Free Republic

WASHINGTON, July 4 - The Pentagon's most senior planners are challenging the longstanding strategy that requires the armed forces to be prepared to fight two major wars at a time. Instead, they are weighing whether to shape the military to mount one conventional campaign while devoting more resources to defending American territory and antiterrorism efforts. The consideration of these profound changes are at the center of the current top-to-bottom review of Pentagon strategy, as ordered by Congress every four years, and will determine the future size of the military as well as the fate of hundreds of billions of dollars...

Gen. Richard B. Myers yesterday condemned as "absolutely irresponsible" an Amnesty International report that compared prisoner treatment at Guantanamo Bay to the Soviet gulag, adding that 100 out of 68,000 detainees held in the war against terrorism were abused. Amnesty International also suggested that foreign governments investigate senior U.S. officials involved in "torture scandals" and arrest and question Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, former CIA Director William Tenet, and Vice President Dick Cheney. "I think it's irresponsible. I think it's absolutely irresponsible," Gen. Myers told "Fox News Sunday." We've had 100 cases of substantiated abuse and there are 100 individuals...

WASHINGTON - Thousands of motorcycles rolled down the streets of the nation's capital Sunday in a rally organized by Rolling Thunder, a biker group that supports veterans' rights. The group has been staging the rally on Memorial Day weekend since 1988 to focus attention on POW-MIA issues. Many of the bikers took part in the annual memorial ride from Arlington National Cemetery to the National Vietnam War Memorial before heading to the Lincoln Memorial. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers, and his wife joined the thousands of bikers riding through Washington. Later in the day,...

The Talk Shows Sunday, May 29th, 2005 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers; Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Former Sens. Sam Nunn and Fred Thompson; Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.; 9/11 Commission Chairman Thomas Kean; 9/11 Commission Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton. FACE THE NATION (CBS): Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers; Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va. THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Sam Brownback, R-Kan.; Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas; Indy 500 driver Danica Patrick.LATE EDITION (CNN) : Sen....

Myers Challenges Editors to Tell Full Story in War Coverage By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 15, 2005 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff encouraged newspaper editors today to tell America the full story of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. "It's particularly important today … because the American people need to know the full story," said Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, "because it is going to be their resolve that is so critical to our ability to confront the extremist threat." Myers told the editors that...

OP-ED COLUMNIST Of all the images I saw on a short visit to Iraq last week, two stand out in my mind. One was a display that the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, in the Sunni Triangle, prepared for the visiting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers. It was a table covered with defused roadside bombs made from cellphones wired to explosives. You just call the phone's number when a U.S. vehicle goes by and the whole thing explodes. The table was full of every color and variety of cellphone-bomb you could imagine. I thought to myself...

Myers Tells Nashville Crowd Prospects in Iraq 'Good' By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 31, 2004 – The ceasefire brokered in Najaf was a good sign for the Iraqi interim government, the top U.S. military leader said here today, adding that the long-term prospect in Iraq "is very, very good." Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers told the regional Chamber of Commerce meeting that the government led by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi used all angles to help end the fighting in the region. The bottom line, the chairman said, is that radical cleric...

Joint Chiefs Chairman Named "Father of the Year" By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USAAmerican Forces Press Service NEW YORK, June 18, 2004 – America's No. 1 military officer recently became America's No. 1 Dad. 2004 "Father of the Year" awardees pose at their honoree luncheon in New York June 17. Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard Myers joins other "Father of the Year" awardees, from far left, prior recipient Bill Boggs, a four-time Emmy award winning TV host and; Ellis L. Marsalis, modern jazz pianist; Isiah Thomas, NBA manager; Richard Petty, NASCAR champion; Tommy LaSorda, baseball Hall...

Myers Joins 400,000 Riders in Rolling Thunder Tribute By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, June 1, 2004 – Like thousands of other Vietnam veterans, Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers donned his leather vest and added the rumble of his Harley-Davidson to the Rolling Thunder tribute in Washington May 30. Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers and his wife, Mary Jo, get ready to rumble across the Memorial Bridge during Rolling Thunder May 30. The chairman and his wife joined about 400,000 riders in the annual Memorial Day weekend tribute. Photo Petty Officer...

Stakes Require Proper Handling of Terror War, Myers Says By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 31, 2004 – The stakes are high in the global war on terrorism, and if the United States doesn't handle it correctly, "I don't think we're going to like the world we'll live in in five or 10 years," Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said today. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told CNN that not everyone thought World War II was a noble effort. "There were a lot of critics of that particular conflict," Myers said. "And if...

