Image courtesy: Reuters/NY Post
Posted on 07/20/2007 1:59:07 AM PDT by indcons
WASHINGTON, July 19 (AP) A Pentagon official has told Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton that questions she has raised about how the United States would withdraw from Iraq feed enemy propaganda.
The stinging wording of the message, from Under Secretary of Defense Eric S. Edelman, was unusual, particularly because it was directed at a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Mr. Edelman’s July 16 message, in response to questions Mrs. Clinton raised in May, was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
“Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq,” he wrote, “reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia.”
A Clinton spokesman, Philippe Reines, said the senator would respond to Mr. Edelman’s boss, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. Mr. Reines said military leaders should offer a withdrawal plan rather than “a political plan to attack those who question them.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Please remove from Breaking News, if not appropriate. Thank you.
What a decrepit face!
The libs will try to force his resignation- mustn’t use the stinging truth on the crusty-legged queen bee of Chapequa, you know. The dems know they’re working for the enemy but no one is allowed to mention it in public.
“No [Free Speech] For You!”
That’s telling Shrillery where she can shove her treasonous garbage!! Libs usually worship the phrase “speak truth to power” (when they can twist it for their ends) — well here is a wonderful example of a DoD official, recognizing Shrillery’s power on the Senate Armed Services Committee and in the ‘Rat party overall, still proving able to speak some truth to that treasonous witch! Watch now as the hysterical left and Shrillery’s partners-in-treason in the Senate will try for this guy’s head. Guess he decided it was worth speaking out, whatever the consequences. Good for him!!!
She is. So are every individual who voted for a Democrat and the main stream media.
The pres. recess appointed this guy.
More power to him.
That must place him in with the janitors and cafeteria workers.
This guy must be getting close to retirement age. Working in the next Clinkton administration would be unbearable. How many pencils do they need to have sharpened in a day?
It's not about stopping Hillary from speaking freely (I DO hope she takes the victim pose here and her shrillness comes out). Look at my tagline--I would be the first one to defend her if someone were attempting to stifle her treasonous yap.
But the employees of OUR government who are prosecuting this war must not only be allowed to speak freely about how casual, political talk in this country affects our ability to defend ourselves, they must be ENCOURAGED to do so. We need to have people hearing "Look, words have consequences for our troops and possibly our civilian population."
If this guy is penalized for this, I may finally have to throw in the towel on GWB.
How dare he criticize the “Queen of America”!!!
Stupid move on Edelman’s part. He fell for it.
It should be said of Harry Reid, etc.
Her being “singled out” will be the spin but its something that needs to be said of “all of them.”
So my message is say the same thing about the rest of them including the guys like Hegel who are ostensibly GOP.
Finally! Someone calling out the defeatocrats, also known as the "Slumber Party"!
This article is just another indication, in contrast, to just how bad things can get—namely that while the Pentagon is making statements as indicated, they are also teaching soldiers to...”hesitate when you pull that trigger...”
We;re back to winning hearts and minds, rather we never departed from it!
Here we have Gen P in Iraq who doesn’t like the hesitation on that trigger instruction to his troops—but apparently even the guy w/all those stars on his collar is unable to put a stop to all this bs!
Ref
http://tinyurl.com/22mvyw
http://tinyurl.com/22mvyw
A mark of psychosis, I believe, is to accuse another of exactly the destructive behavior that is the habit of oneself.
Well D'uh. the clintons have been helping the enemies of these United States for decades now. Why should we expect anything different now?
Hooray Under Secretary of Defense Eric S. Edelman!
Actually, ALL White Flag Democrats help the enemy....the enemy that wants us all KILLED.
about time someone gets it right.
Might want to start thinking about a defense fund.
Here is why I said it was a stupid move on Edelman’s part. I know Hillary is grandstanding but he played right into her hands and she will gain points in the PR game. Edelman should have sent a standard letter with mushy boilerplate information:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070720/ap_on_go_co/clinton_iraq
Clinton hits back at Pentagon official By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 39 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton hit back Friday at a Pentagon aide who charged that her questions about Iraq withdrawal planning have the effect of helping the enemy — calling the accusation a spurious dodge of a serious issue.
ADVERTISEMENT
Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner for president, had asked the Pentagon to detail how it is planning for the eventual withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq. She first raised the issue in May, pointing out that whenever troops leave, it will be no simple task to transport the people, equipment, and vehicles out of Iraq, possibly through hostile territory.
Eric Edelman, the Defense Department’s undersecretary for policy, offered a sharply-worded response, saying such discussions boost the enemy.
“Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia,” Edelman wrote. His tough language in a letter obtained Thursday was surprising in part because it came in correspondence with a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which has oversight of the Pentagon.
Clinton responded Friday in a letter to Edelman’s boss, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, asking if he agreed with Edelman’s charge.
She said Edelman had ducked her questions and “instead made spurious arguments to avoid addressing contingency planning.”
“Undersecretary Edelman has his priorities backward,” Clinton wrote, calling his claim “outrageous and dangerous.”
She repeated her request for a briefing — classified if necessary — on the issue of end-of-war planning.
The senator’s spokesman Philippe Reines said: “We sent a serious letter to the Secretary of Defense, and unacceptably got a political response back.”
As she runs for president, Clinton has ratcheted up her criticism of the Bush administration’s war effort, answering critics of her 2002 vote to authorize the Iraq invasion by saying she would end the war if elected president.
If she wins, Clinton may find herself overseeing a troop withdrawal policy, but others have also raised the issue, including Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana.
Edelman’s letter does indicate the Pentagon might be planning how to withdraw, saying: “We are always evaluating and planning for possible contingencies. As you know, it is longstanding departmental policy that operational plans, including contingency plans, are not released outside of the department.”
The ENTIRE Anti-War movement is based on Lies, fake memos, Willing Liberal wonks paid by Saddam, Gay Communist Twinks paid by Soros, and a Democrat Elitist Establishment paying for thier private jets with cash from “Overseas sources”, ie. rich Arabs, funneled through Morons.Borg.
History will not be kind to folks like Hillary, IF WE SURVIVE the treason....
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