Vanity Fair: 6 Generals who gave up their careers over Iraq

[Botany]

A 9 page article but right up with Sy Hersh's work as far as a chilling tale that
not only was going into Iraq a mistake but the handling of the war by Rummy & Wolfowitz
was so screwed up that failure of the mission was certain.

:hi: Media people who use DU for your research want to try to cover this story?

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/04/iraqgenerals200704?currentPage=1

The Night of the Generals
The six retired generals who stepped forward last spring to publicly attack Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's
handling of the Iraq war had to overcome a culture of reticence based on civilian control of the military. But while
each man acted separately, all shared one experience: a growing outrage over the administration's incompetence,
leading some of the nation's finest soldiers to risk their reputations and cross a time-honored line.
by David Margolick April 2007

snip

Only a few months had passed since the attacks of September 11. The war in Afghanistan was just under way; officially,
the enemies were al-Qaeda and the Taliban. But what interested Rumsfeld now was Baghdad, Basra, and beyond. To
Newbold and many others, Iraq seemed irrelevant to the problems America faced, and besides, things there appeared
largely under control; Saddam Hussein had been more or less handcuffed through sanctions and other diplomatic measures.
Yet here was a sign, one of several, that Saddam, and not Osama bin Laden or Mullah Omar, was most on the Bush administration's mind.

Around a conference table in the Pentagon's E-ring, the brass gathered. Newbold sat next to Rumsfeld, with the chairman of
the Joint Chiefs, General Richard Myers, to Newbold's right, and Myers's deputy, General Peter Pace, next to him. Nearby
were Rumsfeld's number two, Paul Wolfowitz, and his personal military assistant, Admiral Edmund Giambastiani Jr. Newbold
began reviewing the plan to invade Iraq, several years old by that point, which called for 500,000 troops—a figure Rumsfeld summarily dismissed. Surely 125,000 would suffice, he said, and with a little imagination, you could probably get away with far fewer than that.

snip

Among the six, Paul Eaton has one clear distinction. He was dealt the worst hand: to create a new Iraqi Army from scratch.
That much was evident from the moment he landed in Kuwait early one morning in June 2003 to undertake the job. First,
no one was there to meet him. Then no one had arranged to take him to Baghdad; he had to thumb a helicopter ride there.
Then he couldn't get into the Green Zone. Then, to build a new military force for 26 million people, he'd been given a
munificent staff of five.

[ShortnFiery]

1. Yes, but General Peaches BetrayUs was promoted from one to three stars.

Where are all those progress reports for your illustrious "surge effort" Wonder Boy?

[babylonsister]

2. Botany, this article looks great. Thanks! nt

[Botany]

3. It is a long article but it is wild.

The General who was supposed to build "The New Iraqi" Army
had a a staff of 5 and no ride into Baghdad from Kuwait?

Every one of the Generals had voted for bush in 2000 except for one who
wouldn't vote for President because of his "code of honor" that did not
allow him to ever be in the position of accepting an order from somebody
he had not supported.

These are not liberals who hate bush but men who really understand war
and felt duty bound to come forward and tell their story.

[Benhurst]

4. Thanks. Recommended #2

[tanyev]

5. Vanity Fair has been doing some great stories.

I subscribed for a year, but then let it run out because the next one would show up in my mail box before I even had a chance to finish the current one. Thanks for posting.

[erpowers]

6. Rumsfeld Went to the Naval Academy

It amazes me to know that Rumsfeld went to the Naval Academy. I just cannot believe he could be so incompetent concerning military issues even after graduating from the Naval Academy. Did he just not study? Did he graduate at the bottom of his class like John McCain? Does the Naval Academy not teach military strategy? Why is this guy so incompetent concerning military issues?

[Botany]

7. Rummy does not come off well in the article

... he would go nutz when somebody questioned any of his policies ....
how he treated people over troop numbers was just awful.

[CRH]

10. Rummy Primer link ...

from pre Nixon through Reagan, Bush I, to present. But warning, this material could disgust you.

http://www.alternet.org/story/48085/

The Life and Times of Donald Rumsfeld
By Roger Morris

[Leilani]

12. Rumsfeld went to Princeton

not the Naval Academy.

[erpowers]

14. Sorry

I always thought it was said that he went to the Naval Academy. While I guess that explains his incompetence on military issues.

[Supersedeas]

8. Thanks for posting this

[RedEarth]

9. Thanks for posting KR...and bookmarking.... 6 Generals who gave up their careers over Iraq

[Uncle Joe]

11. Thanks for the thread Botany

Kicked and recommended

[Kurovski]

13. K&R.(nt)

[FrenchieCat]

15. K&R

:patriot: