Fire Rumsfeld Now!
What does it mean when several generals come out of retirement to harshly criticize Secretary Rumsfeld? It speaks volumes, according to them.
The retired commander of key forces in Iraq called yesterday for Donald H. Rumsfeld to step down, joining several other former top military commanders who have harshly criticized the defense secretary's authoritarian style for making the military's job more difficult.
Batiste noted that many of his peers feel the same way. "It speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out from retirement about the leadership climate in the Department of Defense," he said earlier yesterday on CNN.
Batiste said he believes that the administration's handling of the Iraq war has violated fundamental military principles, such as unity of command and unity of effort. In other interviews, Batiste has said he thinks the violation of another military principle -- ensuring there are enough forces -- helped create the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal by putting too much responsibility on incompetent officers and undertrained troops.
His comments follow similar recent high-profile attacks on Rumsfeld by three other retired flag officers, amid indications that many of their peers feel the same way.
Bush has repeatedly said that he bases his decisions on Iraq troop levels on the information he receives from the commanders on the ground, implying he respects their opinion on military matters. Yet despite repeated calls for Rumsfeld's exit - not to mention (if the reports are to be believed) Rumsfeld submitting his own resignation years ago - the President has kept him on.
Perhaps apologists and defenders of this administration can explain to its critics how keeping Rumsfeld around is anything but a bonehead play.
posted by Germanicu$ at 9:14 AM
2 Comments:
There could be some machismo at play here, or it could be that firing Rumsfeld (or having dear Rummy resign) would involve too many spontaneous liberals spontaneously conceiving babies.
Right now both sides are suffering from the disease of wishing their own political advantage above military success. No one ever thinks that consciously but it's nevertheless true.
I agree that Rumsfeld and Co. leave much to be desired, but I must also take issue with guys coming out of retirement to tell other people the way things should be done. These folks remind me just a bit of a loser fraterntiy brother I had who just couldn't let go, and boy the great ideas he had when he'd come back after graduation, full of nothing better to do.
My first reaction was similar to yours, Retard: that these retired guys are just sour grapes. Gen. Zinni, for example, is easy to write off, because he's plugging a book. (I don't doubt his sincerity, but his ulterior motive DQs him.)
That being said, it is rather extraordinary for these guys to come out and do this in such numbers and with such ferocity. I have seen no indication that some lefty version of Swift Boat Veterans For Truth is putting these guys up to it (though I'll bet the dinks at NRO are furiously working to uncover such a conspiracy). They're not even (necessarily) against the war or current defense policy, but are sounding off against the man and the culture he brings.
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