Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Gulf war figures question Iraq plan: Schwarzkopf says U.S. needs a coalition
MSNBC ^ | August 16, 2002 | MNSBC

Posted on 08/16/2002 11:22:11 AM PDT by ejdrapes

http://www.msnbc.com/news/788858.asp

Key figures involved in the Persian Gulf War have questioned America’s preparedness for another attack on Iraq. Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft say international support is critical for a campaign to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

SCHWARZKOPF, SPEAKING on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” also argued that the United States will need better intelligence before it attempts a “regime change” in Iraq. He noted that during the Persian Gulf War, when he led the international coalition that defeated Iraq, the military was never able to locate Saddam Hussein. Schwarzkopf commanded a force that involved more than 40 nations in 1991 and the general said a coalition in favor of ousting Saddam was essential. “We have to have that kind of support,” he said. Schwarzkopf told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews on Thursday that a military campaign without the assistance of Saudi Arabia would be difficult. More than 200,000 American troops were based in the desert kingdom during the 1991 war but the Saudi leaders have refused to help in a new attack on Iraq.

Separately, Scowcroft, a former national security adviser to President Gerald Ford and former President George Bush, warned against moving on Baghdad while the war on terrorism in progress. In the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, he wrote there was little evidence linking Saddam to terrorist organizations and “he is unlikely to risk his investment in weapons of mass destruction, much less his country, by handing such weapons to terrorists who would use them for their own purposes.”

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


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 201-215 next last
To: Always A Marine
"Warfare is not magic... "

Hey look here - you can't tell this to a bunch of war mongers who want their own war on their own timetable. They pose as 'generals'. They probably never even wore a boy scout uniform.

What does Powell, Scowcroft, Schwarzkopf, and the Joint Chiefs know about war and protecting American lives compared to these know-it-alls.

21 posted on 08/16/2002 12:10:57 PM PDT by ex-snook
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: demlosers
Many of those nation say things for public [Islamic] consumption.

Does that apply to Germany as well?
22 posted on 08/16/2002 12:13:06 PM PDT by Belial
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: gcochran
It's amazing how many people here know more about this than Schwartzkopf.

Oh I forgot. He has been annointed a strategic planner, and a geopolitician by Chris Matthews. He used to be a field general.

23 posted on 08/16/2002 12:14:11 PM PDT by Stentor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: ex-snook
The American interest is to solve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute pronto.

Yeah, sure.....The Israeli-Palestinian dispute is the root of all our problems internationally, eh? Bullsh/t. And anyway, how do you propose we solve this dispute? It's been tried a million times, and a million times it's failed. Try to comprehend this is you can: Palestinian terrorist orgs and their state sponsors don't want peace. The state sponsors, in particular, see perpetual war between the Israelis and Palestinians as convenient way to divert the attention of their Jidadist populaces away from their own dictatorial regimes and onto an external enemy -- Israel.

24 posted on 08/16/2002 12:16:07 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Always A Marine
Gulf War I - The Coalition (&UN) defined the mission.

Gulf War II - The mission will define the coalition.

25 posted on 08/16/2002 12:16:27 PM PDT by Jambe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: MinuteGal
General Schwarzkoph and LtGen Scowcroft are two of the most clued-in retired officers around, and are well aware of what we do and don't know. When they speak publicly, you can bet that they are speaking on behalf of senior uniformed leadership which has been muzzled by Rumsfeld. There are no great secrets which Dubya and Rumsfeld are harboring -- there is just a huge difference of opinion about the threshhold of a just war upon a nation which has not attacked us.

By the way, Dick Armey has also seen the evidence. Is he a traitor to the GOP for voicing his principled opposition to going to war against Iraq?

26 posted on 08/16/2002 12:17:08 PM PDT by Always A Marine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: MinuteGal
The President and Defense Secretary Rummy beg to differ with you, and they're not telling you or anyone what it is.

If they had hard evidence linking Hussein to terrorists, they would at least share it with world leaders, as they did before the Afghanistan operations.

Right now, we're considering reclassifying a missing pilot as a pretext for attacking Iraq. That's desperation.
27 posted on 08/16/2002 12:20:58 PM PDT by Belial
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: ejdrapes
Gen. Schwarzkopt, I think the way to get future allies is to show that we don't need them, they need us. This time, we're taking down Saddam's regime. Who cares where he is, he can hide in some bunker for the next 40 years. Where's Adolf Hitler?
28 posted on 08/16/2002 12:24:48 PM PDT by Kermit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jambe
The mission will define the coalition.

