US Commander Will Not Take Blame For Unrest

[mourningdove92]

US commander will not take blame for unrest
By David Rennie in Washington
(Filed: 09/04/2004)


America's top commander in Iraq has warned Washington that he will not be "the fall guy" if violence in the country worsens, it emerged yesterday, as word leaked out that US generals are "outraged" by their lack of soldiers.

America's generals consider current troop strengths of 130,000 in Iraq inadequate, reported the columnist Robert Novak, a doyen of the old-school Right in Washington.


Iraqi militants fire on US marines during clashes in Fallujah
Gen John Abizaid, commander of Central Command, told his political masters earlier this week that he would ask for reinforcements if requested by the generals under him. His words overrode months of public assurances from the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and other civilian chiefs that more troops are not necessary.

As violence flared across the Sunni triangle and the Shia-dominated south of Iraq on Wednesday, Mr Rumsfeld indicated that troop numbers would be bolstered at least temporarily, by leaving in place units that had been earmarked to return home as part of troop rotation, while still sending replacements.

But officers who will not speak out in public let it be known that major reinforcements might be impossible to find. US forces are so overstretched in Iraq and Afghanistan that "there are simply no large units available and suitable for assignment", Novak wrote in his column in The Washington Post.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/09/wirq109.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/04/09/ixnewstop.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=45445


I am starting to get really frightened about this. Those of you with better knowledge of how the military works, please help with something.
My son (my son, my son, my only child) is in the Air Force. He has some kind of desk job working on computer programing. If things get desperate enough, and I believe things will get very desperate, what are the chances he could be sent over there to carry a gun? Please don't laugh at me.

[Loonman]

1. There is a very high probability

That if things continue as they are now, escalation will soon become inevitable.

[Renew Deal]

2. This is why they need to bring back the draft.

Or leave Iraq all together.

[salinen]

3. US Commanders taking a page

from the thug playbook. "Not my fault"

Clintons penis must be somewhere near Falluja.

[democracyindanger]

5. Odd

I read it differently. I think he's saying, "Bush, Rummy and the rest of 'em are screwing us hardcore."

[salinen]

6. I read it the way you read it

I was going for the sick laugh.

[democracyindanger]

7. ah

I get it now. The Clenis. Sorry.:crazy:

[madrchsod]

4. they won`t send him

they will take the poor and middle class kids first. he`s to expensive to carry a gun... you should get a hold of mari333

[tabasco]

8. He will not be reclassed infantry any time soon.

The USAF needs their admin folks. They will call up people from the Reserves before they reclass active-duty folks. JMHO.