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McCaffrey Paints Gloomy Picture of Iraq
Washington Post ^ | 3-28-2007 | Thomas E. Ricks

Posted on 03/28/2007 4:40:00 AM PDT by Types_with_Fist

An influential retired Army general released a dire assessment of the situation in Iraq, based on a recent round of meetings there with Gen. David H. Petraeus and 16 other senior U.S. commanders.

“The population is in despair,” retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey wrote in an eight-page document compiled in his capacity as a professor at West Point. “Life in many of the urban areas is now desperate.”

McCaffrey is widely respected in the military, having fought in the Vietnam War, commanded a division in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and later served as the commander for U.S. military operations in Central America and South America. After retiring, he became President Bill Clinton’s director of drug policy.

McCaffrey, who has met twice with President Bush to discuss the war, most recently in December, was scheduled to brief White House officials on his conclusions late yesterday.

His report also lists several reasons for some new optimism, noting that since the arrival of Petraeus last month, “the situation on the ground has clearly and measurably improved.”

Nevertheless, his bottom line is that the U.S. military is in “strategic peril” — a sharp contrast to his previous views. In 2005, he concluded in a similar report that “momentum is now clearly with the Iraqi government and coalition security forces.” In a 2006 assessment, he wrote: “It was very encouraging for me to see the progress achieved in the past year.”

(Excerpt) Read more at kerryfoxlive.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: iraqwar; mccaffrey
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1 posted on 03/28/2007 4:40:02 AM PDT by Types_with_Fist
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To: Types_with_Fist

This guy has gone back and forth on this.


2 posted on 03/28/2007 4:41:10 AM PDT by Types_with_Fist (I'm on FReep so often that when I read an article at another site I scroll down for the comments.)
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To: Types_with_Fist

1 out of 16 plus Petraeus and this is news.


3 posted on 03/28/2007 4:52:35 AM PDT by nativist
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To: Types_with_Fist

Did you know, the guy was in Vietnam? OK, now the obligatory is out of the way -- Now if he would opnly get out more, he might be useful, otherwise, trash bin.

Reminds me of a turtle I once knew, had three broke legs and wondered why his world was so small.


4 posted on 03/28/2007 4:55:39 AM PDT by Tarpon
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To: Types_with_Fist
What a surprise coming from bubba's butt boy.

It's all about smoothing the way for hitlery now.

5 posted on 03/28/2007 4:57:34 AM PDT by OldFriend ( TOM DeLAY FAN)
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To: Types_with_Fist

McCaffrey seeking the spotlight of significance the only way he knows how- by focusing on the negative to the point of disaster.


6 posted on 03/28/2007 4:57:59 AM PDT by TADSLOS (Islam is the non-dissolving flavah bomb in the melting pot of civilization.)
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To: Types_with_Fist

The Clintonistas keep babbling.


7 posted on 03/28/2007 5:20:23 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: Types_with_Fist
His report also lists several reasons for some new optimism...

Bipolar?

8 posted on 03/28/2007 5:24:42 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: Tarpon
Did you know, the guy was in Vietnam? OK, now the obligatory is out of the way -- Now if he would opnly get out more, he might be useful, otherwise, trash bin.

He was just in Iraq, meeting with General Petreaus. Does that not count as "getting out more"?

9 posted on 03/28/2007 5:25:24 AM PDT by Steel Wolf (If every Republican is a RINO, then no Republican is a RINO.)
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To: Types_with_Fist
McGafferty is a Heavy Armor General with utterly no experience in Counter Insurgency. He is a favorite of the Junk Media as a "military expert". He knows which side his bread is buttered on and is merely telling his Junk Media bosses what they want to hear. His opinion on Iraq is utterly useless.

BTW, this makes the 5th switch on the topic he has made. How do you know he simply will not change his mind again?

10 posted on 03/28/2007 5:54:46 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (If you will try being smarter, I will try being nicer.)
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To: Steel Wolf
His report also lists several reasons for some new optimism, noting that since the arrival of Petraeus last month, “the situation on the ground has clearly and measurably improved.

And of course, as usual, the Junk Media ignores the meat of his report to exaggerate and hype the negative. New day, Same spin lines from the Junk Media

11 posted on 03/28/2007 5:57:26 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (If you will try being smarter, I will try being nicer.)
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To: Types_with_Fist

This man is in the employ of NBC and MSNBC. Take what he says with a ton of salt.


12 posted on 03/28/2007 6:15:37 AM PDT by mort56
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To: Steel Wolf

Did he take off his blinders? Leave the green zone? Doubtful. The guy is a Bush hating windbag, regardless where he is.


13 posted on 03/28/2007 6:21:43 AM PDT by Tarpon
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To: Tarpon
Did he take off his blinders? Leave the green zone? Doubtful. The guy is a Bush hating windbag, regardless where he is.

I don't know, I imagine he got out as far as General Petraeus. Which is to say, if he left a secure area, it was only to fly to another.

I'm no fan of McCafferty. I think he's a clown enamoured of his own media visibility. But he's been well recieved by FReepers over the last few years, as a Clintonite who was nevertheless seeing positive trends in Iraq. Even in this article, he had some good things to say.

So, maybe he's not the one wearing blinders?

14 posted on 03/28/2007 6:31:27 AM PDT by Steel Wolf (If every Republican is a RINO, then no Republican is a RINO.)
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To: Tarpon

I believe he commanded Clinton's "War on Drugs". What was the outcome of that War?


15 posted on 03/28/2007 6:32:01 AM PDT by Old Retired Army Guy
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To: Old Retired Army Guy

Man the life boats, the War on Drugs is flooding the lands.


16 posted on 03/28/2007 6:32:54 AM PDT by Tarpon
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To: Types_with_Fist

And you are doing your part to help.


17 posted on 03/28/2007 6:46:26 AM PDT by Unicorn (Too many wimps around.)
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To: Types_with_Fist
“The population is in despair,” retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey wrote in an eight-page document compiled in his capacity as a professor at West Point. “Life in many of the urban areas is now desperate.”


Is he talking about Iraq or the "War on Drugs?"
18 posted on 03/28/2007 7:03:24 AM PDT by macamadamia
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To: MNJohnnie
BTW, this makes the 5th switch on the topic he has made. How do you know he simply will not change his mind again?

While I never thought I'd have to stand up for Barry McCafferty twice in one day, I'd have to say that anyone who thinks that Iraq is utterly doomed or destined to succeed is either ignorant or a fanatic. Iraq has had ups and downs, and the industry thinking on it has evolved tremendously over the last 4 years. The fact that his observations swing good and bad is because there's a lot of objectvely good and bad to see. People who always predict success or failure are selling something, but it's not expertise.

McCafferty, clown media darling that he is, still takes himself quite seriously, and believes what he's saying. I tend to disagree with him, as I think he's a pompous fool. But he's a genuine one. He's not an outright opinion pimp like Wesley Clark, who was always far more politician than officer, and now no longer has to pretend otherwise.

19 posted on 03/28/2007 7:08:49 AM PDT by Steel Wolf (If every Republican is a RINO, then no Republican is a RINO.)
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To: Types_with_Fist

Ricks has a vested interest in our failure. His "Fiasco" book will not sell if Iraq succeeds.


20 posted on 03/28/2007 10:19:43 AM PDT by Dilbert56
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