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The Low-Down On Zinni (Unsavory Associations, Background Revealed! BUSTED!)
The American Thinker ^ | 5/26/04 | Douglas Hanson

Posted on 05/26/2004 5:06:36 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

The latest retired general to voice his concerns over the strategy to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq has been Anthony Zinni.  Naturally, the good general has co-authored a book with (surprise!) Tom Clancy, criticizing the war with Iraq.  The anti-Semitic undercurrent of the general’s interview on 60 minutes is discussed at length in Richard Baehr’s excellent piece  in The American Thinker.  Most Americans know that Gen. Zinni was the former Commanding General of CENTCOM, but few know his previous military background in that theater of operations, nor do they completely understand his current political leanings on the subject of conflict and war.  

Gen. Zinni had been Deputy Commanding General for Operation Provide Comfort, immediately after Gulf War I. But his first command in the region was as the I Marine Expeditionary Force Commander assigned to execute Operation UNITED SHIELD, which was USCENTCOM’s operation to withdraw all UN forces from Somalia in January 1995. By this time, all US forces had already withdrawn under orders from President Clinton and overseen by the CENTCOM commander, Marine Gen. Hoar (retired Gen. Hoar has also come out against Operation Iraqi Freedom).  

In August 1997, Gen. Zinni assumed command of CENTCOM.  During his command, the following major actions occurred in theater:  

- Provided disaster relief to victims of flooding in Kenya.  

- The U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Tanzania were bombed by terrorists; USCENTCOM responded to the bombings by conducting cruise missile strikes against aspirin factories and nearly deserted terrorist camps of Osama Bin Laden.  

- The U.S.S. Cole was bombed in Aden by al Qaeda. The rules of engagement in force under General Zinni's command enabled the terrorists to approach the Cole close enough to kill our sailors and critically damage the ship.  

- In December 1998, USCENTCOM launched Operation DESERT FOX which was a four-day operation theoretically to delay development of weapons of mass destruction, and to disrupt or destroy Iraq’s national command and control nodes.  

- Gen. Zinni oversaw the large-scale, yet routine Bright Star Exercise, which can trace its origin to the early 80s Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF).  

- Conducted “engagement” operations (whatever that means) with the recently independent Central Asian states of the Former Soviet Union.  

So, it appears that Gen. Zinni and CENTCOM had become very proficient at troop withdrawals, disaster relief, and shooting cruise missiles at empty tents.  To be fair, Gen. Zinni was but the last in line of three CENTCOM commanders (the others being Hoar and Peay), who were essentially outmaneuvered by Iran. Even worse, they allowed a build-up of Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf and the Horn of Africa. These moves were countered by nothing stronger than the strategies of withdrawal (Somalia), shows of force, and the ever-popular but widely misunderstood concept of “engagement.”  

But Gen. Zinni’s current affiliations are even more interesting, given his severe criticism of the President’s actions in the War on Terror and the liberation of Iraq.  It seems the General is a Distinguished Military Fellow on the Washington, D.C. staff of the Center for Defense Information www.cdi.org.  The mission statement for this organization is:  

dedicated to strengthening security through: international cooperation; reduced reliance on unilateral military power [emphasis mine] to resolve conflict; reduced reliance on nuclear weapons; a transformed and reformed military establishment; and, prudent oversight of, and spending on, defense programs.  

A quick glance of the list of people on CDI’s Board of Advisors includes such great military thinkers and left wing activists and donors as:  

- Ben Cohen - Founder, Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc., South Burlington, Vt.  

- Paul Newman - Motion Pictures, Los Angeles, Calif.  

- Joanne Woodward - Actress-Director, Westport, Conn.  

An assessment of CDI during the height of the Cold War highlighted its founding and core philosophy:  

Formed in 1973 as a project of the tax-exempt Fund for Peace(FFP).  CDI and its sister FFP projects - the Center for National Security Studies(CNSS) and the Center for International Policy(CIP) - are spin-offs from projects initiated by the Institute for Policy Studies(IPS), the Washington-based , internationally active revolutionary think-tank.  

CDI’s military members include former military officers, intelligence officers and academics who share attitudes of harsh antagonism toward the U.S. national defense, the U.S. military, the NATO alliance and American foreign policy.  

