Pentagon Investigates Top General Franks

CNN ^

[areafiftyone]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon has launched an investigation into allegations of possible misconduct by the man who would lead U.S. forces in the event of a military strike on Iraq, CNN has learned.

Army Gen. Tommy Franks, the head of the U.S. Central Command, has been under investigation for some weeks now by the Pentagon inspector general's office. It is not clear how serious the allegations are, or what direction the probe has taken.

[RecentConvert]

I smell a rat!

[Stingray51]

Spouses SLEEP with those who have top secret information. Does anyone for a moment think that these highly intelligent women are in the dark? It's ridiculous.

I think you are absolutely wrong. Franks has no business sharing highly classified information with anyone, repeat anyone, not cleared for it. No wives, no gay lovers, no barbers, nobody. Maybe congressional staffers and others are casual with secrets, but four star generals should know better.

[Stingray51]

And, by the way, I am not contending that this actually happened. Hopefully, it did not.

[FR_addict]

I consider the charges very serious, but I hope you and Proud Legions are correct and the charges are trumped up by his enemies.

[ken5050]

Not for nothing is it called the "puzzle palace"....

Seriously, if Rummy wanted Franks out....I believe he would have done so, or allowed Tommy to "retire" under some pretext...it's not hard to do....dummy up a medical diagnosis.....

[doug from upland]

Ken, I don't know, but it certainly is appropriate.

[woodyinscc]

"He will be the man in charge throughout this campaign...believe me"

Welcome aboard!! And thank you for the outstanding post.

President Bush stood behind him when the leftist press was all over him, two wks into Afg. He did in two mos what the Russians couldn't do in ten yrs.

[ken5050]

Thanks for the info.......assuming that you're legit and who you say you are.....( and if you recall 'Deep in the Hurtgen Forest' you know why I say that)..what's curious to me in the charges is the insinuation that two of Franks' top commanders were aware of the initial charges and chose to do nothing....it's hard to believe that they wouldn't have had a heart-to-heart with Franks and told him he needed to do some "fence-mending"...unless they were'nt looking to protect their boss..in which case the whole senior command is so filled with petty jealousy that it needs to be replaced BEFORE we send troops in harm's way..

[JennysCool]

Thank you for that insight! Welcome to FR!

[evad]

You think they could back off for a few weeks?

Never!

It's what they do..
it's all they do..
and they won't stop..
EVER!

[OldCorps]

Is Rumsfeld being cagey?

In a word, yes.

You have to have served some time in the puzzle palace to learn how to read between the lines. The investigation by the IG is just the usual bs that general officers have to put up with. Remember the witch hunt during the clinton years for anyone who had an extramarital affair? Thank you LTG Claudia Kennedy, you worthless, hitlery loving, PC destroyer of the army.

[xzins]

Sting, what you say is what the rules might be. But what you say is not what really takes place.

First, highly classified probably starts at about the "Secret" level. Heck, everything a 4 star knows is Secret. That's just a fact. Every opinion, every detail, every everything. (Except who won the superbowl and what's on sale at the PX.)

Second, the leaders talk to one another. Their spouses are generally pretty intelligent people. They can put things together. I've watched it in action.

Anyone who says otherwise is lying to you.

So, you're a 4 star regional commander and you call Col So & So down to Florida to meet you at your puzzle palace. While there the Col gets invited to some event. "Hi Dear, this is Col S&S. He's Cdr of the 1st S&T of Ft Campbell's 101st.

Later that night you hear them in a conversation about special weapons, or night assaults, or etc., etc., etc.

What suspicions do you have?

[Redbob]

"I heard something about allegations that he is not "all-beef," was not cutting the mustard, and that they grilled him, confirmed their wurst fears, noted that he was on a roll, and realized that their suspicions were pretty much in the ball park...."

Can't you be series for once?
Sheesh, I guess I'll just go take a shower...

[Stingray51]

I don't doubt that the spouses are highly intelligent and in many cases more so than their husbands. But if I read the article right, it used the term "highly classified", which to me implies something more than a bunch of stuff stamped "confidential" or "secret" that you could read in the newspaper. I would also say that although a certain amount of "pillow talk" leakage to spouses is to be expected, I have never heard of a spouse actually attending a briefing that included top secret / sci information. That would be downright weird.
So again, hopefully, nothing like this happened. I have no suspicion either way.

[Mr. Mojo]

Rumsfeld Quietly Sidesteps General Franks With Proven Airborne Ranger Warfighter.

[Man of the Right]

This is idiotic. Unless he kidnapped the Lindbergh baby, let him focus on the war. I suspect a possible Clintonian plot here.

[xzins]

present during discussions of highly classified material

This article says it this way for a reason. It doesn't say "invited to official briefings."

It says "present."

It is clear that this is a political "hit" taking place. Like Franks or not, this is no way to move someone aside. If you want him aside, just take the political heat and move him aside. Say you don't like his leadership style, that you have different visions, etc. How about just having the manhood to say you want to change?!!

But don't use this cheap trick.

[tracer]

If I'm too series these days I just creye....

[txradioguy]

Franks isn't a weenie. Trust me on that one. I think he was just doing what every other General has done or is doing. Someone just decided to rat him out for some reason. If was trying to hide anything, why then would he ask for the incestigation to be conducted and help with it?

[tracer]

I forgot to caution you against getting in a lather and letting everything go down the drain. The soap operas are dry and can wait, and, besides, the actors for the most part are all washed up......