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Top US military planner fears a 'likely' repeat of Somalia bloodbath [in Iraq]
The Independent ^
| 15 March 2003
| Andrew Buncombe
Posted on 03/16/2003 9:32:38 AM PST by Hoppean
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To: Hoppean
US-led war against Iraq could turn into a disaster . . . Is this guy for real?
When a person uses a weasel word such as could with no further expansion or evidence, the paragraph should be dismissed.
61
posted on
03/16/2003 12:08:04 PM PST
by
Diddley
(Brevity is the soul of wit. Concise replies are the soul of understanding.)
To: sneakypete; knarf
. . . the CIC now is far and away more a man and soldier than x42. The point was about Bush vs. Clinton. Obviously, Bush
is more a man and soldier than Clinton.
Not a one of them has spent a day as a soldier,or ever been in combat.
I have never understood this position.
Bush has never had an abortion. Is he qualified to have an opinion on it, or to make policy on it?
Bush has never murdered, raped, or committed felonies. Is he qualified to have an opinion on them, or to make policy on them?
And so on . . .
62
posted on
03/16/2003 12:16:23 PM PST
by
Diddley
(Brevity is the soul of wit. Concise replies are the soul of understanding.)
To: sneakypete
You are ignoring the fact that the Baath Party is despised and the the insurgency will not be against America but against Hussein.
63
posted on
03/16/2003 12:27:48 PM PST
by
jwalsh07
To: Diddley
Excellent point. Our troops will have everything they need to conduct this operation. That was not the case in Somolia. They will find it most difficult to line the rooftops and shoot at our brave men when an AC-130 is raking them off those roofs. I believe the AC-130 crews have a motto that goes something like "you can run, but you'll just die tired"!!!
64
posted on
03/16/2003 12:37:51 PM PST
by
Camel Joe
(Proud Uncle of a Fine Young Marine)
To: TADSLOS
So I asked myself today which war will this be: Desert Storm or Somalia?" Neither.
BINGO!
65
posted on
03/16/2003 12:53:41 PM PST
by
BenLurkin
(Hey: 'nunc pro tunc' amigo!)
To: Diddley
I have never understood this position. It's easy to understand. I only post it when people talk about what a "brilliant" commander in chief or leader of our military Ali Bubba is,and even go to the extremes of saying people like him and Cheney know more about military matters than the Generals in the Pentagram.
This will most likely be my last response to you. I am answering my posts and checking on the thread I started,and then I'm outta here forever.
To: Diddley
Make that was. No,"IS" is the operative word. He said on MTP that the ONLY reason he is dropping his vocal opposition to the upcoming war is that it is going to happen anyhow,and he doesn't want to send any mixed messages about his support for the troops. Not that any sane person who knows anything at all about the man would ever think any different.
To: sinkspur
Agreed, their deaths are most certain if they fight. And even if they do, they get to fire once before the A-10s erase their sorry butts.
68
posted on
03/16/2003 1:29:14 PM PST
by
thoughtomator
(Time is money, and space is a long, long time...)
To: sneakypete
This will most likely be my last response to you. I am answering my posts and checking on the thread I started,and then I'm outta here forever Hasta la vista, baby.
69
posted on
03/16/2003 1:30:32 PM PST
by
Diddley
(Brevity is the soul of wit. Concise replies are the soul of understanding.)
To: sneakypete
It's easy to understand. I only post it when people talk about what a "brilliant" commander in chief or leader of our military Ali Bubba is,and even go to the extremes of saying people like him and Cheney know more about military matters than the Generals in the Pentagram Who ever said that?
What is the function of a leader? Among other things, he enlists the help of experts. No one can know about everything, but a leader can make judgments (based on an experts' experiences and records), on his own observations, etc.
Don't be gone long, sneaky.
70
posted on
03/16/2003 1:36:08 PM PST
by
Diddley
(Brevity is the soul of wit. Concise replies are the soul of understanding.)
To: Camel Joe
Thanks. I have the utmost confidence in our troops (and in Bush).
71
posted on
03/16/2003 1:39:04 PM PST
by
Diddley
(Brevity is the soul of wit. Concise replies are the soul of understanding.)
