Webb: Don't Attack Iraq

Monterey County Herald ^ | Nov. 8, 2002 | Alex Friedrich

[The Irishman]

Posted on Fri, Nov. 08, 2002

WEBB: DON'T ATTACK IRAQ Former Marine urges restraint By ALEX FRIEDRICH afriedrich@montereyherald.com

A former Cabinet member under former President Ronald Reagan told military officers Thursday in Monterey that the United States should not invade Iraq.

Former Secretary of the Navy James Webb said the country should focus instead on eliminating international terrorism. Speaking at the Naval Postgraduate School, Webb said that without a clear understanding of consequences - or a clear exit strategy - U.S. forces face a decades-long occupation that could sap American resolve and resources. .

Rest of the article is at:

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/mcherald/news/local/4473702.htm

[The Irishman]

James Webb is a fine conservative and a great Patriot. His views should be treated with respect and carefully considered IMHO.

Regards to all.

[The Irishman]

Thought this may be of interest to you.

[Always A Marine]

When Jim Webb speaks, I listen. Of course, he'll now be branded a traitor by many here. Thanks for the post...

[Aric2000]

Well considering that once Iraq falls, there is going to be a domino effect in the region and most if not all terrorist supporting regimes will disapear.

I think that the guy doesn't have a clue.

This is the war on terrorism, sorry to burst your bubbles.

[The Irishman]

When Jim Webb speaks, I listen. Of course, he'll now be branded a traitor by many here. Thanks for the post...

And thanks to you for the reply. I've read 3 books by him and would have to say that he is a favorite writer and a hero of mine.

[ThePythonicCow]

Vietnam fear strikes again.

Many lessons can be learned from failure - most of them wrong.

[The Irishman]

Well considering that once Iraq falls, there is going to be a domino effect in the region and most if not all terrorist supporting regimes will disapear.

Mr. Webb would not agree with your analysis, nor do I. I hope I am wrong.

Thanks for the reply.

Regards.

[Dr. Frank fan]

James Webb is a fine conservative and a great Patriot.

I do not doubt that this is true.

It's not clear why this makes him an expert on the current state of intelligence regarding Iraq's weapons programs, however.

His views should be treated with respect and carefully considered IMHO.

Fair enough. Looking at his views, what do we see?

1. Artificial separation between Iraq and "terrorism" as if the two have nothing whatsoever to do with each other.

2. The tired old "Arab street" argument ("...inflaming Arab anger").

3. We're not allowed to do anything else until we hand Yassir Arafat his own state, for some reason ("which would include establishment of a Palestinian state, Webb said [...] and have failed "to effect a Palestinian state. Without that happening, [bla bla bla]")

4. General reluctance to use the military for anything, by arguing that it's "spread too thin", insisting on "clear exit strategy", and all that. (In other words, predictable retired-military viewpoint.)

There is some idle speculation on China, but that's about it. Oh, and of course it's all backed up by the statement that he doesn't think there's enough "evidence" that Iraq is a threat.

But, you see, even if there were it's not clear why this guy would know about it. He's James Webb.

Ok, I've treated his views with respect and carefully considered them. I find them to be wanting, because they are the same old cliches we have been hearing for over a year now, and they haven't gotten any more persuasive with time.

Of course, the more fascinating aspect of this story is how, anytime there's some conservative who used to be in such-and-such Republican administration however-many years ago gives a speech to the Rotary Club, his school board, or his fellow retirement-home residents, and says that he doesn't want war with Iraq and doesn't see enough "evidence" (on his TV set), it gets splashed into newspapers and people echo it breathlessly. Even people who usually wouldn't give retired-military the time of day; suddenly now there's gonna be long-haired college students pretending not only that they know who he is, but that they were HUGE James Webb fans all along, and saying "Even James Webb who I TOTALLY RESPECT is against the war!"

Meanwhile, every single person in a position of responsibility (and in a position to KNOW, unlike James Webb) in this administration is convinced that Saddam is a menace, makes mass-death weapons, and this poses a clear danger to this country. But hey, who cares about that, they don't know jack about what they're talking about. They ain't no JAMES WEBB!!!1

[PhiKapMom]

Very well stated!

[Lurker]

Jim Webb wrote some fine novels. I enjoyed them.

However, he is a far better novelist than he is a political writer.

L

[rdb3]

His views should be treated with respect and carefully considered IMHO.

Okay. I considered them carefully.

LET'S ROLL!

No mercy.
Coming soon: Tha SYNDICATE.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.

[Aric2000]

As the other poster said.

Very well stated...

This is just another part of the war on terrorism.

[The Irishman]

Vietnam fear strikes again.---ThePythonicCow

Webb earned decorations including the Navy Cross, Silver Star and Purple Hearts while serving with the Fifth Marine Regiment in Vietnam.---the article

I doubt very much that Mr. Webb speaks his mind out of fear but rather out of wisdom and experience.

Regards.

[rdb3]

You da man! ;-)

[rdb3]

I doubt very much that Mr. Webb speaks his mind out of fear but rather out of wisdom and experience.

I see. I don't doubt the man's experience and what he says may be wise to some. However, does he speak here with pertinent information? If not, then his "wisdom and experience" are nothing more than conjecture and personal opinion.

No mercy.
Coming soon: Tha SYNDICATE.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.

[The Irishman]

Whatever you may feel about the need to attack Iraq, is a matter of opinion and will be proven one way or the other by events, but you prove that you know very little of James Webb by the tenor of your your post.

Simply stated, he would not speak out if he did not feel that there was great danger to his country in present policy.

It is insulting to imply that he would do so on the basis of what he sees on TV. That is a cheap shot.

[Senator Pardek]

Despite the size of the U.S. armed forces, he said, a collection of 1.5 million troops "is not that many" if it's spread out over the world.

---

January 9, 1991 - James Webb, assistant secretary of defense for reserve and manpower issues, in testimony before Congress Nov. 29, said Bush (Sr.) should call for "immediate resumption of the draft" if he were really planning an offensive against Iraq.

"The reserves are too thin to meet manpower needs in the event of a major land war in the Persian Gulf. If the president wants to do this -- and I sure don't think it's worth going to war over Kuwait -- and if he's going to commit himself to the protection of those men he's already sent over there, he will have to request manpower flow charts and make a decision, and have the courage to call for a draft."

Just because he's a marine does not mean he's not an idiot (and I'm sure there's many jarheads here who have had to deal with idiots in the ranks).

Disclaimer - I'm not keen on a land offensive against Iraq.

[map]

Old soldiers never die. They just ...[write novels, lecture at graduate schools, undermine their commander-in-chief in time of war]... fade away.

[lodwick]

With all due respect, the President is Not LBJ, Richard Nixon, GWHB, or bentmember - we have a real President today. He's a player who will do the right, and decisive thing only when it's time to do it.

[The Irishman]

"immediate resumption of the draft" if he were really planning an offensive against Iraq.

If we were going to occupy Iraq then it would have been needed. Since GB#1 was too smart to do that, we did OK without a draft. I think we will definitely need one if we plan to occupy Iraq this time around.

Thanks for the post.