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McCain: Iraq plan was 'inadequate'
cnn ^ | Friday, April 16, 2004

Posted on 4/16/2004, 8:19:33 PM by demlosers

Edited on 4/29/2004, 9:04:13 AM by Jim Robinson. [history]

"I was there last August. I came back after talking with many, many people, and I was convinced we didn't have enough boots on the ground," said the senator from Arizona and decorated Vietnam War veteran.

The extended tour of duty will help the United States maintain combat strength amid battles that have killed at least 90 American service members this month.


(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dod; iraq; mccain
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1 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:19:33 PM by demlosers
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To: demlosers
ITs time to get the Recall McPain campaign going again!!
2 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:23:13 PM by Heff ("Liberty is not America's gift to the world, it's the Almighty's gift to humanity" GW Bush 4/12/04)
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To: demlosers
"The Pentagon should have known it needed more troops in Iraq and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should have overruled his generals on the matter, Sen. John McCain said Thursday night."

McCaine wants us to do the mistake of Vietnam where the politicians not the generals ran the war. I just cannot believe this! He has been saying this crap for months now and no one is challenging him on this stupid statement.

3 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:24:15 PM by jveritas
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To: jveritas
Gotta disagree. The generals were the ones saying we needed more troops, and Rumsfeld overruled them. He now admits that we need more troops. If he had any decency about him, he'd resign.

I know it's the popular thing to worship Rummy, but I think he's a disgrace.
4 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:27:29 PM by johnfrink
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To: demlosers
McCain, while voicing enormous admiration for Rumsfeld, said he knew months ago that the U.S. military would "pay a heavy price" for being understaffed, and he called the secretary's planning "inadequate."

I doubt this has been taken out of context so I freely criticize McCain who even as his wife suffers a stroke doesn't break stride in his public second guessing appearances. Rumsfeld and company have had to make dozens upon dozens of judgment calls and I'm sure in retrospect some have been right and some have been wrong. But they are to be evaluated in the whole and McCain knows better and should so qualify his remarks.

5 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:29:00 PM by Dolphy (I joined the redlipstick boycott of MSNBC)
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To: johnfrink
Can you name one commanding general in Iraq or in central command who has been asking for the troops and was overruled By Rumsfield or the White House.

I do not worship Rumsfield.

6 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:30:16 PM by jveritas
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To: johnfrink
I agree completely. Many generals have said we need more troops, but when McCain says it, it's treason? Now it seems obvious that it's true. My uncle is doing contract work in Baghdad for Halliburton and says it's the consensus over there as well, and has been since he's been there.

Rummy's war plan was great, but his obstinacy since then is dumbfounding.
7 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:33:24 PM by Akira (The people have spoken.....the bastards.)
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To: johnfrink
The generals were the ones saying we needed more troops

NOT TRUE! Not one ACTIVE DUTY GENERAL in theatre asked for MORE TROOPS. It has been George Bush's policy since the very beginning to listen to his Generals and Rumsfeld whether you like him or not, had no choice but to agree with the POTUS.

The Generals that always wanted MORE TROOPS were RETIRED. Zinni, Clarke, Shinseki etc.

8 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:35:09 PM by PISANO (Our troops...... will NOT tire...will NOT falter.....and WILL NOT FAIL!!!)
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To: demlosers
The only thing bigger than McCain's Ego is his mouth.

A great Military mind he ain't.
9 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:36:34 PM by Pompah (Funny how thangs work out.)
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To: demlosers
McCain: Iraq plan was 'inadequate'>/I>

Description of John McCain's flying skills: "inadequate"

10 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:39:14 PM by isthisnickcool (I'm isthisnickcool, and I approved this post!)
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To: demlosers
Yeah right Johnny! You know so much. You know how to stop money from corrupting our political system, by taking our freedom of speech away from us, and you know so much about war since you were a POW for most of it. Go back to your strawberries!
11 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:40:51 PM by Bommer (John Kerry = "You mean I can get a Purple Heart for cutting myself shaving?")
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To: Pompah
McCain also wanted many more troops in Afghanistan. He was wrong. His calls for more Iraqi troops began with the first weeks of the main war effort, when the media was panicking. He was wrong. The generals now want an increase in troops to deal with an insurgency. That will be granted.

The question is, would more troops have PREVENTED the insurgency? I think not. Falujah is a problem because we decided until now to stay out of Falujah. The Sadr-Shiite uprising was a bit of a surprise, I doubt more troops would have been used to guard the Shiites. Finally, it appears the troops there are dealing with both Sadr and falujah effectively.

12 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:44:22 PM by Williams
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To: demlosers
McCain: Iraq plan was 'inadequate'>/I>

Description of John McCain's flying skills: "inadequate"

13 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:46:50 PM by isthisnickcool (I'm isthisnickcool, and I approved this post!)
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To: johnfrink
Gotta disagree. The generals were the ones saying we needed more troops, and Rumsfeld overruled them. He now admits that we need more troops. If he had any decency about him, he'd resign.

A complete baldfaced lie.

Name a single Active Duty General who requested troops and was turned down. I dare you. I will send that name to the pentagon myself for verification.

14 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:48:00 PM by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache, but not quite worthy of Condi Rice.)
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To: Akira
You are free to provide the name as well. I dare you.
15 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:48:50 PM by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache, but not quite worthy of Condi Rice.)
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To: isthisnickcool
I was about to post exactly what you did.
16 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:49:15 PM by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache, but not quite worthy of Condi Rice.)
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To: demlosers
"I was there last August. I came back after talking with many, many people, and I was convinced we didn't have enough boots on the ground..."

Gosh, John McLame...I always thought it was up to the GENERALS to decide what troop force was adequate. Maybe, since you're so wise, you ought to have been a general. Instead, you decided to be a Senator. So do me a favor, John: if you're going to stay in the Senate (maybe J.D. Hayworth will replace you??), stick to the function of a Senator: making laws, and stop trying to be an armchair general, especially when you're obviously just going out there to bash your own party's leader--am man who wiped the floor with you in the last election.

In other words, get over it John.

17 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:53:21 PM by Recovering_Democrat (I'm so glad to no longer be associated with the Party of Dependence on Government!)
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To: Pukin Dog
Pfft. No active duty general would dare rebuke the Sec Def in public, and you know it. That is a sure fire career killer, and nobody is that stupid. It is a poorly-kept secret that the reason most of the former generals came out was because they were asked to do so by active duty generals who were worried about the numbers they were seeing.

Rumsfeld was in such a hurry to prove his revolutionary tactics that he didn't bother to listen to anyone who suggested otherwise.
18 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:55:16 PM by johnfrink
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To: demlosers
If our military commanders think anything like McCain, then we're always going to need "more boots on the ground", no matter what we're doing.
19 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:56:09 PM by onedoug
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To: Williams
think not. Falujah is a problem because we decided until now to stay out of Falujah. The Sadr-Shiite uprising was a bit of a surprise, I doubt more troops would have been used to guard the Shiites.

Well, it goes both ways. I.e., one of the reasons we stayed out of urban centers was because we had a battle plan that used our light and fast (read: fewer troops than needed) forces to bypass the urban centers and decapitate the regime. That was great for the Official War, but not so hot for the post-war period.

20 posted on 4/16/2004, 8:57:45 PM by johnfrink
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