Posted on 08/20/2004 5:56:57 AM PDT by kattracks
Iraq war commander Gen. Tommy Franks revealed Thursday that John Kerry called him for advice on his plan to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq starting in six months - and that Franks gave him a thumbs down.
Asked about the Kerry pullout plan, Gen. Franks told WDAY North Dakota radio host Scott Hennen, "That's a bad idea." "As a matter of fact, I talked to Sen. Kerry - he called me on the telephone. I think most of your listeners know that I'm an independent guy and I try to stay in the middle of all this," Franks said, explaining that his opposition to the Kerry plan was nonpartisan."The fact is that we ought to plan coming out of Iraq based on getting the job done and not based on a calendar," he told Hennen. "I don't know whether it will be next June or whether it will be a year from next June - I don't know. I know that we need to get the job done and then bring our young people home."
Asked if he shared that assessment with Kerry, Franks said, "As a matter of fact I did tell him that and he said, 'Well, you actually are right about that.'"
According to Franks, Kerry explained, "What I've tried to say is, I want the Americans to come out but I want to bring more from the international community in to help us do the job in Iraq."
In response, Franks told the top Democrat, "Senator, I would not argue with you on that a bit. We just need to do that based on our ability to do it and not based on some fictitious calendar."
Despite his talks with Kerry, Gen. Franks indicated he'd clearly prefer that President Bush continue to serve as Commander-in-Chief.
"Every day I of my life, I reflect on the leadership of George W. Bush," he told Hennen. "George W. Bush, while I was in uniform, made me proud of my Commander-in-Chief."
The one-time top military man, whose memoir "American Soldier" replaces Bill Clinton's book at the top of the New York Times bestseller list this week, said also that there was no question that Iraq and al Qaida helped each other with terrorist training.
"There's no question that there were a number of [terrorist] training camps inside Afghanistan. And that over the course of years, there were a number of Iraqis who for one reason or another seemed to go to Afghanistan to get that kind of training."
Asked whether Salman Pak - the South Baghdad terror camp where Islamic radicals practiced airline hijacking - shows an Iraq link to the 9/11 attacks, Franks said:
"I won't say it. I won't say it, because I don't know. I do know about Salman Pak but I don't know if the Iraqis were tied into 9/11. I know that the Iraqis and the terrorists had links, but I cannot tie it to 9/11."
"According to Franks, Kerry explained, "What I've tried to say is, I want the Americans to come out..."
Be afraid, be very afraid. This site is MIA/POW families and I could just imagine a Kerry as CIC..
http://www.powmiafamiliesagainstjohnkerry.com/
"John Kerry abandoned our husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers in favor of trade and normalization of relations with Vietnam. His actions paved the way for the further abandonment of POWs and MIAs from World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War.
John Kerry, as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, ordered the destruction of committee documents, blocked avenues of investigation, and misrepresented progress on the POW/MIA issue to justify lifting of the trade embargo against Vietnam."
I hope the mainstream press get a pick-up on the phone call and the advise... It just shows you that this is not the right guy to lead this nation.
i think we know what he means
Paula Zahn asked Franks what would tip his decision on whom to vote for and he said "an Iraq pullout". Franks will endorse W on the Hannity show when he decides to announce who he's voting for.
Kery comes out against removing troops from Iraq the hard left will go bonkers
Franks letting the Kerry folks know that his remarks are NOT to be taken out of context.
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