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| Iraq |
| NY Slimes: Young Officers Join the Rumsfeld Debate |
| 2006-04-22 |
| In defensive mode (leaker investigation), the Slimes surveys unknown sources to advance a dying story. The war on Bush-Rumsfeld continues, look for much more. The revolt by retired generals who publicly criticized Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has opened an extraordinary debate among younger officers, in military academies, in the armed services' staff colleges and even in command posts and mess halls in Iraq. Mr. Rumsfeld at the 2004 graduation ceremony of the United States Military Academy. Many young officers have expressed concerns about the quality of the relationship between the military and civilian leaders. Junior and midlevel officers are discussing whether the war plans for Iraq reflected unvarnished military advice, whether the retired generals should have spoken out, whether active-duty generals will feel free to state their views in private sessions with the civilian leaders and, most divisive of all, whether Mr. Rumsfeld should resign. In recent weeks, military correspondents of The Times discussed these issues with dozens of younger officers and cadets in classrooms and with combat units in the field, as well as in informal conversations at the Pentagon and in e-mail exchanges and telephone calls. To protect their careers, the officers were granted anonymity so they could speak frankly about the debates they have had and have heard. The stances that emerged are anything but uniform, although all seem colored by deep concern over the quality of civil-military relations, and the way ahead in Iraq. The discussions often flare with anger, particularly among many midlevel officers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and face the prospect of additional tours of duty. |
| Posted by:Captain America |
| #8 Digressing a bit - to some trivia: What sort of stake do you guess that West Point graduates have in the ogoing war(s)? I mean - it has been more than 35 years since a General Officer was killed in battle. But - what about West Point junior officers? Think for a minute about: 1) West Point graduates are what percentage of all presently serving Army officers? 2) West Point graduates are what percentage of all presently serving US Army personnel? 3) West Point graduates are what percentage of all US Military personnel - including all branches? 4) West Point graduates are what percentage of all coalition forces - of all nations - that have served in Iraq or Afghanistan? All right, have you got those numbers in mind? Now - if I told you that 1.15% of all coalition deaths in all theaters of the global war have been active duty West Point graduates, would you believe me? You can check the numbers yourself: 34 active West Point officers killed http://www.aogusma.org/as/admin/remembrance.htm (I did not count the one who died as a civilian at the WTC, nor the one who died as a retired LTC, working as a contractor in Iraq). For coalition deaths (2,947 as of today), I used: http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/ , including the link to Afghanistan data. If any group has a stake in the matter, it is West Point cadets and graduates. |
| Posted by: Lone Ranger 2006-04-22 22:36 |
| #7 Any officer who speaks to a reporter from the NY Times ought to have his/her security clearance yanked immediately. Followed by a really long tour inventorying messkits at Fort Godknowswhere, Arizona. |
| Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2006-04-22 22:04 |
| #6 anonymous sources...speaking against W and Rummy...how convenient? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-04-22 20:38 |
| #5 FYI to "Revolting Officers" - You weren't drafted! |
| Posted by: FeralCat 2006-04-22 20:26 |
| #4 Gerald Ford Troubled by former generals' Rumsfeld "Allowing retired generals to dictate our country's policies and its leadership would be a dangerous precedent that would severely undermine our country's long tradition of civilian control of the military," Ford said. |
| Posted by: doc 2006-04-22 20:00 |
| #3 oh I'm sure they found some people who are mad at Rummy. he stepped on a lot of army toes. question is whether he was right nor not. |
| Posted by: anon 2006-04-22 19:57 |
| #2 Revolt? by nine out of how many hundreds of retired generals? How many young officers? 2? 3? Nine? What were the questions - were they leading? Did you stop beating your wife yet? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-04-22 19:46 |
| #1 Junior officers and kadets would do well to avoid the night-soil press, stick to their studies, duties, and leadership of the men in the ranks. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-04-22 19:45 |