Battle Of Baghdad Draws Near [Thomas Ricks of the Washington Post 'Outs' Himself]

CBSNEWS ^ | Friday, March 28, 2003

[JohnHuang2]

(CBS) A military spokesman said U.S. aircraft and Tomahawk cruise missiles destroyed what they termed a "major" command and control center in Baghdad early Friday, CBS News Correspondent Bob Fuss reports. Continues

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Thomas Ricks of the Washington Post 'Outs' Himself

"Some senior U.S. military officers are now convinced that the war is likely to last months and will require considerably more combat power than is now on hand there and in Kuwait, senior defense officials said today," wrote Washington Post reporter Thomas Ricks Thursday. The gloom and doom in his piece, War Could Last Months, Some Military Officers Say, was so thick you could slice it with a knife.

"Both on the battlefield in Iraq and in Pentagon conference rooms," Ricks adds darkly, "military commanders were talking today about a longer, harder war than had been expected just a week ago, the officials said."

"Tell me how this ends," Ricks quotes "one senior officer" allegedly saying.

Ricks paints a dismal portrait, one of major fissures in the ranks, pitting "top planners" at the Pentagon who "favor continuing to press north" towards Baghdad, versus "most Army commanders" who thought the "pause in Army ground operations that began today [was] critical."

From the article, there's only one grim conclusion you could draw: Rummy and the boys are screw-ups and these screw-ups have screwed the war up, big time. Tommy Ricks thinks Tommy Franks doesn't know as much as Tommy Ricks. By not putting enough boots on the ground, critical "supply lines have been stretched" and "a certain amount of chaos has developed, exacerbated by sniping and immense traffic backlogs from the Kuwaiti border."

"Logistical commanders," says Gen. Tommy Ricks, struggle "to figure out where various supply items are in a system that at times resembles 'just a bunch of guys out there driving around.'"

"Confusion." "Chaos." Commanders "struggling." "Long and insecure supply lines." "Military expectations and timelines" gone awry. "Potential threat of..drawn-out" fighting. "Longer and harder war than" expected "just a week ago."

All of this has "undermined Bush administration plans," plus "persistently foul weather" and "an enemy that has refused to be supine in the face of American combat power" have really gummed up the works, you see.

Wow, imagine a war in which there's actual (GASP!) fighting (an invasion force encountering resistance? Has that ever happened before?) and inclement sandstorms in the middle of inclement desert! War where there's war going on? Sandstorms where there's sand going on? Ricks sounded shocked and awed.

The Republican Guard, surely, surely, would cordially welcome U.S. Marines, he thought, with open arms, offer 'em breakfast in bed at Baghdad's finest hotels, doing everything possible to make their stay in Iraq as comfy and joyous as can be. Invading allied troops, indeed, could look forward to a truly memorable, pleasurable experience -- all that the highest standards of Fedayeen hospitality has to offer! The most fierce fighting force in Iraq would melt in the arms of soldiers of the Third Infantry Division -- it would be love at first sight. Make love, not war!

Ricks says the war, which has dragged on for a week, has gone so badly for coalition forces that "major adjustments are likely in strategic goals and targets," "major assumptions...are being discarded."

After all, in the thriller Sum of all fears, Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman tackled far greater challenges and fixed 'em, all in under 118 minutes. Bush and Rummy were given 7 days -- a whole week! -- to fix Iraq, and have nothing to show for!

Much-maligned Hollywood celebrities fixing complex geopolitical problems in less than two hours, for only $8.50 a movie ticket! Compare that to $74.7 billion for this war. Meanwhile, while all eyes focus on Iraq, more vital stuff -- Oprah offering to marry a couple on her show, live! The latest dish on Michael Jackson. Who's next to be bounced off Survivor? -- is ignored.

Bottom line of Gen. Tommy Ricks' piece? A civil war rages at the Pentagon, as the "planned blitzkrieg to Baghdad has stalled," advancing in 4 days only 90-95% of the way, while airpower, which many had expected would be zapping tanks and flattening Iraqi command and control, has been zapping tanks and flattening Iraqi command and control, but that's not good enough because Gen. Tommy Ricks thinks that's "less than" had been "expected."

Who cares what some snub Washington Post "reporter" thinks, you ask?

The Pentagon. The Commander-in-Chief. Rummy. Gen. Franks. Gen. Richard Myers. That's who.

How do I know?

