Comments on: Straight talk from the chairman

By: Skippy-san

Skippy-san — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:31:04 +0000

Nose, you pointed out that Mullen stayed around because he knew how to fix it. Thus he was not guilty of not sticking up for principle-even though by the time he got into a position to fix it the damage had been made a hell of lot worse.

I still think the situation in 2004 and 2005 was a lot more complicated than anyone here lets on and without considering the role that people like Bremer, Wolfwitz and others played the story is incomplete.

Sanchez and the others have not really spoken in months, so why raise this point now?

By: Nose

Nose — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:57:41 +0000

Thanks Lex,

I just got through saying the same thing at Skippy’s house.

Just, you know, a whole lot stupider.

Nose

By: lex

lex — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:47:15 +0000

This is really rather straightforward Skip. If you’re in command while things are going from bad to worse and you soldiers are getting killed in ever larger numbers and you don’t believe that you’re getting the support you need from either the joint chiefs or the politicians, it doesn’t matter what was or wasn’t said behind closed doors – your people are dying and at some point you’ve got to stand for something besides muddling through for that fourth star. A commander is responsible for executing policy – any commander who doesn’t believe the policy is either correct or executable under his current constraints would be better off getting out of the way in favor of one who can commit to it.

So: You take a stand, throw your stars on the table and issue an “or else” ultimatum, and if they call you, you quit. And then hit the talk show circuit. And change the debate.

The Chairman is clearly not afraid of debate, and this is not even about the Iraq war, except tangentially – it’s about leadership, and doing the right thing. He’s right to point to those who had the power to change things – either in uniform or by resigning – and who failed to do so as moral cowards.

By: Zane

Zane — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:17:27 +0000

Liz, I always have at least five cups of espresso before posting. Don’t worry about being ornery, what with Skippy and Snakey and Nose around, we’re all thick-skinned.

By: Liz

Liz — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:11:28 +0000

Just reading through my messages above and I came across a lot more ornery than I intended.

Damn, sorry. I should have my morning coffee before posting….

By: Skippy-san

Skippy-san — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:52:40 +0000

Shinseki left on time-Summer 2003.

Rumsfeld had emasculated him though by announcing his successor 15 months ahead of time. Shinseki had been Chief of Staff since 1999 so he appears to have served a full 4 year term.