Reagan Era Army General: Iraq is a disaster.....

Postman

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Sat Oct-01-05 04:41 PM
Original message

Reagan Era Army General: Iraq is a disaster.....

http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_3072005

The invasion of Iraq was the “greatest strategic disaster in United States history,” Retired Army Lt. Gen. William Odom, a Vietnam veteran, said

The U.S. should withdraw from Iraq, he said, and reposition its military forces along the Afghan-Pakistani border to capture Osama bin Laden and crush al Qaeda cells.

“The invasion of Iraq I believe will turn out to be the greatest strategic disaster in U.S. history,” said Odom, now a scholar with the Hudson Institute.

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nyhuskyfan

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Sat Oct-01-05 05:20 PM
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1. That's poor journalism...

Edited on Sat Oct-01-05 05:21 PM by nyhuskyfan

"I believe it will turn out to be the greatest strategic disaster" is making a prediction.

"Was the greatest strategic disaster" is making a definitive statement.

Those are two different types of quotes.

The general's own words were powerful enough without misrepresenting them.

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sweetheart

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Sat Oct-01-05 05:30 PM
Response to Original message

2. The operative word "strategic"

What is seen today are only tactical errors, but the strategic toll has
only begun to bite. It is the turning point for the global consensus
on american hegemony, something that the nation used to defend as closely
as its borders. But now that hegemony is in tatters by the rule that
government requires the consent of the governed.

A real general who used to really defend the nation actually knows and
has the balls to speak up. What an honourable citizen.

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jmowreader

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Sat Oct-01-05 09:08 PM
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3. Who William Odom is

William Odom knows strategic thinking. He was the Director, National Security Agency. Unfortunately, as befitting a general who made his mark working for Ronald Reagan, he also thinks we should build a missile defense system.

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