Well, well, thought you'd never ask. Here's the proof -- straight from Reuters:

"The U.S. military plans to double its forces on the ground in Iraq to about 200,000 in the next month as the United States and Britain press to oust Iraq's Saddam Hussein," reported Charles Aldinger yesterday, citing "U.S. officials."

These "U.S. officials," he adds, "said plans call for inserting as many as 100,000 more U.S. soldiers into Iraq" on top of the 250,000 troops already deployed.

Aldinger does note that "officials stressed that the buildup was not new," but we know better. It's obvious who's calling the shots: Thomas Ricks of the Washington Post!

Here's what happened.

Gen. Tommy Franks, after reading Ricks' piece in his morning paper, grabs the phone, calls Rummy, wondering 'Hey, Rummy, did you read what Ricks had to say? Not enough boots on the ground. Hurry! Let's call up more troops!"

If you believe that, I've got a MOAB to sell you.

Here's the real deal: Ricks has outed himself. Question: Who are these "some senior U.S. military officers," "senior defense officials," "top generals," "military commanders," "top planners," he cites in his piece? Answer: They probably don't even exist. For Rick, like for most media blowhards, writing anti-war, 'Saddam-Is-Winning! Quagmire! Quagmire!' hit pieces is loads of fun. He likely made up the quotes, or lifted statements out of context.

If this clown had half the Pentagon contacts he claims he has, he'd know plans were afoot to double troop strength in theater -- and in weeks, not "months," as Ricks claims in his article.

Anyway, that's...

My two cents..
"JohnHuang2"

[JohnHuang2]

Friday, March 28, 2003

Quote of the Day by Yankee

[Aeronaut]

Good morning John, and thanks.

[flying Elvis]

Good analysis. Apparently some of Clinton's officers are still around and trying to undermine the war effort. What are the regulations regarding officers going to the press with gripes such as these during a war?

[JohnHuang2]

G'morning, friend.

[JohnHuang2]

Apparently some of Clinton's officers are still around and trying to undermine the war effort.

Good point -- that's probably a fair amount of that going on, no doubt.

[JohnHuang2]

G'morning -- see y'all later.

[airedale]

Just adding the troops that were already supposed to have been on the ground by going through Turkey would add a lot of heavy armor and troops. They now have to go to Kuwait and come in from the south. Add the follow on troops that were already scheduled and it shows what BS most of the article is. After all he could have found one or two officers in the Pentagon that gave him the quotes he wanted.

[WKB]

I was just thinking about yyou.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

For Rick, like for most media blowhards, writing anti-war, 'Saddam-Is-Winning! Quagmire! Quagmire!' hit pieces is loads of fun. He likely made up the quotes, or lifted statements out of context.

The lie is all they have.

[metesky]

Good piece, John.

Right from the start, only the media blowhards have expected this to be short and sweet. Right from the start, President Bush has emphasized that it would be a difficult struggle of unknown length.

A pox on Ricks and his cronies.

[Batrachian]

I want to be first on record asking when the "Bush and GOP doomed in '04 by botched war effort" articles will be printed?

I haven't seen them yet and I think they're coming, soon. Say, by the tenth day of the war?

[Batrachian]

I want to be first on record asking when the "Bush and GOP doomed in '04 by botched war effort" articles will be printed?

I haven't seen them yet and I think they're coming, soon.

[Texas Lizard]

Your right on the money,absolutly right on target and I say around week 3 the drums will start beating out this message.

[TomB]

AS callous as this sounds, the US casualities so far in this war are LESS than the servicemen and women sacrificed by Bubba in Somalia, Khobar towers, and the USS Cole.

At least these guys have a chance to shoot back.

[Diogenesis]

FREED IRAQI:S

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are at risk for developing depression, shingles, and other DSM V symptoms and signs.
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[chainsaw]

It's getting close to MOAB time. As soon as the Republican Guard bunch uup to meet the super elites, I wexpect to heard about the Mother Of All Bombs.

[PGalt]

Tommy Ricks is the Michael Moore of his profession, the elite Propaganda Penmen.

[AppyPappy]

Sorry John but that's like putting "Liberace was Gay" in Breaking News.

[anniegetyourgun]

LOL!

[randita]

Shortly after this article came to light the other night, BIll Kristol on FNC excoriated the article and the author. He said that Ricks was no friend of the Bush Administration, that the report was an opinion piece and it was disgraceful for the WP to release it as a news piece.