Joseph Galloway - Analysis: Rumsfeld presses Franks to attack

Knight-Ridder Newspapers | March 27, 2003 | JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY

[D-fendr]

One thing we can be sure of: Neither Galloway, nor the press, nor we know our strategic plan for winning in Iraq. And no one in a position to know is going to put anything out that can help the enemy deduce our plan. If anything they will attempt to subtly mislead.

[seams2me]

Have y'all considered, they may know something about impending chem/bio attacks, and want to get this the hell over with?

[Mister Magoo]

Galloway's seen a few fanatical fighters, and now he assumes that the remainder of the resistance will be consistently so. I respectfully disagree. I think once the Guard is smashed, the regime will quickly fall.

[cactusSharp]

yep but I bet this is all a smoke screen...up from the south.....down from the north.....wanna bet Iraq is taken down from within ? I bet the plan was and is the sp/ops
and Iraqi opposition are wating for the " bingo, got your back" signal and Iraq falls from within.

[STONEWALLS]

"and to divert 2,000 Marines from the Horn of Africa......"

what's this?!!...have we got troops back in Somalia again?

Stonewalls

[Diddle E. Squat]

Well if Rumsfeld deserves it, then let the press beat him up. Reading between the lines of almost every analyst(not just the retired negative ninnies and media doom spinsters) it does appear some major judgement errors have been made. Don't really see a reason to have been so stingy in deployment, other than ego/experiment.

I'll hold off from drawing conclusions, but there are real questions that can't be simply written off as media distortion.

[Wphile]

I'll hold off from drawing conclusions, but there are real questions that can't be simply written off as media distortion.

I agree. Now, however, is not the time for drawing conclusions - far too early.

[nvskibum]

As to possible reasons for so-called "stingy" deployment, what about keeping significant forces in reserve for other contingencies besides Iraq?

[Arkinsaw]

I agree. Now, however, is not the time for drawing conclusions - far too early.

We have no idea. This could be the plan. The plan could be dead. Could be a left hook coming. Could be we are in trouble. We have no idea. But there is no stopping the worrying about our troops.

[Arkinsaw]

As to possible reasons for so-called "stingy" deployment, what about keeping significant forces in reserve for other contingencies besides Iraq?

Turkey is the reason for the stingy deployment.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Or perhaps go in undermanned to weather the intial chem/bio attack, without risking the total loss of an unbearable percentage of troops. Chem attack allows the gloves to come off, but perhaps the Pentagon isn't 100% certain in their chem defense capabilities.

Just a thought.

[D-fendr]

The "stingy deployment" made it to the outskirts of Baghdad in one week with remarkably minor casualties.

Many tens of thousands more are on the way to join the stingy troups.

I'll stick with the judgement of Rummy, Franks, Cheney and Bush on this one. The enemy can have Saddam, Qusay and their top general du jour.

[fleur-de-lis]

I choose to wait and see. This reminds me of the "boots on the ground" hysteria regarding Afghanistan.

The press is going into hysteria mode ten times over!

[Wphile]

But there is no stopping the worrying about our troops.

You got that right. I've been a basketcase since this whole thing started.

As for the plan? Who the h*ll knows at this point? I think the Turkey snub really screwed things up and it may be we are improvising a bit here.

[bluecollarman]

"Don't really see a reason to have been so stingy in deployment, other than ego/experiment."

Korea..Turkey...Afghanistan...Iran...lot of unknowns.

[AHerald]

The internecine feud between new school Rumsfeld and old school Army types has really gone full bloom these past few days.

The timing of these anonymously sourced stories and leaks is troubling. There are insiders who've obviously lost the hand counts and instead of moving on and implementing orders, they're using reporters to continue to press their case. I understand it, and the emotions behind it, but I sure don't like.

No matter the merits of the argument, this sort of stuff can serve to undermine moral as well as Rumsfeld's authority. That's the last thing needed we need right now.

[ArneFufkin]

I don't believe this one bit. That's not how Rumsfeld operates. This is political bullshit from some Pentagon Army one star who has a major axe to grind with the Armed Forces Re-engineering Process that is a response to our new reality of terror cells and worldwide threat. It leaves the heavy armor boys sucking their thumbs, and they can't wait to stick it to Rummy every oppurtunity. Franks is in charge of this operation. Period. These guys are professionals, they have an operational plan that has been authorized by the President. Timing of attack, allocation of resources .... they do that in Qatar. Jesus, it's been the worst Sand-Storm in 50 years out there. They've been buried since Sunday.

[Mr. Mojo]

Good point. Makes sense.

[Wphile]

Even though we don't want to draw any conclusions here I am pretty sure that somebody messed up in their assessment of Iraqi resistance in the South. Even Franks admitted that part of the plan was to bypass these southern towns and one of the wounded soldiers said today that they were told not to expect any resistance around Nasiria. It appears that we were not prepared to handle the militia and "irregulars."

There, that's my only conclusion at this point.

[bluecollarman]

The problem with America is that we are still "Stuck in Saigon" me thinks.