capital campaign that raised more than $75 million and doubled the school's endowment."
"From 1989 to 1993, Dr. Wolfowitz served as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in charge of the 700-person defense policy team that was responsible to Secretary Dick Cheney for matters concerning strategy, plans, and policy. During this period Secretary Wolfowitz and his staff had major responsibilities for the reshaping of strategy and force posture at the end of the Cold War."
"Dr. Wolfowitz's previous government service included:
Two years as head of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff (1981-82):
An earlier Pentagon tour as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Regional Programs (1977-80), where he helped create the force that later became the United States Central Command and initiated the Maritime Pre-positioning Ships, the backbone of the initial U.S. deployment twelve years later in Operation Desert Shield;
Four years (1973-77) in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, working on the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and a number of nuclear nonproliferation issues; and
A year as a Management Intern at the Bureau of the Budget (1966-67)."
http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/wolfowitz.html
"Gordon England is the 29th Deputy Secretary of Defense. He previously served as the 72nd and 73rd Secretary of the Navy and as the first Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Prior to joining the administration of President George W. Bush, Mr. England served as President of the General Dynamics Fort Worth Aircraft Company (later Lockheed), President of the General Dynamics Land Systems Company and as corporate Executive Vice President of General Dynamics Information Systems and Technology Sector, Ground Combat Systems Sector and the International Sector. His business career spanned over 40 years as an engineer and senior executive.
A native of Baltimore, Mr. England graduated from the University of Maryland in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. In 1975 he earned a master's degree in business administration from the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University and is a member of business, engineering and leadership honor societies.
Mr. England has served in a variety of civic, charitable and government organizations, including serving as a city councilman; Vice Chair, national Board of Goodwill, International; the USO's Board of Governors; the Defense Science Board; the Board of Visitors at Texas Christian University; and many others.
He has been recognized for numerous professional and service contributions by multiple universities and organizations."
http://www.defenselink.mil/Bios/BiographyDetail.aspx?BiographyID=47
And General Powell gets called a traitor for criticising the military prowess of these two political hacks?
Bump to that. This shmuck thought about running for POTUS at one time. There were plenty people who wanted it at the time, some here too. There's a reason he was SECofSTATE and not SECofDEFENSE. Kind of like all the folks that think Condi should be POTUS, many here too......
What the hell is going on? Are we in that much of a need to have a Black POTUS at any cost? How about Barack? He's at least half black.
I'm sick of this crap.
Merry Christmas.
FMCDH(BITS)
There are some minor things that could be blown up by some here but when he stayed quiet about the Plame affair for 3 years and left the president and his administration hang out to dry and let the Dems crucify him, that was a dishonorable thing to do. He was not only the Secretary of State but a four star retired General, I can never forgive him for that. To this day he has not commented on it and that is cowardly, IMO.
Hmmm.... I wonder if he's been hangin' out with Jimmuh and Jack and Skerry lately??
Major bump to that. Maybe colin will run for POTUS with jimmahC as his VP.
FMCDH(BITS)
EXACTLY!! Well said!
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