Rumsfeld singled out as crisis deepens in Iraq(American army general)

[cal04]

Defence chief attacked on war's third anniversary
· Ex-PM Allawi says conflict is tantamount to civil war
A former US army general yesterday called for Donald Rumsfeld to resign on grounds of incompetence in Iraq, hours after Ayad Allawi, the former US-backed Iraqi prime minister, declared the country to be in the thick of a civil war that could soon "reach the point of no return".

Three years after Iraq was invaded, statistics published yesterday show that the frequency of insurgent bombings and group killings is growing, but both Mr Rumsfeld, the defence secretary, and George Bush have vowed to fight on.
Turning our backs on postwar Iraq today would be the modern equivalent of handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis," the defence secretary wrote in a Washington Post commentary, as the administration tried to quell growing concern that the conflict was unravelling beyond Washington's control. President Bush made a brief appearance on the White House lawn to say he was "encouraged" by progress on forming a unity government in Iraq. But he had no other good news to mark three years of a war in which more than 2,300 Americans have died, and which has so far cost $500bn (nearly £290bn).

The US commander in Iraq, General George Casey, said that the troop withdrawals he had forecast for this spring or summer might have to wait until the end of the year or even 2007. And Paul Eaton, a former American army general in charge of training Iraqi forces until 2004, marked the anniversary with a furious attack on Mr Rumsfeld, saying he was "not competent to lead our armed forces". In London, Mr Allawi told BBC 2's Sunday AM programme: "We are losing each day, as an average, 50 to 60 people throughout the country, if not more. If this is not civil war, then God knows what civil war is." Britain's defence secretary, John Reid, rejected that assessment. In Baghdad's green zone, he said that most of Iraq was under control: "There is not civil war now, nor is it inevitable, nor is it imminent".

(snip)
Yesterday, calling on the US to keep its nerve, Mr Rumsfeld pointed to the swelling ranks of Iraqi government forces. But Mr Eaton, a former major general, said the defence secretary had "shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically", and was "far more than anyone else, responsible for what has happened to our important mission in Iraq". Mr Rumsfeld had to step down, he said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1734831,00.html

[babylonsister]

1. We have a bunch of political hacks calling the shots

in Iraq with not a care about the damage they're doing. Smart, knowledgeable people are calling them out on their decisions, and this is being reported by the UK.
WTF?
Something had better change soon. :grr:

[IndianaGreen]

2. You cannot just fire Rumsfeld, you need to fire his deputy Gordon England

England is an avowed nazi that think that labor unions are stalinists and that the DOD bureaucracy are a bunch of communists.

[bemildred]

3. I like to old Roman approach to this sort of issue. nt

[Jack Rabbit]

5. It's a good thing you left nt

Frankly, I like the French solution.

[bemildred]

17. Messy, but effective. nt

[ozymandius]

14. Are you familiar with the origin of the word "decimate"?

just asking

[bemildred]

16. Quite.

Not invented by the Nazis was it?

I was referring to the tradition of falling on ones sword.
I would settle for the Japanese approach too.

But I don't expect any such taking of responsibility for his failures will occur.

[bemildred]

20. IIRC, when the troops did not hold their ground,

they would order one in ten killed, hence decimated.

It's also been a common idea for controlling subject populations, ten dead of the occupied for each soldier killed by the resistance, the Nazis liked to do that, when they didn't want to just kill everybody yet, in fact the butchery between the Nazis and USSR was mind boggling, and the Poles got it from both of them. And commanders since forever have made examples of the cowardly or disobedient. Guys like Clovis and Caesar would destroy a town or opposing army for not submitting in a timely enough fashion, and the Mongols used the same tactic all the time. You get one offer to submit, and if you refuse, they pillage your city and kill everybody in it.

But I was thinking more of the post-Claudian empire, when the Legions got in the habit of selecting their own leaders and Emperors, and when that occurred, the outgoing general or Emperor and all of his minions would be slaughtered if they were not quick enough to get the job done themselves. There are stories or generals hurrying off to their tents to kill themselves before troops came to torture and dismember them.

