(Marine) Corps top general in Iraq criticizes handling of Fallujah

[JoFerret]

http://www.marinetimes.com/story.php?f=1-MARINEPAPER-356833.php

Many who fought in Fallujah may have been thinking it, but weren’t willing to say it — that Marines did not want to launch the April siege there, and once in the fight, they didn’t want to pull out before the job was done.
In a candid interview Sept. 12 with four major newspapers at his command post in Iraq, Lt. Gen. James Conway said senior coalition commanders in Iraq ordered the Marines into Fallujah against his advice and counter to the Corps’ long-term plan to quell the city’s insurgency.

Moreover, before Marines could consolidate their gains, they were ordered out, replaced by an unproven local security force cobbled together without the input of senior Marines on the ground there, said Conway, the outgoing commander of I Marine Expeditionary Force.

His comments followed those of Brig. Gen. John Kelly.... Kelly offered a similar analysis of Fallujah ....

“We were ordered to go into Fallujah against our inclination,” Kelly said ....
<more>

....
The city is one of only a few so-called “no-go zones” for American forces in Iraq. The Fallujah Brigade was disbanded in early September, leaving the city arguably worse off than it was before the April assault.

....

Reports indicate that another full-scale assault on the town is imminent, a job now left to Sattler.

<more>

[skooooo]

1. Wow, the military is down on Bush..

...Wasn't there another story today from some Air Force site about Bush's pathetic service record?

[JoFerret]

2. Yep .Air Force Times and this - Marine Times

.

[Carla in Ca]

5. This is the beginning of the end

Too many repubs and military speaking out lately. What next?

[skooooo]

6. Well if their votes get counted, yes...

...otherwise chimpy could steal another election.

[TacticalPeek]

3. Kick.

:kick:

[Dragonfly]

4. This is a story that continues to be...

mentioned in more news venues. That's quite a challenge to whoever made the decision to "revengefully" go into Falluja this past April against the on-site general's advice; and then to halt the mission in the middle of it like that! Too bad there is a "no comment" coming from the Pentagon at present. I don't think they will be able to keep stalling on their response to Lt. Gen. Conway when he gets more deeply involved as one of the directors of operations at the JCS.

Looks like he is not alone at the command level on this topic.

Thanks for maintaining radar on this intriguing military development.

[jmcgowanjm]

7. It’s Almost Scapegoat Time: Option #3: The Military Brass

In practice, the neocons could take two routes. First, they
could claim that the generals were acting with malice.
Maybe they sabotaged the neocons’ dazzling war plan due
to beltway political rivalries? Or perhaps it was
Rummy’s restructuring of the military that was the motive?
The generals felt threatened, so they intentionally allowed
things in Iraq to deteriorate into chaos as "institutional
revenge."

The second, more feasible route would be to blame the
military leadership for corruption and incompetence.
Perhaps the brass prefers to sit in comfy offices instead of
being out with the troops? Maybe they were receiving kick-
backs from contractors? Or possibly they were just too inept
to prosecute the war to a successful conclusion?

After all, you can hardly blame Wolfie for the fact that the
generals couldn’t comprehend his brilliant strategy. Clearly,
what is needed is a thorough house-cleaning of the
Pentagon brass so that outrages like this never happen
again.

Overall, this option has some pitfalls, but it might do in a pinch.

The airplane of our Middle East policy is trailing smoke and losing altitude....

http://www.lewrockwell.com/latulippe/latulippe28.html

[TacticalPeek]

8. Option #4: Retired Military, with Brass

Wesley Clark could straighten this out in a Little Rock minute, given portfolio.

Yet another reason to vote early and often for Kerry. :)

[Supersedeas]

9. Against the Corp's long term plan to quell the City's insurgency, that's *

[Aidoneus]

10. These Generals should just shut up..

and let the politicians fight this war!

...wait a minute, was that how it went? :eyes:

The politicians are losing it just fine, and I have not much a problem with that.