“Officials say Mr Gates’s strategy bore fruit when Admiral William Fallon, the head of US Central Command, charged with devising war plans for Iran, said last month that the “constant drumbeat of war” was not helpful.”
The same Admiral Fallon that tried to get Bush to NOT adopt the surge strategy offered by General Patraeus. With allies like that, it’s not saying much good about Gates.
Many military leaders worry more about the problems that may come from action than the problems that may accrue from inaction; too willing to hope for the best than to confront the worst head on. They lose wars.
Imagine the situation in Iraq 16 years ago, with Saddam on the ropes, Saddam not expecting a full scale invasion of Iraq, the Shia in open rebellion, tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers in the desert asking to be allowed to surrender, and the Iranian mullahs not have 15 more years of time for subversion in Iraq?
And who are Gates “foreign policy” friends - the “realists” Baker and Scowcroft.
And which situation in Iraq presented the most problems and the least hope - the one we were left with in 2003 by the Baker-Scowcroft realists that sought to avoid tackling the problems of there time in 1991 head on.
So, why should we not see what history tells us. Baker-Scowcroft-Gates seek to avoid the hard choices of their time, and leave conditions we pay for dearly later on. Unfortunately, later on, Iran WILL be better armed than was Saddam, and no one doubts that.
You misread history.
Generals/Admirals should be retired after age 55, as their testosterone level is in severe decline and they lose the will to take action.
In later years they’d rather talk than act.
WHY is Adm Fallon still in CHARGE??/ Bush should have replaced him!
Bruce Reidel
Reidel has followed al-Qaida since American intelligence first became aware of the group in the mid-1990s. His experience in counterrorism began with his first assignment at the Central Intelligence Agency in 1977, when he worked against Fatah founder Abu Nidal. In the 1990s, he was named national intelligence officer for the Near East and South Asia before moving to the Pentagon to become assistant secretary of defense for the same region.
He eventually was brought to the White House during President Clinton’s second term as a special assistant to the president on that region, and held that job through the first 12 months of the Bush administration
It appears there is a great divide in pocketbook land. Those that have a vision for the future vs the greedy old farts.
I wonder who is stopping the retirement study group from giving away a chunk of Israel? Hmmmmm, Somebody is trying to play a quick game of poker when the game is chess.