16 November 2006

And gottdamned if you don’t. Ol’ General Abizaid took a few heat rounds from both sides of the DMZ yesterday when he gave his statement to the stuffed suits on the hill.

Democrats, chiefly Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, who will become committee chairman in January, have pushed for a timetable of withdrawals that would give the emerging Iraqi government four to six months before the U.S. began pulling out troops. Abizaid said he opposed that idea. “Under current circumstances, I would not recommend troop withdrawals.”

And from his right flank, a sniper calling for troop increases.

But it wasn’t just Democrats who expected to hear more out of Abizaid. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who will become the committee’s senior Republican in January, said he found the general’s testimony lacking. McCain said he was “disappointed that you are basically advocating the status quo here today.”

What’d these Senators armchair generals think? That because Rummy got canned the top General runnin’ the war would have somethin’ different to say? Seems to me like some of ‘em were hopin’ to find out our Generals were just lapdogs for the SecDef. Surprise boys, our Generals, whether they get along with the SecDef or not, are gottdamned Generals and are prosecutin’ a war, not a frickin’ Sadie Hawkins dance.

Poor bastards must’ve been disappointed they didn’t get the answers they were fishin’ for so’s they could run to the camera’s and say, “Toldya so, Rummy was jacked up.”

    Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.


Posted by Bleu @ 1311 zulu | | Permalink
This post is filed under: The Drill



5 Comments »
  1. Here’s what I don’t understand, from the article on DefendAmerica.mil, which was written by an Army SSG

    “Iraqi forces can take more control and responsibility faster, but the U.S. must invest more resources into the military transition teams, speed the delivery of logistics and mobility enablers, and embrace an aggressive Iraqi-led effort to disarm illegal militias, Abizaid said.”

    http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2131&42131=20061115

    It is the Iraqis who must lead the effort to disarm the illegal militias, but three and a half years after the invasion, you’d think we’d already be doing all we could in terms of investing resources into military transition teams, and speeding the delivery of logistics and mobility enablers (is that cars?), as well as pushing them to disarm the militias.

    Comment by Anthony — 16 November 2006 @ 1532


  2. Good points Bleu. It is refreshing to see that Abizaid retains his backbone and integrity in this. Stay with it General.

    Subsunk

    Comment by Subsunk — 16 November 2006 @ 1649


  3. I am just glad to know that we have leadership over there that stands up and tells the Hill the way it is! AMEN! Let’s get the job done!

    Comment by Laura — 16 November 2006 @ 1905


  4. Well my favorite comment was when Hillary stated “hope is not a method” and the General came back with (paraphrasing) that no, hope is not a method but neither is despair, and whenever he comes to Washington that’s all he hears…is despair.

    Timetables and cut and run…how typical of the Dems. McCain kind of pissed me off though too.

    Seems to me those folks in Washington need to do some studying of past history…and start with how long it took the US to “get it together” after our liberation from the British. It sure wasn’t overnight, or in 3 years.

    /rant

    Comment by Gypsy — 17 November 2006 @ 0149


  5. Levin is just one of those out of touch career politicians. How old is this guy anyway? It seems like he has been a senator from my state far too long. The war is being won, but not if one pays attention to the MSM and the career politicians.

    Comment by AngelinMI — 18 November 2006 @ 0053


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