CDI’s former military officers were frequently quoted by the Soviet propaganda organs to legitimize their attacks on NATO and U.S. defense forces as trigger-happy dangers to peace. Although CDI states it "supports a strong defense but opposes excessive expenditures or forces," it has opposed every major new U.S. weapons system developed during the past two decades - from the B-1 bomber and Trident submarine to cruise missiles, neutron warheads, and stealth bomber - as upsetting the U.S.-Soviet strategic balance while at the same time minimizing the Soviet military buildup.  

To this day, CDI maintains an office in Moscow, Russia staffed by a Mr. Ivan Safranchuk, who is described as a “well-known nuclear analyst in Russia.”  The purpose of the Moscow CDI office is to provide “the Russian media and public with independent, unfiltered information about U.S.-Russian security relations, from nuclear policy to NATO environmental issues.”

This begs the question: What would motivate a retired four-star Marine general to join such an organization as this?

That retired Gen. Zinni would fall in with this bunch makes perfect sense after a stint at CENTCOM that included half-measures against Saddam’s regime and disaster relief operations as his claim to fame.  It’s a shame that he can’t see the failure of the false policy of containment and sanctions that were right in his own backyard, but it’s a scandal that his critique of the current war can’t get beyond the subtle anti-Semitic complaints against people who actually wanted to take action to solve the problem.  

His actions demonstrate that he is in perfect company with Richard Clarke and Joe Wilson.


TOPICS: Editorial; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: antisemitism; appeasement; appologists; cdi; centcom; clintonista; commie; generalmcclellan; georgebmcclellan; ips; islamofascism; marine; marxist; moscow; red; usmc; zinni; zinnininnies
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To: Dave S

You're welcome, but it's not just mine :)


41 posted on 05/26/2004 6:09:21 AM PDT by mewzilla
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

I knew that most of our worst enemies are inside our own borders. I didn't realize that some of them are (were) high up in our own military.


42 posted on 05/26/2004 6:10:11 AM PDT by SiliconValleyGuy
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To: johnny7
One thing for certain is Zinni doesn't care for 'neocon' Jews... American or Israeli.

Saying that Zinni "doesn't care for 'necon' Jews... American or Israel" is rather like stating that Paris Hilton has a wee , eensy li'l problem with keeping her knees together. :)

43 posted on 05/26/2004 6:11:24 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (I feel more and more like a revolted Charlton Heston, witnessing ape society for the very first time)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
I don't hold my CICs (or the men supposedly serving faithfully under them) to the standards of a Bill Clinton. I set the bar a good deal higher than that, actually

What was Zinni supposed to do, head up a coup and topple Clinton if he disagreed with Clinton directives? Or just end his career so you would be so happy? How many times have you chosen to sabotage your career to live up to your standards?

44 posted on 05/26/2004 6:11:27 AM PDT by Dave S
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To: Badeye

Clancy's personal life has been a disaster for a number of years. It's a wonder he can churn out a sentence, much less a book.


45 posted on 05/26/2004 6:11:48 AM PDT by Mamzelle (for a post-neo conservatism)
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To: Mamzelle

bttt


46 posted on 05/26/2004 6:14:07 AM PDT by Guenevere (..., .Press on toward the goal!)
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To: Mamzelle

"Clancy's personal life has been a disaster for a number of years. It's a wonder he can churn out a sentence, much less a book."

I think he's been unable to cope with the end of the Cold War as it relates to his profession as a writer. I'll also note he hasn't really written a book on his own in what, eight or nine years now? He's been using ghost writters for one "series" or another....when he isn't using real warriors as "co authors" for his series of books on modern warfare.

I will note on thing that occured to me after reading about his appearance on H & C. I thought the movie "Sum of All Fears" was screwed up by Hollywood's penchant for political correctness, which resulted in what would have been a HUGE blockbuster turing into a B movie that didn't turn a profit.

Now, I'm beginning to think Clancy had an active hand in turning it into a liberal morass of ill defined story line, with poor character portrayals. Had they stayed true to the books theme, it would have been a huge hit in a post 9/11 world. And Affleck wouldn't be so much the butt of latenight jokes concerning his ongoing series of bombs.


47 posted on 05/26/2004 6:19:33 AM PDT by Badeye
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To: laconic
Pretty good speaker (on CBS) who glossed over German and French munitions payrolls tied to Sadaam's Iraq. Not too bad if you ignore the UN food for oil kickback scheme.
No...not too bad, if you ignore recent history, haven't read a newspaper or have been living in a cave.
48 posted on 05/26/2004 6:20:00 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (STAGMIRE !)
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To: ravingnutter
It bears repeating:

From Zinni's sworn testimony as to the facts, a few months before Bush was elected:

" Clearly, the proliferation of advanced weapons and associated technology is reaching alarming proportions......"

