His story is quite fascinating. He was hired out of retirement in the summer of 2002 to serve as "Saddam Hussein" in a massive "war exercise" that was set up to simulate a major U.S. military operation in the Middle East.
The original scenario began with Van Riper thwarting the main U.S. invasion and sinking a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, and ended with the U.S. military forces getting mired in a long, drawn-out guerrilla war in the region. The Pentagon leadership that was overseeing the exercise went back and "fixed" things so that it would end up with a swift U.S. victory and minimal casualties.
Van Riper resigned in disgust when he realized that the Pentagon wasn't trying to conduct an accurate assessment of the situation in the Gulf region -- they were looking for a pre-determined outcome.
It is fascinating, so far. I'm looking for more. Any suggestions?
From the Guardian:
Vice-Admiral Marty Mayer, one of the coordinators, denied claims of fixing. "I want to disabuse anybody of any notion that somehow the books were cooked," he said.
The games were designed to test experimental new tactics and doctrines advocated by the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and were referred to in Pentagon-speak as "military transformation".
The transformation is aimed at making US forces more mobile and daring, but Gen Van Riper said that the "concepts" the game were supposed to test, with names such as "effects-based operations" and "rapid, decisive operations", were little more than "slogans", which had not been properly put to the test by the exercise.
I'm not saying there was or is no dissent. I'm saying that Rumsfeld didn't set tactic then and isn't setting them now. I believe him when he says that if the generals want more troops they would get them, and that those in command aren't seeking more troops for reason Rumsfeld listed on Fox this morning.
The original scenario began with Van Riper thwarting the main U.S. invasion and sinking a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf . . .
And did that happen?
and ended with the U.S. military forces getting mired in a long, drawn-out guerrilla war in the region.
What I'm hearing is that we are generally supported by the average Iraqi -- and the election backs this up -- and the guerillas are coming from outside the country. Do you disagree?
Van Riper resigned in disgust when he realized that the Pentagon wasn't trying to conduct an accurate assessment of the situation in the Gulf region
It sounds like he lost an argument, got mad and quit.
Thanks, Child, for reminding me of that episode in the war games, 2002!!! He was terrific! His part in this made me worry even more.
Racehorse, if you are still interested, check this post out. You'll fine it very interesting, though you may be aware of it from a few years ago.