"RUMSFELD'S DISMAL STRATEGIC DECISIONS RESULTED IN THE DEATHS" OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND INNOCENT IRAQIS
Major General John R.S. Bastiste
It's been called 'The Revolt Of The American Generals' and President Bush's White House crew talk about it like it means nothing, and that it's some kind of Democrats-fuelled conspiracy to undermine the Republicans.
But the 'Revolt Of The Generals' is very, very real, and it's spreading through the US Military.
The genesis came before the 'War On Iraq' even began.
And it began because Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said there would be no insurgency in Iraq when all the best advice said that there would be one (and it would be bad) and the 'Revolt' set down deep roots inside the US Military when top generals' requests for more troops and better equipment to fight the 'War On Iraq' were refused by Rumsfeld from day one.
Below you will find quotes from Major General John R. S. Bastiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 and was previously hailed by President Bush and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a "true American hero".
Bastiste is now demanding Rumsfeld resign, and that he tell the truth of how he lied to Americans to get the war he wanted, regardless of the price of American, and Iraqi, blood.
To have a widely respected major general of Bastiste's standing make such public statements about the chief of the Pentagon, during war-time, was unprecedented before the 'War On Iraq'.Bastiste : "If we had seriously laid out and considered the full range of requirements for the war in Iraq, we would likely have taken a different course of action that would have maintained a clear focus on our main effort in Afghanistan, not fueled Islamic fundamentalism across the globe, and not created more enemies than there were insurgents."
...Rumsfeld "is not a competent wartime leader" and surrounded himself with "compliant" subordinates."Secretary Rumsfeld ignored 12 years of U.S. Central Command deliberate planning and strategy, dismissed honest dissent, and browbeat subordinates to build 'his plan,' which did not address the hard work to crush the insurgency, secure a post-Saddam Iraq, build the peace and set Iraq up for self-reliance...(Rumsfeld also) refused to acknowledge and even ignored the potential for the insurgency.
"At one point (before the war began), he threatened to fire the next person who talked about the need for a post-war plan.
"Secretary Rumsfeld's dismal strategic decisions resulted in the unnecessary deaths of American servicemen and women, our allies, and the good people of Iraq...He was responsible for America and her allies going to war with the wrong plan...."
But Bastiste is not the first high-ranking Iraq veteran to call Rumsfeld to task for his deadly incompetency, and he won't be the last.
When Donald Rumsfeld was asked by journalists, yesterday, to reply to Bastiste's claims, he refused to answer.
When he was asked if he would resign, Rumsfeld swallowed heavily, mumbled "No" and then asked for the next question.
On television, Rumsfeld looked extremely worried.
As well he should be.
The 'Revolt Of The Generals' will continue to spread through the US Military until Rumsfeld is gone.
Go Here For The Full Story
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The Betrayal Of The American Military
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