Dissent in the Bunker - Gingrich thinks US went "off the cliff" in Iraq

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/1002188.asp?0cv=KB10

The military has been hitting hard lately in Iraq, using overwhelming firepower to kill the enemy in operations with videogame names like Iron Hammer and Ivy Cyclone II. But behind the scenes, some military experts, including high-ranking officers in U.S. Special Forces (Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs and the like), are beginning to complain that America’s strategy in Iraq is wrongheaded.

“THIS IS WHAT Westmoreland was doing in Vietnam,” says a top Special Forces commander, referring to the firepower-heavy tactics favored by the military’s senior commander in Vietnam, Gen. William Westmoreland, who lost sight of America’s essential mission in that lost war: winning the hearts and minds of the people.

<snip>

Sitting in his office in downtown Washington, Gingrich searched on his computer for the Web site of the Coalition Provisional Authority, set up in Baghdad to oversee the reconstruction and democratization of Iraq. “I’m told over there that CPA stands for ‘Can’t Produce Anything’,” says Gingrich. “Home page of the New Iraq,” he quotes. Then: “The opening quote is, of course, by Bremer. Next quote is by Bush. Next quote is by U.S. Ambassador Steve Mann.” He scrolls down. “Now this is a big breakthrough. They do have the new Iraqi ambassador to the U.S. On the front page. That is a breakthrough,” he repeats, adding, sotto voce, “I have been beating the crap out of them for two weeks on this.” His basic point: where are the Iraqi faces in the New Iraq? “Americans can’t win in Iraq,” he says. “Only Iraqis can win in Iraq.”

<snip>

“The Army’s reaction to Vietnam was not to think about it,” he says. Rather than absorb the lessons of counterinsurgency, Gingrich says, the Army adopted “a deliberate strategy of amnesia because people didn’t want to ever do it again.” The Army rebuilt a superb fighting force for waging a conventional war. “I am very proud of what Tommy Franks did—up to the moment of deciding how to transfer power to the Iraqis. Then,” said Gingrich, “we go off a cliff.”

<snip>

The rumor mill in the Pentagon suggests that Bush’s “exit strategy” is to get American troops coming home in waves by next November’s election.

[Terwilliger]

1. I think Newt Gingrich should be shunned

he's a diseased little fucknut who doesn't deserve to be listened to about anything

[RamboLiberal]

4. I don't give a flying you know what that Dems listen to Newtie

But I am encouraged when any Repug says any thing negative and actually holds much the same view as we do about AWOL's policy in Iraq.

I just hope they have the balls to say the same thing on Faux. I'm hoping they start eating their own.

[jenk]

2. Slobodan Gingrich

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Gee Newt

that's what the millions of people in those focus groups were trying to tell you guys. That Bu$hCo had no plan. That Iraq would devolve into chaos. But the brains like you at the AEI had all the answers. It was going to be a cake walk. Bu$h would ride into Baghdad and the Iraqis would throw flowers at his feet.

Now some of the smarter neocons are waking up to the fact that they were conned too. Too bad suckers.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Like the Kaiser's Generals at the end of World War I

those that lobbied hardest for war are now washing their hands off of it. Next thing they'll do is blame the socialists and liberals for losing the foolish war they started.

The recrimination game has begun. Meanwhile, all is quiet on the Western Front.

[wryter2000]

9. You betcha

It's Clinton's fault. Clinton's weenie started this war.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Newt doesn't know that the new Iraqi Ambassador to US is an American

.” He scrolls down. “Now this is a big breakthrough. They do have the new Iraqi ambassador to the U.S. On the front page. That is a breakthrough,” he repeats, adding, sotto voce, “I have been beating the crap out of them for two weeks on this.”

Iraq's new Ambassador to the US is a dual-citizenship Iraqi-American woman that lives in the United States.

Perhaps I should also mention that the second highest rank civilian in Iraq, after Paul Bremer, is an Israeli-American, Dan Senor.

We are making progress alright!

[wtmusic]

7. Sorry NEWT, but the decision to invade was where we went over the cliff

These men are really, really stupid.

[wryter2000]

8. Thanks, turdblossom

What a keen grasp of the obvious he's suddenly developed.

[opihimoimoi]

11. Too Little Too Late for the Newt. Once a National Joke himself

its obvious he doesn't want a second round by associating with the Shrub.

Too freakin late scumbag, too late. You helped put this Shrub in office now go down with the ship like all good Pubs do. Never mind bailing when the Shrub needs you. Just wait till the rest of the Pubs hear about this, they gonna be pissed big time. Traitor! Pub Traitor. Never speak ill of another Pub Mensa Reject.

Go on your way silly man, back to the rock.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. I think what Newt meant was that the REPUBLICANS went off the cliff with

Iraq.