"...... Detecting plans for a specific WMD attack is extremely difficult, making it likely such an event would occur without warning.

49 posted on 05/26/2004 6:22:45 AM PDT by cookcounty (LBJ sent him to VN. Nixon expressed him home. And JfK's too dumb to tell them apart!)
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To: Dave S
How many times have you chosen to sabotage your career to live up to your standards?

I wasn't aware, certainly, that refusing to swap spit with the comrades over at the CDI translated so readily into "sabotaging his career."

Of course: this begs the question, ultimately, as to which master(s) -- foreign or domestic -- said career was in service of, doesn't it...?

50 posted on 05/26/2004 6:27:12 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (I feel more and more like a revolted Charlton Heston, witnessing ape society for the very first time)
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To: ravingnutter
One more quote from 2000 for good measure:

"........ We are going to have a WMD event. Mark my words. Will it be on the battlefield or will it be back here in Tampa or New York City? I don’t know. But we will have one......."

Since Zinni doesn't believe this to be true anymore, is it fair to say that W's war on Terror has been a success?

51 posted on 05/26/2004 6:28:04 AM PDT by cookcounty (LBJ sent him to VN. Nixon expressed him home. And JfK's too dumb to tell them apart!)
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To: Badeye
Clancy caught a bad case of "Celebrity Jerk"-- he alienates everyone. It's no surprise that he cherishes any animous toward the Bush family, because he hates practically everyone else--why not the Bushes?

He has a sideline interest in edgy aviation, ued to love to hang with the doddering old astronauts at their self-congratulatory "scientific" events--swapping ceremonials instead of swapping wives. Donated to the X society. But they don't like him, either.

52 posted on 05/26/2004 6:39:18 AM PDT by Mamzelle (for a post-neo conservatism)
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To: Howlin; Grampa Dave; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Peach

"know the enemy" ping!


53 posted on 05/26/2004 6:42:18 AM PDT by MizSterious (First, the journalists, THEN the lawyers.)
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To: MizSterious

Man - he sounds like a leftist if ever there was one.


54 posted on 05/26/2004 6:46:21 AM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: Dane
What is this "animus towards the State of Israel" crap ??

I've seen a lot of blather about "Israel is our staunchest ally,yadda,yadda,yadda.",but it might be more accurate to say " " We are Israel's staunchest ally . Israel is our ally when it suits Israel's purpose."

If it is anti-semitism to say that,so be it !

Most of the people trying to trash Gen. Zinni wouldn't make a pimple on a Parris Island sh*tbird's butt.

55 posted on 05/26/2004 6:55:09 AM PDT by genefromjersey
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To: Peach

I thought "unsavory" was a very polite term for this guy. The incident with the Cole--docking in a hostile place (Aden) against all common sense--should have raised some eyebrows. Was he just a dufus, or was he setting up the Cole?


56 posted on 05/26/2004 6:57:20 AM PDT by MizSterious (First, the journalists, THEN the lawyers.)
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To: genefromjersey
Israel is our ally when it suits Israel's purpose.

If it is anti-semitism to say that,so be it !

Louder, please: the white hood muffles your voice.

57 posted on 05/26/2004 6:57:30 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (I feel more and more like a revolted Charlton Heston, witnessing ape society for the very first time)
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To: maica

I could never figure out Clancy. He may be spending too much time jet setting.


58 posted on 05/26/2004 6:57:47 AM PDT by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
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To: MizSterious

Thanks for the ping!

Interesting background, seems like an originator of many DemonicRat talking points.


59 posted on 05/26/2004 7:02:07 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got!!!!)
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To: Mamzelle

"Clancy caught a bad case of "Celebrity Jerk"-- he alienates everyone."

So I've seen. Kinda reminds me of Jerry Kramer...was a great "pulling guard" for the old Green Bay teams of the 1960's. Wrote a book called "Instant Replay" which was a huge sucess in its day, and is still a great read even today.

He became a "Celebrity Jerk" nobody could stand, not any of his multiple wives, nor his former teamates.


60 posted on 05/26/2004 7:04:37 AM PDT by Badeye
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