Retired Generals Criticize Bush’s Plan for Iraq - by Michael Temchine for The New York Times

[applegrove]

Retired Generals Criticize Bush’s Plan for Iraq
Michael Temchine for The New York Times

By JOHN HOLUSHA
Published: January 18, 2007

"A panel of retired generals told a United States Senate committee today that sending 21,500 additional troops to Iraq will do little to solve the underlying political problems in the country.

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The Reach of War
Go to Complete Coverage » “Too little and too late,” is the way Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, a former chief of the Central Command, described the effort to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The additional troops are intended to help pacify Baghdad and a restive province, but General Hoar said American leaders had failed to understand the political forces at work in the country. “The solution is political, not military,” he said.

“A fool’s errand,” was the judgment of Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, who commanded troops in the first Gulf War. He said other countries had concluded that the effort in Iraq was not succeeding, noting that “our allies are leaving us and will be gone by summer.”

Describing the situation in Iraq as “desperate but not terminal,” he said Iraqis had to try to make political deals domestically and negotiate for stability with neighboring nations, particularly Syria and Iran.

...........SNIP"

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/world/middleeast/18cnd-general.html?ex=1326776400&en=c7f1008646cbfc49&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

[Virginia Dare]

1. There are probably less than five people in the world..

who think it's a good plan, Chimp and Cheney being two, possibly Condi, but deep down she might just be going along as far as the ride will take her, Lindsey Graham, and John McCain.

[applegrove]

2. Was to little, too late from the get go. I wonder if Bush isn't just running

down the clock so that the Dem House & Senate start pulling funding..or perhaps to keep the war issue on the agenda for McCain's run for President..so it will be another "war" election. God only knows what the reasons are for this but they must be political. And that is a travesty for the soldiers on the ground.

[ninkasi]

3. Don't forget Holy Joe

[Virginia Dare]

4. I stand corrected, good catch...n/t

[Palladin]

5. If Congress shirks its Constitutional duty

AND the will of the people here, the loyal US military is going to take care of things. I don't think we need that, quite yet, God help us. So take of business, Congress. Most especially Democrats.