Posted on 04/10/2007 10:43:44 PM PDT by HAL9000
Excerpt -
The White House wants to appoint a high-powered czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies, but it has had trouble finding anyone able and willing to take the job, according to people close to the situation.At least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House in recent weeks have declined to be considered for the position, the sources said, underscoring the administration's difficulty in enlisting its top recruits to join the team after five years of warfare that have taxed the United States and its military.
"The very fundamental issue is, they don't know where the hell they're going," said retired Marine Gen. John J. "Jack" Sheehan, a former top NATO commander who was among those rejecting the job. Sheehan said he believes that Vice President Cheney and his hawkish allies remain more powerful within the administration than pragmatists looking for a way out of Iraq. "So rather than go over there, develop an ulcer and eventually leave, I said, 'No, thanks,' " he said.
~ snip ~
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I don’t want a pragmatic General. I want one who wants to win.
Exactly, it should be a First Sergeant and not an Officer.
Nobody - then again, 4 star Generals have huge egos, so I expect they will find a good sucker candidate soon.
LOL! Why doesn’t the administration just post to Craigslist for a scapegoat?
I call Bulls*t on Ricks....again.
how come you always get the easy ones....
:o) Not sure.
From this article we have no idea how many retired four stars were asked about this position (and there a lot more of them in the USAF, Army, Marines and Navy than you might imagine), nor do we know in any “order of merit” where the three “declinees” would have found themselves. They may have been part of a “group call” to many retirees, and it’s hard to imagine (given the Type A+ nature of the average General Officer) that someone would not have picked up the gauntlet by now (even if the position is still in the discussion stage). Sadly it seems that the President will not knock some heads together at the Departments of State and Defense, and due to the low esteem in which he finds himself in the hallowed halls of Congress (and in the opinion polls) he feels he must have a current or former military man to give him cover and credibility as the “surge” moves on.
I am not surprised nobody wants that. One, responsibility then is the 'czar's', that properly belongs to the President of the United States. Two, this would be a guaranteed career ender. There is no way a job like this could be done without making enemies.
No, Mr. President, this is what you are supposed be doing.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070411/pl_nm/iraq_afghan_usczar_dc;_ylt=Ajrv16P_qCWSYhjmt8QBzUys0NUE
White House seeks “czar” to oversee wars: report
2 hours, 28 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House wants to appoint a high-profile overseer to manage the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but has had trouble finding someone to take the job, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
At least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House in recent weeks have turned down the position, the report said.
The war “czar” would report directly to President George W. Bush and national security adviser Stephen Hadley and would have authority to issue directions to the Pentagon and the State Department, the newspaper said.
Retired Marine Gen. John “Jack” Sheehan, a former top NATO commander, was among those who rejected the job, the newspaper reported.
“The very fundamental issue is, they don’t know where the hell they’re going,” Sheehan told the Post.
Sheehan said he believes that Vice President Dick Cheney and his hawkish allies remain more powerful within the administration than pragmatists looking for a way out of Iraq, the Post reported.
“So rather than go over there, develop an ulcer and eventually leave, I said, ‘No, thanks,’ “ Sheehan told the paper.
Retired Army Gen. Jack Keane and retired Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston were also approached and said they were not interested in the position, the newspaper said, citing sources.
Ralston declined to comment while Keane confirmed he turned down the job, the Post said.
The White House has not publicly disclosed its interest in creating the position, hoping to find someone to fill the post before the job is announced.
Officials said they were still considering options to reorganize the White House’s management of the two wars, the Post said.
Any chance people like Tom Ridge, Rudy Giuliani, Duncan Hunter to take the job?
Morning bump.
So many high level Republicans look to officers as almighty. F that. Half or more are mediocre time servers. Grant was a State Guard Captain when the Civil War started. Mr. President go get yourself a Colonel and put three stars on him. That will ruffle the perfumed ladies in the military Mandarin place.
Was Schoomaker “dead wood.”
BTW, how do you take the stars from a retired GO?
I nominate either Wes Clark or Barry McCaffrey since they obviously have all the answers. Just ask them. (seriously though, I wouldn’t do that to the troops). Where’s Jack Ripper when you need him?
The part about the lame duck thing coming, I knew about, but the fact that it has arrived a year early, is stunning. What a mess.
Retired Marine Gen. John “Jack” Sheehan
I don’t care if he would have taken the job. The Sheehan last name automatically disqualifies him in my mind. With apologies to Casey Sheehan. Sorry your dad married wacko. You deserved a better mom.
“stunning” is right. It’s as if the prez is trying to distance himself from the war.
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