Myers: 'The More the Iraqis Can Do, the Better' By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, May 21, 2004 – "I'm of the school that the more the Iraqis can do, the better," said Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers to the House Armed Services Committee today. "And the faster we can get them to do that, the better as well." The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that all in the Defense Department are in agreement that the coalition needs to turn Iraq over to Iraqis. But, he cautioned, "there's always risk in that." Army Chief of...

General Richard Myers, the most senior US military leader, on Friday defended Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress, saying the organisation had helped save American lives in Iraq. His comments came just 24 hours after Iraqi police, backed by US soldiers, raided the home of Mr Chalabi, once the Bush administration's top candidate to lead Iraq, as part of a corruption investigation involving INC officials and associates. President George W. Bush is due to give a major policy speech on Monday outlining a "clear strategy" on Iraq amid plans to hand over sovereignty to a caretaker government on June 30. Trent...

War on Terror Requires Next Generation to Lead By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, May 17, 2004 – The war on terrorism will require the next generation to be leaders, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at Virginia Military Institute commencement May 15. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers told the "Keydets" that there has never been a more important time to serve America than today. "We're fighting a war against extremists who use terrorism as their weapon to create fear," Myers said. "They attack the most visible targets they can; killing innocent men, women and...

War on Terror Requires Next Generation to Lead By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 17, 2004 – The war on terrorism will require the next generation to be leaders, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at Virginia Military Institute commencement May 15. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers told the "Keydets" that there has never been a more important time to serve America than today. "We're fighting a war against extremists who use terrorism as their weapon to create fear," Myers said. "They attack the most visible targets they can; killing innocent men,...

(CNSNews.com) - Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Friday that he called CBS' "60 Minutes" to ask them to delay the broadcast of photos depicting the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of U.S. soldiers, because airing the photos would put U.S. soldiers in Iraq at risk. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld disputed Sen. Mark Dayton's (D-Minn.) contention that Myers tried to suppress the news report. "Suppress is not the right word at all. It's an inaccurate word, I should say," Rumsfeld said. When asked by Dayton whether it...

Transcript: Gen. Richard Myers on 'Fox News Sunday' Sunday, May 02, 2004The following is an excerpt from FOX News Sunday, May 2, 2004.CHRIS WALLACE, HOST, FOX NEWS SUNDAY: Well, one year and one day after President Bush declared the end of major combat in Iraq, we are joined now by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers. And, General, welcome. Good to have you back with us. GENERAL RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Thank you. WALLACE: Let's begin with the good news today, the escape of that U.S. contractor, Thomas Hamill. What can you...

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. military officer said Sunday there is no widespread pattern of abuse of Iraqi prisoners and that the actions of "just a handful" of U.S. troops at a Baghdad prison have unfairly tainted all American forces. An internal Army report found that Iraqi detainees were subjected to "sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses" at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, according to The New Yorker magazine, which said it obtained a copy of the report. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said "categorically" that "there is no evidence of systematic abuse" in the U.S....

The Talk Shows Sunday, April 18th, 2004 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): National security adviser Condoleezza Rice; outgoing Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Sen. John Kerry, Democratic presidential candidate. FACE THE NATION (CBS): National security adviser Condoleezza Rice. THIS WEEK (ABC): British Prime Minister Tony Blair; national security adviser Condoleezza Rice; Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. LATE EDITION (CNN) : Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Sens. John Warner, R-Va., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn.; independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader; Sept. 11 commission...

Myers, Abizaid Hold Strategy Session in Baghdad By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 14, 2004 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commander of U.S. Central Command held discussions about the situation in Iraq here today. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers and Army Gen. John Abizaid spoke for about an hour and 20 minutes after Myers arrived from meetings in Kuwait. A Joint Staff official characterized the discussions as "frank, productive, a good give-and-take." The chairman is in Iraq following meetings with leaders in Bahrain and Kuwait. He arrived in Iraq...

Myers Visits Italian Coalition Members in Iraq By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service TALLIL, Iraq, April 14, 2004 – A visit with foreign members of the coalition force in Iraq was the first stop for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff here today. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers visited with Italian members of the Multinational Division Southeast. Italian Brig. Gen. Gian Marco Chiarini, the commander of the 132nd "Ariete" Brigade briefed the American officer and his staff. The brigade, which is a mix of regular army and police, patrols the area in and around Nasiriyah. There...