On a local radio talk show this morning, was a man who claimed to be a 16-year special forces officer.
He said we are fighting a loser war in Iraq.
He said there are 40,000 now within the Green Zone, and so many thousands more within the FOBs (Forward Operating Bases).
He said we are fighting this war Vietnam style, a loser strategy. We send our fighters outside the perimeter, to be shot at and exposed to IED's, during daylight, and then they retreat back inside the FOB perimeter at night, allowing the bad guys to retake the city. Over and over, every day. Repeat process, every day.
What he suggested, is that a hard-core Special Forces General be the ground commander, and that our forces go out and take the city, and hold it, night and day. Snipers on the rooftops, patrols, with night vision technology. Fight a guerrilla war like guerrillas, on their level. Except that the hardcore Special Forces commanders have not been invited. If not, why not?
Any thoughts?
You obviously didn't listen to the President's recent speech about the increase in troop strength. You also haven't been following recent news stories to closely. The reason the troops pulled back after clearing an area was that their were not sufficient troops, coalition and/or Iraqi, to hold them. That's Bush's fault, and he likely got that advice from Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld is out, and the President seems to be getting different advice now.
We've got a Marine as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, we've put the General who literally wrote the book on fighting insurgencies in as the Commander on the ground in Iraq, and for the first time ever, put a Carrier Admiral in charge of CentCom.
How about the former commander of the 101st Airborne who commanded it during the initial invasion of Iraq? He's just been named Commander of the Coalition forces in Iraq. Earlier he commanded a battalion in the 101st, and a brigade in the 82nd. Not special ops, but definitely a down and dirty bunch. Or is a paratrooper just too "wimpy" for you? Additionally he's most recently been the commander of the Combined Arms Center at Ft. Leavenworth.
As for "Top Special Forces generals, the Chief of Staff of the Army, http://www.army.mil/leaders/leaders/csa/biography.html> General Peter Schoomaker, was pulled out of retirement in 2003 to become the CoS. He was Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command from July 1994 to August 1996, followed by command of the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina through October 1997. His most recent assignment prior to assuming duties as the Army Chief of Staff was as Commander in Chief, United States Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, from November 1997 to November 2000. He's also served with and commanded more conventional units as well.
"Top" and "Special" enough for you?