Sounds good -- that is the correct principle. But what is the mission? And what is the billigerent act upon which the mission is based?

Wars are very easy to get into, and many here seem very anxious to jump in and watch it on television. But wars are sometimes impossible to stop, and often take unintended turns. We'd better be damned sure what were are getting into and why. The military has seen the evidence, and has many, many doubts...

29 posted on 08/16/2002 12:25:01 PM PDT by Always A Marine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: weikel
I can't believe Stormin Normin is spouting this crap...

I have served under "Stormin Normin" .... I'm glad I never served under YOU! When someone like that speaks, you had better just shut up and listen.
30 posted on 08/16/2002 12:28:11 PM PDT by Yasotay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: weikel
No offense, but the general has a proven track record of leadership, strategic skill, dispassionate logical analysis, common sense, and conservative credentials. His opinions carry a good bit more weight than a know-it-all college kid, regardless of whether the college punk is conservo/libertarian.

Some might want to consider the background and character of who they belittle before flippantly "spouting off."
31 posted on 08/16/2002 12:28:17 PM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: zarf
"Calm down. This ain't Gulf War II. Bush is thinking out of the box and has bigger fish to fry."

Okay, and bless you..I was hoping to "hear" this.

32 posted on 08/16/2002 12:29:05 PM PDT by Right_in_Virginia
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Always A Marine
I called none of the names you listed a "traitor", for starters.

Furthermore, there's no more deader fish than retired generals and even retired CEO's. They may be revered, admired, honored and listened to politely, but it's always the leaders in the catbird seats that do the filtering and deciding.

We have a difference of opinion, AAM. Only time will tell if the two retirees hearing back-door military scuttlebutt are correct or not. I put my pesos on Mssrs. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and those who know daily the complete picture of what's going on.

Leni

33 posted on 08/16/2002 12:35:29 PM PDT by MinuteGal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Always A Marine
Perhaps, perhaps not. You stated that these countries were onboard, but vital logistics are not based upon mere assumptions.

I don't think the Bush administration is making any logistical assumptions.

Wolfowitz was in Turkey just recently and I'm sure they are on-board.
The Air Force did in-large a small Airbase on Qatar to handle about anything in our inventory. Bahrain is a quite player with airbase facilities that we use frequently. A little tidbit about Bahrain.
We foresaw the Saudis complaining years ago about attacking Iraq from Al Kharg, SA. So we moved logistical assets to Bahrain. Fighter A/C from Al Kharg could then depart "Als Garage" and touch-and-go from Bahrain to attack the Iraqis ground targets enforcing the Southern no-fly zone. The Saudis could then claim the attack did not originate from SA.
On Kuwait, we have about 10,000 troops there at this moment. The bases are in place. I believe Kuwaitis are playing lip service to other Arabs. Bush should have no problem getting these guys on-board, Hell, the U.S. did saved their little butts from Saddam before.

34 posted on 08/16/2002 12:36:00 PM PDT by demlosers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Belial
Does that apply to Germany as well?

Germany has elections coming up in September. Gerhard Schroeder comments is playing to his farthest left of center of his base, and to the Greens who the SPD party share government power. He's trying to secure his base. It looks like him and his party are in trouble and may indeed lose the elections to the CDU.

35 posted on 08/16/2002 12:50:39 PM PDT by demlosers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Yasotay; Diddle E. Squat
Saudi Arabia no offense is the main enemy they won't help us and I don't think we need them this can all be done by sea.
36 posted on 08/16/2002 12:50:51 PM PDT by weikel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Yasotay
Im not an Iraq hawk BTW I rather go after the Saudis the real culprits of 9/11. I respect the general but there should be no talk of needing the Saudis now.
37 posted on 08/16/2002 12:53:12 PM PDT by weikel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: ejdrapes
Et tu Norman?
38 posted on 08/16/2002 12:53:25 PM PDT by OldFriend
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Always A Marine
I rather go after Saudi Arabia then Iraq( a secular country which produces few terrorist). Whats the opinion of military men on going after the Saudis. Wahabbi Islam needs to be utterly exterminated any one who will not change religions needs to be put to the sword. Whats the opinion of the officier corp on that.
39 posted on 08/16/2002 12:55:10 PM PDT by weikel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: ex-snook
I couldn't disagree with you more.
40 posted on 08/16/2002 1:13:32 PM PDT by The Vast Right Wing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 201-215 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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson