Retired military officers criticize Rumsfeld at Democratic hearing

[Judi Lynn]

Sept. 25, 2006, 5:15AM
Retired military officers criticize Rumsfeld at Democratic hearing

By DAVID ESPO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Retired military officers today bluntly accused Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld of bungling the war in Iraq, saying U.S. troops were sent to fight without the best equipment and that critical facts were hidden from the public.

"I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq," retired Maj. Gen. John R. S. Batiste said in remarks prepared for a hearing by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.

A second witness, retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, assessed Rumsfeld as "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically ...."

"Mr. Rumsfeld and his immediate team must be replaced or we will see two more years of extraordinarily bad decision-making," he added in testimony prepared for the hearing, held six weeks before the Nov. 7 midterm elections in which the war is a central issue.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4211717.html

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Wasn't it apparent on 9-11

that Rumsfeld exhibited extraordinarily bad decision-making?

(See my sig line for the answer)

[tanyev]

2. Yep. And why did the only man in the country who had the authority

to relay a Presidential shoot-down order run out and play Florence Nightingale instead of keeping himself available by a phone?

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Why did he watch the attack go down on TV

and continue with his meeting because him and Wolfie didn't think there was much they could do about it?

Yet during the meeting, Rummie was discussing terrorism and stated that they were expecting an al CIAda attack.

[sabra]

4. kick

:kick:

[rodeodance]

5. glad to see this is an AP story. hope it gets circulation.

[rodeodance]

6. recommend

[rodeodance]

7. extraordinarily bad decision-making,"

[tabasco]

8. Now watch the gutless freepers, who have never served...

call these generals commies and traitors.

[lebkuchen]

10. such as George Voinovich (R-OH)

no military experience other than saber-rattling, 3 kids, 7 grandkids.

Sign em up, George!

[susanna]

28. I will not even watch for that, as it is totally expected.

Sad, isn't it?

On edit: not just sad, but an entirely disgusting refutation of our country's guiding principles. There, I feel so much better now... :sarcasm:

[lebkuchen]

9. Batiste used to be a true blue (red?) republican

It's nice to see a federal employee put the government before his party.

[Gregorian]

11. I'll take any criticism, even misguided.

But what I really want to hear is how we should never have lied our country into going there. It's illegal.

Not, we can't win without the right equipment. Pfft.

Encore! We'll take anything we can get!

[underpants]

12. Retired officers slam Rumsfeld handling of Iraq war

CNN's headline

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/25/iraq.democrats.ap/index.html

[KittyWampus]

13. kick

[Marie26]

14. Retired officers slam Rumsfeld handling of Iraq war

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Retired military officers on Monday bluntly accused Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld of bungling the war in Iraq, saying U.S. troops were sent to fight without the best equipment and that critical facts were hidden from the public.

"I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq," retired Maj. Gen. John R. S. Batiste said in remarks prepared for a hearing by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.

A second witness, retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, assessed Rumsfeld as "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically ...."

"Mr. Rumsfeld and his immediate team must be replaced or we will see two more years of extraordinarily bad decision-making," he added in testimony prepared for the hearing, held six weeks before the November 7 midterm elections, in which the war is a central issue.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/25/iraq.democrats.ap/index.html

[Lars39]

15. K&R

[Beetwasher]

16. That's Pretty Scathing, But I Won't Hold My Breath

to wait for the screaming headlines about this all week, as it should be.

[indepat]

17. Rummy's just doing his job

[maddezmom]

18. Those brave men were amazing

actually took my laptop in the bath to watch it. :D

[Lars39]

20. lol

Glad you made it to dry land. :D

[maddezmom]

22. LOL

My husband just got back from the Ryder Cup, was gone all weekend. I just wanted to be alone and take a hot bath, but I brought the "men" with me. :D

[Lars39]

24. *snicker*

The things we do for love. :D

[TheCowsCameHome]

19. Rummy's doing a heck of a job.

of screwing up the entire free world.

[Lars39]

21. C-Span3 thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2217932&mesg_id=2217932

[teryang]

23. Retired generals almost immediately criticized Clinton and Clark

...during the campaigns in the former Yugoslavia. This is a very conservative bunch, who are not willing to admit the original mistake of invading a country which was not a threat to us based upon fraudulent pretexts. The strategic blunder of invading the heart of the Arab world can't be compensated for with the right tanks or armor.

Anyone who was Wolfowitz assistant shares responsibility for this quagmire.

[sweetheart]

29. which one was wolfowitz assistant

I am *still* deeply moved by that angular thin general who was contorting
himself, really i believe for the honesty of his remark to power in that senate,
"there there is no leadership at the national level." That there is *NO*
leadership at the national level is mindblowing for a general to say.

I really liked that guy, he's heartfelt. I hope he was not wolfowiztzs
assistant! I'd rather figure that wolfie guy would be the eggplant headed
guy with the light hair.

[teryang]

30. Batiste

Batiste also was senior military assistant to then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.

Batiste, who commanded the Army's 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, also blamed Congress for failing to ask "the tough questions."

He said Rumsfeld at one point threatened to fire the next person who mentioned the need for a postwar plan in Iraq.

Batiste said if full consideration had been given to the requirements for war, it's likely the U.S. would have kept its focus on Afghanistan, "not fueled Islamic fundamentalism across the globe, and not created more enemies than there were insurgents."

[zonkers]

25. WTF wasn't this story titled: RETIRED GENERALS DEMAND RUMMY"S RESIGNATION?

Fucking bullshit.

[DoYouEverWonder]

26. Believe it or not the Washington Post does

Three Retired Officers Demand Rumsfeld's Resignation

By William Branigin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 25, 2006; 5:14 PM

Three retired military officers who served in Iraq called today for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, telling a Democratic "oversight hearing" on Capitol Hill that the Pentagon chief bungled planning for the U.S. invasion, dismissed the prospect of an insurgency and sent American troops into the fray with inadequate equipment.

The testimony by the three --two retired Army major generals and a former Marine colonel -- came a day after disclosure of a classified intelligence assessment that concluded the war in Iraq has fueled recruitment of violent Islamic extremists, helping to create a new generation of potential terrorists around the world and worsening the U.S. position.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/25/AR2006092500731.html?sub=AR

[zonkers]

27. If DYEW tells it to me... I believe it.