Carla Anne Robbins of WSJ on infamous Hugh Shelton comment on Wesley Clark

[Eric J in MN]

Wall St. Journal reporter Carla Anne Robbins was interviewed on C-Span tonight.

She thinks that when Hugh Shelton said Clark was "fired over issues of character and integrity" (Shelton refuses to clarify to this day) he meant that he arranged for Clark to be fired because he didn't like Clark trying to go over his head over tactics in the war in Kosovo.

[Military Brat]

1. Oh, yeah, sure, I can see how that comment was misinterpreted

:wtf:

[mikehiggins]

2. I wonder how General Shelton felt

hearing his quote used in the Hague against Clark. Milosevic said it during his cross examination.

Must feel good to be quoted in the defense of a mass murderer.

What an honor.

[Bill of Rights]

3. I think the reporter is right

about Shelton's reasons. Do you think Clark going over his superior's heads looks bad or good?

It looks good when you consider that Clark didn't want the Muslims to be killed.

It looks bad when it appears to be insubordination due to Clark's ego.

[Donna Zen]

5. Shelton's ego

would seem to be more of the problem. Over head in this case was a president, who agreed with Clark. Also, Albright, Holbrook and Talbot were all talking to Clinton and if they had talked to Clark, tough shit to Shelton. Clark's answering the CinC truthfully might piss the Shelton-Cohen rightwing connection off, but it is hardly insubordination.

[Jerseycoa]

6. Actually

As NATO commander, he didn't report only to the Pentagon, although they would have liked him to. Half the job was diplomatic and went through the Secretary of State and the US Envoy, both of whom speak very highly of Clark's job in Kosovo.

[deminflorida]

9. Your wrong, Clark was wearing a hat as Supreme Allied

Commander. In that respect, he was in charge of an operation where multiple nations were participating. America doesn't always own the whole damn sandbox that NATO is playing in. Look the word supreme up before you start throwing around the word insubordination.

[Toucano]

14. Authority of Supreme Allied Commander

As such, Clark was allowed to report and confer directly with all heads of state in NATO. That includes Bill Clinton.

He was not limited to the traditional chain of command of the pentagon. If that's got Shelton's panties in a bind, all he has to do is say it and the matter can go away.

Suggesting that Clark exercising his authority is somehow an issue of character and integrity is illogical. It amounts to a smear based on personal jealousy.

If it was insubordination of any sort, Sec. Cohen would not have honored Clark upon his retirement as Cohen did.

[imhotep]

4. Clark doesn't follow orders

not a good temperment for President.

[Jerseycoa]

7. Of course, if he did follow orders,

you would say the same.

[shance]

8. Depends on what those orders are.

n/t

[deminflorida]

10. Never having to have obeyed an order doesn't always make

for a good President either.

[Eric J in MN]

11. If he thought the tactics he was advocating would save lives

If he thought the tactics he was advocating would save lives, then it was appropriate for him to discuss this with Shelton's superiors (Bill Clinton?)

He didn't disobey orders.

[mikehiggins]

13. Whhaaaa??? Who gives the President orders?

Do you mean he might not bend over for the military industrial complex or the oil industry or the pharmacuetical industry or the stock markets or the banks or the insurance companies or the rest of the special interests?

Wow! What an idea. A president who didn't follow orders and didn't think he was put into office by Jesus.

Hey, he's got my vote!

[Tatiana]

15. That's funny.

I thought the knock against Clark was that as a military guy, all he was used to doing was following orders.

Who gives the President orders anyway?

[Myra]

12. The fact that people are trying to guess what Shelton meant shows that

It's nothing more than a smear.
It's vague as hell so it's conveniently impossible to
comprehend, let alone refute.

Is Robbins an operator on the psychic friends network?
How the hell would she know what, if anything, Shelton was thinking?

Maybe he was thinking that since he was going to be
an "advisor" on Edwards' presidential campaign it would
be good to fling some crap at a better candidate.