DUNCAN HUNTER IS A MORON
Rep. Duncan Hunter (Rep.-Calif.), said that 33 trained Iraqi battalions, now serving in provinces that are relatively peaceful, should be moved into Baghdad or other areas where there is fighting. "Saddle those guys up, move them into the fight," Hunter said on NBC's "Meet the Press." He added, "Nothing trains a combat unit better than actually being in military operations."
--"Lawmakers Criticize Training and Deployment of Iraqi Forces (Report Casts Doubt on Ability to Replace U.S. Troops), Walter Pincus, Washington Post, November 27, 2006
You remember who Duncan Hunter is, don'tcha?
Yeah, he was the right-wing Republican congressman who tried to pass a law last year banning American women troops from combat zones.
This provoked a hue and cry of outrage from none other than the Pentagon, who politely informed Duncan Hunter of two little factoids: first of all, female troops comprise no less than 30% of all our armed forces in Iraq, and that, second, THERE IS NO COMBAT ZONE IN IRAQ; IT'S ALL COMBAT ZONES--so to take all the women soldiers and Marines out of Iraq would, effectively, cripple American fighting forces there.
Then, Duncan Hunter did one more little act as a congressman the week before the elections that was, basically, overlooked by the media: He fired Stuart Bowen.
You remember Stuart Bowen, don'tcha?
Yeah, he was the Republican lawyer whose job it was to expose rampant corruption in the private contracting of Iraqi reconstruction, and who had revealed all sorts of horrors while doing so.
So of course, Duncan Hunter fired him. Then he announced he was going to run for president on the Republican ticket in 2008.
But his firing of Bowen raised a hue and cry of outrage from none other than fellow Republican senators and congressmen--powerful Republicans--who vowed to REHIRE Bowen as soon as possible so that he could continue doing his utterly essential job without fear of being fired by morons.
And so now, the moron is at it again.
And I wouldn't mind so much if those Sunday morning talk shows didn't give him generous sound-bite time without showing him what a moron he is.
This legitimizes yet another idiotic idea from Duncan Hunter.
Because, the main, very simple point that nobody reminds him of is that General Casey DID request SIX BATTALIONS of Iraqi Army forces to help settle the chaos in Baghdad, AND ONLY TWO SHOWED UP. Nobody in the Iraqi government, I might add, attempted to force them to deploy to Baghdad.
And it is the job of the Iraqi Army--not Americans--to move their soldiers around. Only two out of six requested, however, deigned to meet the request. So HOW, PRECISELY, DUNCAN HUNTER, ARE WE SUPPOSED TO "SADDLE UP" THOSE IRAQI TROOPS IF THEY DON'T WANT TO RIDE?
But don't take my word for it.
…the latest study by Anthony H. Cordesman, who holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A Pentagon official in the Reagan administration and a specialist in Middle East intelligence and military matters, Cordesman just returned from Iraq, where he received briefings from military and civilian officials.
One of Cordesman's central issues is that PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT "SEVERELY DISTORTED THE TRUE NATURE OF IRAQI FORCE DEVELOPMENT IN WAYS THAT GROSSLY EXAGGERATE IRAQI READINESS AND CAPABILITY TO ASSUME SECURITY TASKS AND REPLACE U.S. FORCES." He also writes that "U.S. official reporting is so misleading that there is no way to determine just how serious the problem is, and what resources will be required." (emphasis mine)
Cordesman says the Pentagon's Aug. 21 status report, which was sent to Congress, lists 312,400 men "trained and equipped" among the Iraqi army and national and regular police. But it adds that "no one knows how many…are actually still in service." At the same time, he writes, "ALL UNCLASSIFIED REPORTING ON UNIT EFFECTIVENESS HAS BEEN CANCELLED." (emphasis mine)
Criticizing statements about how many Iraqi army units are "in the lead," Cordesman notes that the Iraqi army "lacks armor, heavy firepower, tactical mobility and an Iraqi Air Force capable of providing combat support."
"No administration official has presented any plan to properly equip the Iraqi forces to stand on their own or give them the necessary funding to phase out U.S. combat and air support in 12 to 18 months," Cordesman says. He writes that the IRAQI ARMY COULD NEED U.S. SUPPORT THROUGH 2010. (emphasis mine)
…Cordesman described the situation as "far worse" with the regular police, where "desertion rates are far higher than with the regular Army forces and National Police. He cites the Pentagon report as saying, "there is currently no screening process to ascertain militia allegiance" and "no method exists to track the success rate of these or other police officers."
--"Lawmakers Criticize Training and Deployment of Iraqi Forces (Report Casts Doubt on Ability to Replace U.S. Troops), Walter Pincus, Washington Post, November 27, 2006
I'm sick of this, guys.
I'm sick and tired of flashy politicians with a gift for the soundbite giving credence to Pentagon lies and distortions.
This is how we got into this war and this why we're still stuck in it.
There can be no amount of studies and panels and commissions to examine this terrible situation until everybody involved speaks truth to power. And that has to include the media, whose job it is to INVESTIGATE these statements for their veracity rather than just moving on to the next question.
My Republican husband, a Vietnam combat veteran who supported the war in Iraq for a very long time, said something last night that resonates with me. He said, "What's happening now is exactly what happened with Vietnam. While all these politicians dither around and make media statements, our troops are still dying. They're dying every day while people argue."
I told him that this is because nobody in power really WANTS a solution.
All the want is to COVER THEIR ASS.
So go ahead, Duncan Hunter. Get your little self out there to the Anbar, where, contrary to administration reports, MORE MARINES HAVE DIED IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS THAN ANY AMERICAN TROOPS IN BAGHDAD.