To: orfisher
You must have seen war as I have to know what war death looks like.Anyone, and I repeat anyone, who has taken the time to view the readily available footage of the Allied siege of Berlin in 1945 would immediately conclude that even the hawks in the Pentagon wouldn't go there. I think the Russians alone lost 30,000 in the last 5 miles.
I also think those who are so ceratin the Saddam is so unpopular in his Shiah enclave in Baghdad are also sadly mistaken. He may be a monster but he's their monster.
To: sneakypete
You're correct. Sorry, I should have caught that one.
To: sneakypete
Powell was an Army officer with combat experience in Vietnam, and Rumsfeld was a Navy fighter pilot. FYI, Schwartzkopf is now in favor of going to war. He moved into the pro-war camp a few weeks after Powell shifted to a pro-war position.
74
posted on
03/16/2003 2:07:17 PM PST
by
carl in alaska
(Hey Jacques!....What are you trying to hide?)
To: Hoppean
"Retired Colonel" is not the "top military planner".
what a biased headline.
75
posted on
03/16/2003 2:20:12 PM PST
by
WOSG
(Liberate Iraq! Lets Roll! now!)
To: pierrem15
We did it anyway, at the loss of 21 American lives vs. 1000-5000 Somalis. I'm not happy about the loss of life on either side, but it was the cowardice of the Clintoon admin that turned a victory on the ground into defeat.
----
This is a KEY POINT. The loss of American lives was unnecessary due to bad military planning - they needed better armor, but that was a tactical setback only that cast a shadow on the extremely valiant effort of our fighting men in the city.
THE STRATEGIC DEFEAT came later when Clinton bugged out.
"The fruits of 48 hours of valor in the field can be squandered in minutes of fecklessness by cowardly political leadership."
Indeed.
76
posted on
03/16/2003 2:24:18 PM PST
by
WOSG
(Liberate Iraq! Lets Roll! now!)
To: sneakypete; joanie-f; snopercod
Your prediction was correct; but please do not wander off "forever."
The guidelines of this forum, are not evenly enforced, and I believe that you have been locked out without good cause, as well as without reasonable cause.
Like yourself, I am a veteran, but I am not a uniformed combat veteran; it was my fate by birth to have a ringside seat; something which almost all of this forum have not much interest to take into account, while considering your points.
I've attempted some observations, crudely at times, poorly written here and there (my apologies), that are purposely askew so as to deflect the curious, while still trying to help encourage further study.
I am no expert. I'm just a clerk; and I know what war is.
You have had a remarkable life, and it is a mistake for this forum to refuse your contributions. I wish to thank you for your wisdom, nevertheless.
Your concerns that we are rushing precipitously to occupy "Praque" are well founded.
Thank you.
Mike
To: sneakypete
Ever heard of Stalingrad? Remember,these people will be the ones with nothing to lose by fighting because their lives and maybe even the lives of their families depend on Hussein and them staying in power. You must be kidding. Comparing this with stalingrad is absurd. Only a few of the top dozen baathists have their lives and families at stake, for most men including the soldiers, their life will be better without Saddam. This is why soldiers are surrendering even before the war has started!
This will be more like a coup d'etat than a war. It will shock you how few friends Saddam has once he has lost the ability to rule by fear.
78
posted on
03/16/2003 2:35:14 PM PST
by
WOSG
(Liberate Iraq! Lets Roll! now!)
To: Hoppean
This very "expert" took a moment out his busy day of tending his meditation garden to spew the same diatribe on NPR earlier last week for all its worth.
People like him couldn't fight his way out of a sandbox and blame the results on the quality of the sand. PS - I can come up with a scenario where everyone dies too. BFD.
79
posted on
03/16/2003 2:38:49 PM PST
by
jriemer
(We are a Republic not a Democracy)
To: BillM
I believe this has been posted before because the author, Buncombe, has a name one does not easily forget.
This article was picked up by just about every left-wing outfit you can think of and broadcast world wide. However, if this guy was the planner he claims to have been he must have been a gopher. About the only Colonel Turner that seems to fit the description was a Lt. Colonel in the Air National Guard, Air Combat Command.
80
posted on
03/16/2003 2:57:39 PM PST
by
gaspar
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