Military Commanders’ Decisions in Fallujah Overridden by Politicians (CONFIRMED)

Fox Live Broadcast / USA Today Interview ^ | 5/3/04 | Jim Michaels

[LS]

True---and yet, by 1971, Nixon had the ARVNS (by all accounts) pretty much fully capable of defending the South if we supplied air and logistics. Indeed, THE ARVNS DID SO and only failed when, in 1975, Congress cut off all funding for SVN support. Contrary to seeing Vietnam as a way to denigrate Iraq, the latter part of the Vietnam War is actually a pretty good lesson on how to "Iraqi-ize" the war AS LONG AS WE KEEP OUR END OF THE BARGAIN.

[Finalapproach29er]

The Liberals are delighted to be re-living the 1960's.

They're grim people who hate America.

[SandRat]

Amen to that Brother!!!

[A Jovial Cad]

Oh, excuse me, I forgot you where such an intrepid free-lance secret agent with all the "inside" info. I guess that means we all just need to believe whatever you say about the situation, instead of our own lying eyes and ears from the news reports flowing in from the field...my apologies indeed!

[elfman2]

""Un-contradicted information?" Like Abazaid runs around trying to counter every report out there by a USA Today reporter? Come on. This is getting ridiculous. "

No official has ever claimed the opposite. NEVER.

Now when there’s clear evidence of the obvious, calling it ridiculous is sad.

[Right_in_Virginia]

The war is over. We lost. We need to bring our boys home IMMEDIATELY!!!

Are you being serious?

[LS]

Here's your contradiction, from another article: "Consultations about the new force went to the upper echelons of the US command in Iraq (news - web sites) but not as far as the Pentagon, he said." So much for the Pentagon calling the shots.

[Last Dakotan]

It's a hoot to see such worshipful acceptance of the media on Free Republic.

The alternative is to sit in your grass hut with your eyes and ears covered. Of course the media is generally liberal and biased, but completely falsifying stories in a war zone? If you've got stories that things are going just swell in Fallujah, post away.

[vbmoneyspender]

i've seen a specific quote from General Conway saying that the Marines were ready to attack Fallujah but his orders changed. If you want, I'll dig up the article for you.

[elfman2]

"Here's your contradiction, from another article: "Consultations about the new force went to the upper echelons of the US command in Iraq (news - web sites) but not as far as the Pentagon, he said." So much for the Pentagon calling the shots. "

That’s the most pitiful excuse for a “contradiction” I’ve seen thus far.

My 18 moth old son can tell the difference between “consulted about the new force” and “decided to halt the attack.” Well, almost…

That last post of yours is ridiculous.

[McGavin999]

You want to tell me where you read Bush in that article, or is that just a knee jerk reaction? You know, "It's Bush's fault!" just gets tagged onto everything.

[proud American in Canada]

"This article confirms nothing other than the media is out to use this campaign for their own ends. Why help them? Wars ar not movies, things like this happens."

Thank you! So very well said.

I'm not an expert in military matters, but $hit happens, especially in wars.

And thanks to the 24/7 news cycle, and blatant media bias, we are exposed to more $hit than good news.

[Hat-Trick]

"We started the Battle for Falluja after those 4 guys got bbq'ed. And then we stopped."

Please ping me when the first batch of Fallujah insurgents, responsible for the bloodshed, are turned over, as promised, to the US Marines by the recently reinstalled Iraqi General now commanding in Fallujah. I promised I would hold my breath, because I knew it would be almost immediately. Thanks. /sarcasm.

[CasearianDaoist]

Yes they have all been consistent. What has not been consistent are unconfirmed quotations presented in by the media which are intended to get just the sort of weak kneed, juvenile and hysterical responses that it is getting out of people like you. Have you ever been in combat? If you have you are lucky to be alive given your propensity to panic, blow things out of proportion and cast about for someone to blame. We are talking about an area about 1/8 the size of Brooklyn with roughly 1000 enemy combatants hiding behind 15,000 or so civilians. You act like it is the Battle of the Bulge. The media did this with Tet years ago and they are trying to do it now with this (they even have Hersch in the loop.) Get a grip on your self, it is pitiful to watch.

We heard the same thing out of the media when there was a few day lag du to a sandstorm. Stop acting like a little girl and second guessing things that you have no kbowledge of.

[lentulusgracchus]

.....or is it to establish a self-governing pro-American state that can take care of these types so we don't have to?

South Korea was a pretty rocky enterprise at first but we provided security and nobody gainsaid us.

But what we have here is a stay-behind organization of werewolves who'll tear the throat out of any new regime that tries to get its footing in postwar Iraq. We have to kill those people if the new Iraqi government is to have any chance.

If there appears to be any chance that the Ba'athist Mau-Mau is going to work, ordinary Iraqis will have to continue to hedge their bets, and support for the new government will remain kitten-weak among the people, dragging us back into it whether we want to be there or not. The right answer is to do it right the first time, and smartass Rummy didn't get it done, he tried to do it "on the cheap".

And that last idea is his boss's fault. That's signature George W. Bush. And ultimately, that impulse to do it "on the cheap" goes back to the Wall Street Wing of the Republican Party, to the people in Manhattan corner suites who insist on having their tax cuts in a time of war.

[swarthyguy]

What the US has done for the Kurdis is correcting one of the great historical wrongs of the 20th Century.

The Palestinians get all the world's attention but not the Kurds, screwed by everyone, neighbors, colonial powers and even the US in the 70's have achieved more of a modern tolerant society than the others.

I think we have to work hard and strong with the Baathis to create conditions for a halfway peaceful transition. The Shias have overplayed their hand and should be forced to accept a secular society. Period. Problem is, having a democracy means a theocracy in the south.

Heck. Don't understand why the old borders of the collapsing British Empire have to be so sacrosacnt. Kuwait, Iraq, Pak/Afghanistan Durand Line.

Problem is, three states create too much trouble for America. Or, take Mosul Kirkuk and turn them into Ramstein Kadena.

[gunnedah]

Politics lost the Korean War and the Vietnam War for America and it appears the same will happen here.
Politics stopped us also in Desert Storm but I believe it was an agreement with the UN and the Democrats want to turn this thing over to the UN. What in the hell do politicians have for brains anyway?
Most folks don't realize this mess with Israel and the Palestinians was created after the UN divided the country and the Arabs refused to accept the terms back in the 1940's.

[k2blader]

Bump...

[lentulusgracchus]

You know, "It's Bush's fault!" just gets tagged onto everything.

Comes with the job that he wanted so badly.

[Last Dakotan]

Ok, I got your insults, still waiting for the posts.