Army Times calls for Rumsfeld's ouster

[papaspot]

"So long as our government requires the backing of an aroused and informed public opinion ... it is necessary to tell the hard bruising truth."


That statement was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Marguerite Higgins more than a half-century ago during the Korean War.

But until recently, the "hard bruising" truth about the Iraq war has been difficult to come by from leaders in Washington.

One rosy reassurance after another has been handed down by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "mission accomplished," the insurgency is "in its last throes," and "back off," we know what we're doing, are a few choice examples.

Military leaders generally toed the line, although a few retired generals eventually spoke out from the safety of the sidelines, inciting criticism equally from anti-war types, who thought they should have spoken out while still in uniform, and pro-war foes, who thought the generals should have kept their critiques behind closed doors.

Now, however, a new chorus of criticism is beginning to resonate. Active-duty military leaders are starting to voice misgivings about the war's planning, execution and dimming prospects for success.

Army Times

[papaspot]

I understand that the Navy Times, the Marine Corps Times and the Air Force Times will publish similar editorials but I haven't yet found anything on that.

[okiebybirth]

quote:Originally posted by papaspot

I understand that the Navy Times, the Marine Corps Times and the Air Force Times will publish similar editorials but I haven't yet found anything on that.

It's good to see the military start to speak out and express what everyone knows.  When will Bush listen?  

Let us hope the American public forces the administration to listen and face reality by voting in a Democratic controlled House and maybe a Democratic Senate. The Democrats would also have to take a stake in the war if they are in control of the House.  A divided government seems like a win-win situation.

If you want to rubber stamp how the Iraq war is going, vote Republican.  If the Republicans stay in power, Bush will take it as approval of how the war is going and will be deaf to what his own military is telling him.

[AVERAGE JOE]

Our brave men and women in uniform deserve better leadership than what they've gotten from those morons in Washington. The administration has let them down.

[aoxamaxoa]

Hey....those die hard repugs on this board sure are quiet. Think they sense the demise of their power trip?

Anyone hear how Sonny Shrub let out specific nuclear weapon diagrams over the internet for terrorists everywhere to have....What a bunch of limp dicks. If the fhead wasn't so stupid he'd be impeachable.

BTW, Wens. s/b beautiful....

[MH2010]

A lot of people are thinking, aha, what you have are a lot of military people in open revolt against the President, when, in fact, you've got a lot of Gannet editorial writers, which would be thoroughly consistent with USA Today and the rest of the Gannet chain, which I think, if memory serves, does not have a single strong conservative editorial page in the entire chain.
[...]
The editorial, for one thing, makes the allegation that -- it says, "One rosy reassurance after another has been handed down by President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld." That's just flat not true. And what they do is they revert to cheesy old partisan talking points about "mission accomplished," which, as you recall, was referring to the mission of the USS Abraham Lincoln and the President, on the deck of the Abraham Lincoln, talked about a long, hard fight to come, and so on.

But maybe the worst is this, it says, "A new course of criticism is beginning to resonate.

Active duty military leaders are starting to voice misgivings about the war's planning." It then goes on to site General John Abizaid completely out of context, when he said before Congress -- he said, "I believe the sectarian violence probably is as bad as I've seen it. It's possible that Iraq could move toward civil war."

The following month General Casey said -- let's see, a couple of things. First, he said that, "A, I think we can prevent a civil war. Secondly, things in a counter-insurgency environment, as you well know, take time to mature militarily and politically, and we're confident that with the measures we're taking now we can be successful."

General Casey also said recently, "The situation is hard, but Iraq is not a country that's awash in sectarian violence. I think it's important to remind people that 90 percent of the sectarian violence in Iraq takes place in about a 30-mile radius from the center of Baghdad, and, secondly, that 90 percent of all violence takes place in five provinces."

-Tony Snow.

[aoxamaxoa]

Tony Snow used to be the sit in replacement for Rush when he was off buying drugs while doctor shopping or off to the Domincan Republic on sex trips.....

[MH2010]

OOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW, bringing Rush Limbaugh into the arguement.  Oh no! Not that!

Tony Snow had his own radio show as well as a regular role on Fox News before being chosen as the White House press secretary.  

You've been posting alot more recently. Don't you have some government conspiracy to investigate?

[snopes]

He should've been ousted a long time ago. Our people in the military deserve better.

[Kiah]

"NeoCons" eat their own . . . .

Vanity Fair Exclusive: Now They Tell Us

Neo Culpa

"As Iraq slips further into chaos, the war's neoconservative boosters have turned sharply on the Bush administration, charging that their grand designs have been undermined by White House incompetence. In a series of exclusive interviews, Richard Perle, Kenneth Adelman, David Frum, and others play the blame game with shocking frankness. Target No. 1: the president himself."

[MichaelC]

quote:Originally posted by Kiah

White House incompetence.

How can a house be incompetent?  Is it haunted by morons?

I think I answered my own question.

[Chicken Little]

quote:Originally posted by Kiah

"NeoCons" eat their own . . . .

Vanity Fair Exclusive: Now They Tell Us

Neo Culpa

"As Iraq slips further into chaos, the war's neoconservative boosters have turned sharply on the Bush administration, charging that their grand designs have been undermined by White House incompetence. In a series of exclusive interviews, Richard Perle, Kenneth Adelman, David Frum, and others play the blame game with shocking frankness. Target No. 1: the president himself."

One of the neocons, Michael Ledeen, is trying to lie his way out of it by saying he never supported invasion in the first place.  Pathological.

[papaspot]

quote:Originally posted by MH2010

A lot of people are thinking, aha, what you have are a lot of military people in open revolt against the President, when, in fact, you've got a lot of Gannet editorial writers, which would be thoroughly consistent with USA Today and the rest of the Gannet chain, which I think, if memory serves, does not have a single strong conservative editorial page in the entire chain.

While it's true that the editors and writers for the Army Times aren't employees of the Army, your claim is based on pure-dee speculation. Doesn't matter anyway. If the Army Times didn't reflect a view at least somewhat like that of the Army itself, they would not continue to exist--at least not under their current editorial management.

I'm curious. Have you ever actually READ the Army Times?

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by MH2010

OOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW, bringing Rush Limbaugh into the arguement.  Oh no! Not that!

Tony Snow had his own radio show as well as a regular role on Fox News before being chosen as the White House press secretary.  

You've been posting alot more recently. Don't you have some government conspiracy to investigate?

They love to do that...It's about all they have....

[rwarn17588]

MH2010 following the GOP rulebook: If you don't like the facts, attack the messenger.