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No, I don't think so. Do they have any credibility? Not much. And, they are at fault. Think about a recent headline, Generals Shift Course, Paint Rosier Picture of Iraq War.
Just the same as we ought to be skeptical of the commanders on the battlefield in the modern Army, we should be skeptical of the generals in command.When the President says that he has given the commander what he wants, what does that mean? It means that the commander says he doesn't need any more troops. For him to need more troops or anything else means that he is not doing his job. An assessment needs to come from the outside, not the inside.
The generals don't lie so much as it is their mentality. After all, does their Commander-in-Chief lie? Well, the generals said that they had one battalion ready to fight on their own. The President said they had 80 ready to go. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!
WHAT COUNTRY ARE THE GENERALS IN?
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The two top generals in charge of the Iraq War on various talk shows(Oct 2. 2005) talked up how well we are doing in Iraq.
General Abizaid said on Meet The Press: "There are peaks and valleys that you go through, but overall the trend is good. We're certainly confident."
What country is he in? It is Iraqnam, if it is anything.
U.S. Commanding General of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, U.S. Army Gen. George Casey, testified in front of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, on Thursday( September 29, 2005) and said another thing.
And, we are to believe him? What does he think we have been smoking? But, I guarantee you that many will believe the General. And, they'll do it because they simply are not discerning, not really looking at the big picture or any picture for that matter. The ones who listen to the generals and the President and smile in their bliss, are indeed stupid, in my view.
On Thursday September 29, General Casey said "Iraqi armed forces will not have an independent capability for some time." He backed away from earlier predictions that a substantial number of U. S. Troops would be withdrawn early next year.(Washington Post) "Right now, we're in a period of a little greater uncertainty than when I was asked that question back in July and March," he said Wednesday. What happened between Wednesday and Thursday and Sunday. Simply, someone in the Administration got to him.
This is fascinating to me: These guys are four star generals, they have no where else to go. Why can't they say "We are in a f...... mess in Iraq and we are not leaving, and we need to change our course."
Or, if it were up to me, after the Constitution is ratified, I would be out of there. "We got rid of Saddam and gave you a constitution. God bless you." Well, the generals are not going to say this, it is not in their nature.
On Thursday September 29, the generals told Congress that the number of Iraqi Army battalions that can fight insurgents without U. S. and coalition help had dropped from three to one-meaning that about 700 Iraqi troops out of 200,000 being trained were capable of operating independently(Washington Post). On Sunday October 2, General Casey said that one-third of the 119 Iraqi battalions are able to conduct operations with some U. S. Assistance- the President said 80 battalions. What in the hell is going on! We have to conclude that the President and the generals merely think those of us who give a damn are the stupid ones.
You got to love it. When speaking to the Congressional committee, . Carl Levin, D-Mich., asked Casey , "Would a Sunni vote against the Oct 15 referendum on a constitution possibly lead to a worsening political situation, rather that a better one?" Casey's answer. "I think that 's entirely possible, senator."
On Sunday October 2, General Abizaid said that "Iraq forces were courageously engaged in counterinsurgency operations and are not taking more casualties than U. S. forces. Are they going to be capable of taking over counterinsurgency operations over the next several months? The answer is yes." Is he lying? No, I don't think so. It is a mentality.
I think most generals have come up through a system where often blind ambition takes over. They are good men but after they get to be a general, they get to be political-as political as any politician. In a real sense, they don't even know what the truth is or what they really believe. In order to become a general, they have stifled their thoughts and original ideas with some sort of misguided view that they could put them on hold; and, when they became a general, they would be able to resurrect some of their ideas and put them into practice. Well, guess what: it doesn't happen, I can tell you that.
There is no rosy picture to put on Iraq. It is a mess! We have to figure out how to extract ourselves or to manage it for a long time with a minimum loss of American lives. And, sadly, the generals aren't helping; and, in a sense, they are responsible for perpetrating a rosy picture that only makes it worse and delays the hard answers that must happen if we are ever to see any resolution. (Note: The same discussion about what is going on in Iraq is going on today on the Sunday Talk Shows, Sunday Oct 9, as it was a week ago - same topic, different guests.)
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