Of course, this is all hearsay.
:-)

[bemildred]

21. This is one of my recent favorites:

"Dost thou not know that the greatest part of Asia is subject to our arms
and our laws? that our invincible forces extend from one sea to the other?
that the potentates of the Earth form a line before our gate? and that we have
compelled Forture herself to watch over the prosperity of our empire? What
is the foundation of thy insolence and folly? Thou hast fought some battles
in the woods of Anatolia; contemptible trophies! Thou hast obtained some
victories over the Christians of Europe; thy sword was blessed by the
apostle of God; and thy obedience to the precept of the Koran in waging war
against the infidels is the sole consideration that prevents us from
destroying thy country, the frontier and bulwark of the Moslem world. Be
wise in time; reflect, repent, and avert the thunder of our vengeance, which
is yet suspended over thy head. Thou art no more than a pismire, why wilt
thou seek to provoke the elephants? Alas, they will trample thee under
their feet." -- Timour the Lame

"Thy armies are innumerable, be they so. But what are the arrows of the
flying Tartar against the scimitars and battle-axes of my firm and
invincible Janissaries? I will guard the princes who have implored my
protection; seek them in my tents. The cities of Arzingan and Erzeroum
are mine; and unless the tribute be duly paid, I will demand the arrears
under the walls of Tauris and Sultania. ... If I fly from thy arms, may
my wives be thrice divorced from my bed, but if thou hast not courage to
meet me in the field, mayest thou again recieve thy wives after they have
thrice endured the embraces of a stranger." -- Bajazet, Ottoman Emperor

-- As reported by Edward Gibbon in "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"
Vol. 6 Ch LXV.

Timour, BTW, liked to make pyramids of heads outside conquered and razed cities
as a warning to others. He'd send his victorious troops out looking for
enough heads so he could make his pyramid.

[leftchick]

13. he is a piece of work isn't he?

it makes me wonder if rumsfeld has loaded the DOD with creeps like him.

[Jack Rabbit]

4. More discussion in GD

Please click here.

[HuffleClaw]

6. i expect this means the pentagon brass feels the same way but CAN'T

speak against bushco. while still serving. former major generals don't spout off like that off the cuff. this is a MESSAGE. one that i fear bushco. will simply dismiss as they do even the slightest criticism. 'yer with us or yer with the TERRA-ists!'

[leftchick]

12. they gave their messege through Rep. Murtha in November

is anyone listening?

[bklyncowgirl]

15. The word "former" is the operative condition here.

No one wants to get Shinseckied.

[rodeodance]

7. i want to see this as a headline in US papers

[jaysunb]

8. "I always thought it would be Clemenzza"

( from the Godfather Part l )

I always thought it would be Cheney they'd throw under the bus first. I guess they'll leave him to Fitzpatrick. :evilgrin:

[radfringe]

9. meanwhile bush*'s canned and packaged response

is to say he's listening to the generals

this implies that the generals are running the war, generals are responsible and therefore are also to blame

this is no more than an abdication of responsibility - so it shouldn't be surprising the republican congress does the same on the issues since they are simply following their leader's example

[symbolman]

10. Don't forget that

the troops VOLUNTEERED.. this is the latest meme by the Rove Fax machine to all media outlets and BushBots..

So of course that makes THEM suckers according to the republicans looking for any excuse, AND while they cut vets benefits

[Starfury]

11. He's one of the old guard - he's safe. :-( n/t

[gordianot]

18. The worst and the dullest. AKA Bush administration n/t

[donkeyotay]

19. Too bad Commander Clusterfuck's in charge

"But Mr Eaton, a former major general, said the defence secretary had "shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically", and was "far more than anyone else, responsible for what has happened to our important mission in Iraq". Mr Rumsfeld had to step down, he said."

Yer doin a heckuva job, Rummy. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten a medal or been promoted to...?...

[goforit]

22. Rummy is man with Alzhiemer's running the military .....such a failure!

Either that or Rummy and the thugs want the United States of America
to fall permanently!!!....And this has always been their plan!