Go on out there, buddy, and saddle up that Iraqi army.
See if you get any further than the Marines have, you moron.
--"Lawmakers Criticize Training and Deployment of Iraqi Forces (Report Casts Doubt on Ability to Replace U.S. Troops), Walter Pincus, Washington Post, November 27, 2006
You remember who Duncan Hunter is, don'tcha?
Yeah, he was the right-wing Republican congressman who tried to pass a law last year banning American women troops from combat zones.
This provoked a hue and cry of outrage from none other than the Pentagon, who politely informed Duncan Hunter of two little factoids: first of all, female troops comprise no less than 30% of all our armed forces in Iraq, and that, second, THERE IS NO COMBAT ZONE IN IRAQ; IT'S ALL COMBAT ZONES--so to take all the women soldiers and Marines out of Iraq would, effectively, cripple American fighting forces there.
Then, Duncan Hunter did one more little act as a congressman the week before the elections that was, basically, overlooked by the media: He fired Stuart Bowen.
You remember Stuart Bowen, don'tcha?
Yeah, he was the Republican lawyer whose job it was to expose rampant corruption in the private contracting of Iraqi reconstruction, and who had revealed all sorts of horrors while doing so.
So of course, Duncan Hunter fired him. Then he announced he was going to run for president on the Republican ticket in 2008.
But his firing of Bowen raised a hue and cry of outrage from none other than fellow Republican senators and congressmen--powerful Republicans--who vowed to REHIRE Bowen as soon as possible so that he could continue doing his utterly essential job without fear of being fired by morons.
And so now, the moron is at it again.
And I wouldn't mind so much if those Sunday morning talk shows didn't give him generous sound-bite time without showing him what a moron he is.
This legitimizes yet another idiotic idea from Duncan Hunter.
Because, the main, very simple point that nobody reminds him of is that General Casey DID request SIX BATTALIONS of Iraqi Army forces to help settle the chaos in Baghdad, AND ONLY TWO SHOWED UP. Nobody in the Iraqi government, I might add, attempted to force them to deploy to Baghdad.
And it is the job of the Iraqi Army--not Americans--to move their soldiers around. Only two out of six requested, however, deigned to meet the request. So HOW, PRECISELY, DUNCAN HUNTER, ARE WE SUPPOSED TO "SADDLE UP" THOSE IRAQI TROOPS IF THEY DON'T WANT TO RIDE?
But don't take my word for it.
…the latest study by Anthony H. Cordesman, who holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A Pentagon official in the Reagan administration and a specialist in Middle East intelligence and military matters, Cordesman just returned from Iraq, where he received briefings from military and civilian officials.
One of Cordesman's central issues is that PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT "SEVERELY DISTORTED THE TRUE NATURE OF IRAQI FORCE DEVELOPMENT IN WAYS THAT GROSSLY EXAGGERATE IRAQI READINESS AND CAPABILITY TO ASSUME SECURITY TASKS AND REPLACE U.S. FORCES." He also writes that "U.S. official reporting is so misleading that there is no way to determine just how serious the problem is, and what resources will be required." (emphasis mine)
Cordesman says the Pentagon's Aug. 21 status report, which was sent to Congress, lists 312,400 men "trained and equipped" among the Iraqi army and national and regular police. But it adds that "no one knows how many…are actually still in service." At the same time, he writes, "ALL UNCLASSIFIED REPORTING ON UNIT EFFECTIVENESS HAS BEEN CANCELLED." (emphasis mine)
Criticizing statements about how many Iraqi army units are "in the lead," Cordesman notes that the Iraqi army "lacks armor, heavy firepower, tactical mobility and an Iraqi Air Force capable of providing combat support."
"No administration official has presented any plan to properly equip the Iraqi forces to stand on their own or give them the necessary funding to phase out U.S. combat and air support in 12 to 18 months," Cordesman says. He writes that the IRAQI ARMY COULD NEED U.S. SUPPORT THROUGH 2010. (emphasis mine)
…Cordesman described the situation as "far worse" with the regular police, where "desertion rates are far higher than with the regular Army forces and National Police. He cites the Pentagon report as saying, "there is currently no screening process to ascertain militia allegiance" and "no method exists to track the success rate of these or other police officers."
--"Lawmakers Criticize Training and Deployment of Iraqi Forces (Report Casts Doubt on Ability to Replace U.S. Troops), Walter Pincus, Washington Post, November 27, 2006
I'm sick of this, guys.
I'm sick and tired of flashy politicians with a gift for the soundbite giving credence to Pentagon lies and distortions.
This is how we got into this war and this why we're still stuck in it.
There can be no amount of studies and panels and commissions to examine this terrible situation until everybody involved speaks truth to power. And that has to include the media, whose job it is to INVESTIGATE these statements for their veracity rather than just moving on to the next question.
My Republican husband, a Vietnam combat veteran who supported the war in Iraq for a very long time, said something last night that resonates with me. He said, "What's happening now is exactly what happened with Vietnam. While all these politicians dither around and make media statements, our troops are still dying. They're dying every day while people argue."
I told him that this is because nobody in power really WANTS a solution.
All the want is to COVER THEIR ASS.
So go ahead, Duncan Hunter. Get your little self out there to the Anbar, where, contrary to administration reports, MORE MARINES HAVE DIED IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS THAN ANY AMERICAN TROOPS IN BAGHDAD.
Go on out there, buddy, and saddle up that Iraqi army.
See if you get any further than the Marines have, you moron.
posted by Deanie Mills at 9:22 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home