U.S. ‘in trouble’ in Iraq, retired general asserts

[Barrett808]

Source: The Kansas City Star

Barry McCaffrey, retired Army general and one-time White House drug czar, came to Kansas City on Tuesday to deliver a speech about leadership.

...

He spoke with The Kansas City Star about his assessment of the Iraq war and its strain on the U.S. military. His answers have been edited for space and clarity.

What sort of evolution do you see to the war in Iraq?

We’re in trouble.

The American people walked away from the war. I don’t think they’re coming back. Iraq’s neighbors are bearing no good will toward a favorable outcome in Iraq.

The Iraqi government in power is dysfunctional. There is essentially no province in Iraq where the central government holds sway. It’s not true in the Kurdish areas. … It’s not true in Basra, where there’s a struggle for power among the Shiites, it’s essentially not true in any part of the country.


Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/82716.html

[MADem]

1. And Barry wussed around on this issue for the LONGEST time.

The fact that he's put on his lifejacket and hopped into the lifeboat suggests that only the ones who are willing to glug the koolaid are remaining behind.

[IndianaGreen]

11. Only the first class passengers got to the lifeboats on the Titanic

Using the Titanic as an analogy, it is the grunts that are facing the same fate as the steerage passengers. They are the ones that are paying for the hubris of the ship's captain that led them to an iceberg called Iraq.

[MADem]

14. Who said anything about the TITANIC? My analogy suggested that the bastard is

abandoning ship after sailing along with the rest of the BushCo crew for the longest time, nothing more.

If you're on a CARNIVAL cruise or an aircraft carrier, you put on your lifejacket, and you hop in the lifeboat when it's time to get the hell out of there.

[bahrbearian]

19. I like your analogy better.

[Mz Pip]

2. Why does Barry

hate America? Treasonous bastard. Another surrender monkey. :sarcasm:

Mz Pip
:dem:

[sutz12]

3. Gee, ya thnk? nt

:shrug:

[calimary]

4. About time you started making noise about it, General.

This war is a LOSER. Has been for a long time. About time you cut the crap and said so. Better late than never, I suppose.

[marylanddem]

5. McCaffrey the former "drug czar" for Clinton

somehow injected himself into talking head-dom early in this occupation & regularly bleats on about it. I think he tries to say what any given reporter wants to hear from him but not be too committal - inotherwords, he's about as substantive as a leaf in the wind.

[MidwestTransplant]

6. If anybody can recognize a futile war, it's a drug czar!

[Doctor_J]

10. Amen

and great catch

[Rydz777]

7. 20/20 hindsight

I was against it from the beginning. Gosh, maybe I have better foresight than Barry. Imagine that.

[LynnTheDem]

8. ILLEGAL INVASION.

ILLEGAL.

INVASION.

Always a loser from the moment it's launched.

[Doctor_J]

9. Traitor!

How dare he say out loud what everyone knows to be true!

[IndianaGreen]

12. Interesting what Barry McCaffrey says about the Pat Tillman case

What’s your read of the case of Pat Tillman, the pro football player whose friendly-fire death in Afghanistan was first made to look like the result of enemy combat?

There was sadly, a probably criminal cover-up of evidence. … They loved this guy. ... They shouldn’t have covered it up. That was wrong, but I’m empathetic to these guys. ….

You’ve got a unit horrified that they’ve killed their buddy and wanting to tell the family something noble.

I’ll bet you $100 to a half-eaten apple that (then Defense Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld knew about it right after Lt. Gen. Stan McCrystal sent that message in. … At that point there probably was a political cover-up going on.

http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/82716.html

[gratuitous]

13. Read his answer carefully

We're in trouble in Iraq, according to McCaffrey, not because of any bungling by the Bush administration, but first and foremost because "the American people walked away from the war."

Here's a nice big cup of shut the fuck up, Mr. McCaffrey.

[MADem]

15. He wants to have it both ways, clearly.

The baaastid.

Never liked the guy. Always found him to be a bit of an opportunist, frankly.

[keopeli]

16. "the American people walked away from the war" ??? So it's OUR fault we've lost in Iraq?

"And I don't think they're coming back," he says.

No General - try this.

The American people were LIED TO about the Iraq War, and they're pissed. I don't think they'll support it any more.

Geez - that's so easy and honest.

Don't blame us, chicken-sh*%.

PEACE

[Dan]

20. I think he is saying

that we have walked away from an never-ending commitment to this conflict. Not that it is the 'American people' fault.

[keopeli]

17. Iraq’s neighbors are bearing no good will toward a favorable outcome in Iraq." ???

You mean "Iraq’s neighbors are bearing no good will toward a "US ONLY" outcome in Iraq."

Most developed countries would be thrilled to work with Iraq if the US WASN'T THERE. Remember, we refused their help when we invaded because we wanted all the spoils of war.

This General is a bone-head.

[Barrett808]

18. Guardian: The last thing the Middle East's main players want is US troops to leave Iraq

The last thing the Middle East's main players want is US troops to leave Iraq
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x277391