Panetta won't meet with soldier unless they lock up their guns first

New York Times ^ | 3/14/2012 | ELISABETH BUMILLER

[DManA]

I will give you a summery of what is being reported by ELISABETH BUMILLER in the NYT this morning.

Panetta made a surprise visit to Afghanistan yesterday. Before he would meet with the soldiers they were ordered to place their weapons outside tent and return unarmed.

[Former MSM Viewer]

http://www.aim.org/aim-column/panettagate-a-real-scandal-involving-national-security/?utm_source=AIM+-+Daily+Email&utm_campaign=10215c315a-email0614&utm_medium=email

[RJS1950]

I’ve heard this before. He also didn’t trust the troops because he knew that a lot of them intensely disliked him. It didn’t matter much anyway because most of his “visits” were meticulously scripted for maximum effect. My father’s bomb group in the pacific had a visit from the “living legend in his own mind”.

[In Maryland]

"Anytime you have a mixed group of friendlies and locals meeting a friendly VIP, the friendlies disarm to prevent locals, whom may not be vetted, from disarming a friendly and attacking the VIP.

Although I don't like the idea of U.S. military being disarmed, en masse, in a war zone, this explanation does seem logical to me. In the vast sea of Obama Administration outrages we need to concentrate on the whales and sharks and foget about the minnows.

[fso301]

I’ve heard this before. He also didn’t trust the troops because he knew that a lot of them intensely disliked him. It didn’t matter much anyway because most of his “visits” were meticulously scripted for maximum effect. My father’s bomb group in the pacific had a visit from the “living legend in his own mind”.

I've heard this before as well. If you have evidence of it that goes beyond hearsay, please post it. I'm confident you can't.

[Captain Peter Blood]

The only reason he was called “Dugout Doug” was because he was ordered to leave the Phillipines before the Japs overran Bataan.
Read William Manchester’s book on MacArthur, “American Caesar”, you get the good along with the bad.

[Captain Peter Blood]

By the way his casualty rate compared with other Theaters of Operations was lower than most.

[irishtenor]

Note to Mr. Chicken:

A soldier is dangerous even without a weapon.

[OldCorps]

Read William Manchester’s book on MacArthur, “American Caesar”, you get the good along with the bad.

Been there, done that. A somehwat balanced account of him. Recommend you read Stephen Ambrose's biography of Eisenhower. It explains why MacArthur had absolutely no role in Ike's administration.

Some things to consider about MacArthur:

* Accepted the medal of honor from Rosevelt for service, not bravery. No precedent for that. Eisenhower was also offered the MoH; but he he turned it down.

* MacArthur also personally approved a silver star for Congressman Lyndon Johnson, a powerful member of congress during WWII, for being shot at in a plane while in the Pacific theater. Johnson always wore the lapel pin of the silver star though it was clearly undeserved. Again, an unprecedented award of a decoration for heroism for purely political purposes.

* Has last speech to the Corps of Cadets at West Point was such total BS and theatrics.

* Doug Mac always had advance teams and propaganda agents working whereever he went. That's one reason soldiers didn't care for him.

[tarheelswamprat]

What a wonderful, yet bittersweet memory, back when America had a real President, and our troops had a Commander in Chief who actually cared about them...

[surely_you_jest]

Boy, that just speaks volumes.

[Scythian]

Note to Mr. Chicken: A soldier is dangerous even without a weapon.

A soldier is dangerous even without a weapon.

Fixed it ...

[Gilbo_3]

they may order these guys to turn-in their weapons during “downtime” and leave them defenseless

worked well at Ft Hood...

[jonascord]

That raises the question of how a Crown Vic would respond to an IED...

It's something the Bloused-Booted Skinheads should consider when they are Tasing school children and little old ladies.

[butterdezillion]

Exactly what I was thinking.

Only thing is, I think Obama put those 30,000 troops in Afghanistan to bleed out our money, men, and ammunition, provide a way for Afghanistan and Pakistan to get out of their “War on Terror” alliance with us, and make sure that we DON’T have enough troops in the Homeland to protect us in a SHTF/martial law scenario, which may be how Obama intends to keep himself from ever getting voted out.

[fso301]

The only reason he was called “Dugout Doug” was because he was ordered to leave the Phillipines before the Japs overran Bataan. Read William Manchester’s book on MacArthur, “American Caesar”, you get the good along with the bad.

Manchester doesn't cite any source earlier than 1949 for Dugout Doug. His 1949 source cites anonymous hearsay.

[SatinDoll]

MacArthur was not generally respected.

[Gaffer]

History will show that Obama is/was single-handedly responsible for creating the 21st Century Vietnam for America. I hope we don’t lose another 50,000+ because of his maniacal ego.

[Miss Behave]

Note to Mr. Chicken:

A soldier is dangerous even without a weapon.

LOLZ

[gghd]

This is really an amazing story. It reveals what is going on in the USA & Afghanistan now days. “Whom do you trust, now days?”

[nonsporting]

[Photo of Dougls MacArthur with five (American Indian)soldiers, all armed]

Didn't these guys get the memo?

Doug looks quite at ease, with hands in pockets. Sgt Larry Dekin (Navajo) has his rifle unslung at position of order arms. It's either a Garand or Springfield O3A3.

Thanks for the photo.