Most US Generals Don't Agree with Bush on Iraq

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=26901

Most US citizens don’t realize that unprecedented activities are occurring within the high levels of our current and former military commanders. There is overall agreement that the current military is the finest team that the US has ever provided for fighting a foreign war. They also believe that the US troops are doing an outstanding job in executing their orders in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of the previous military leaders however, do NOT agree with what the president is saying or doing regarding the execution of the occupation of Iraq and the past diversion of the troops and the strategy focus from Afghanistan to Iraq.

The disagreement began in earnest back in 2002 just before the war when Paul D. Wolfowitz, the then Deputy Defense Secretary, opened a two-front war of words on Capitol Hill. He said the estimate by General Eric K. Shinseki of the Army that “several hundred thousand troops would be needed in postwar Iraq”, was "wildly off the mark.". Mr. Wolfowitz stated that Pentagon officials (Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld) had put the figure closer to 100,000 troops. Mr. Wolfowitz then dismissed articles in several newspapers asserting that Pentagon budget specialists put the cost of war and reconstruction at $60 billion to $95 billion in that fiscal year. He said it was impossible to predict accurately a war's duration, its destruction and the extent of rebuilding afterward. "We have no idea what we will need until we get there on the ground," Mr. Wolfowitz said at a hearing of the House Budget Committee. "Every time we get a briefing on the war plan, it immediately goes down six different branches to see what the scenarios look like. If we costed each and every one, the costs would range from $10 billion to $100 billion." Mr. Wolfowitz's refusal to be pinned down on the costs of war and peace in Iraq infuriated many committee Democrats. In hindsight, General Shinseki appears to have been much more accurate than the civilian side of the administration that was supposed to be “following the direction of the US military commanders”.

In recent comments from President Bush, he has accused the Congress of “playing politics" when they try to add a time line for troop withdrawals in Iraq. The president also accuses the congress of “trying to micromanage the war from Washington DC and not following the directions of the military on the ground in harm’s way”. The truth be told, the President and his administration are the “politicians that are not listening to the Generals” and they are the ones trying to direct the military for winning an un-winnable occupation. President Bush has conveniently forgotten as to how many capable, top level generals have retired or quit the military due to disagreeing with the ignorant decisions that have been made by this president and his Department of Defense.

US Military leaders are overwhelmingly consistent in their opinion that the US Commander-in-Chief should be the civilian US president. However, a general or admiral in the US military only has three ways for dealing with a serious difference of opinion with their civilian leadership. They can quit, retire or acquiesce and agree with the leadership’s direction. In normal times, the military leadership will choose one of these options depending on how important the issues happen to be. However, in the past, once they have made their choice, everybody would then just move forward. Those that had chosen to quit or retire would normally never say a negative word about their previous civilian leaders, especially during an on-going, active military conflict. Now, for the first time in the history of the US military, large numbers of qualified, previous US military leaders are speaking up against the current administration. They are making it crystal clear that the president only listens to those in the military that agree with the administration. Those military professionals with opinions counter to the president’s views are then left to quit or retire.

The army did not want to invade Iraq one bit.

They didn't want this war.

We have a Connecticut preppy cheerleader deserter as "commander" and he is backed up by A VP with an outstanding five (5) Military Deferments, and a HORDE of republicon chickenhawks who never served in the military for even five seconds.

As the republicon-corporate propaganda machine never tires of telling us, these republicon luminaries know better than the generals.

So shut up and sit down. Commander AWOL & Cronies will lead us to even greater VICTORY (aka Massive republicon crony oil & munitions profits).

I've known several in and out of the military in recent years and have seen a noted change in many during the boooosh years. In 2000 almost all hated Democrats and Clinton and couldn't wait to vote for booooshie. They had been fed 25 years of macho crap about how the Repugnicans were the real "supporters" of the military and a generation of right wingers had turned the military into one of the GOOP's strongest constituencies.

Then came booooshie...and the total abuse of the military by his neo-con buddies...especially Rummy and Chenney...who saw the military as a compliant tool meant to be operated like a business and the people within would be treated just like employees of a large corporate...they'd do as ordered or else. The military became a conduit for the contractors and corporate donors while the "rank and file" would go along and be glad there weren't any Democrats in charge. At first it was a faustian deal that led to the bum's rush into Iraq and nearly 3 years of quiet subserviance while their situation got worse.

It wasn't until AFTER the '04 elections that the first cracks began to appear...some of the retired generals started to speak out and slowly the focus began to shift as to the Repugnican and Neo-Con abuse of the military. From screwing around with the National Guard to screwing actives and veterans on benefits and health care to the mess at Walter Reid and more...and that doesn't even get into the tactical clusterfuck that is now the Iraq quagmire...the military has not only soured on booooshie but on the Repugnicans altogether.

Many who I now talk to feel totally aloof of any politics...betrayed on all sides and feeling like they're being set up to be the fall guys when Iraq crumbles into Saigon, April, 1975. The mess in our military is a major issue that won't come to light until the boooosh cabal is removed from any control and our troops are extracted from the morass that they've dug us into.

their own political and financial agendas as the only consideration.

so when bush starts to decry 'politicians trying to manage the war' he really means 'other politicians'.