Gen. Franks Told Bob Graham That Somalia, Yemen More Pressing Than Iraq

[DrFunkenstein]

WASHINGTON - A former Senate Intelligence Committee chairman asserted Sunday that the general who ran the war in Afghanistan said more than a year before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that his resources were being shifted in preparation for taking on Saddam Hussein.

"He laid out a very precise strategy for fighting the war on terror. First, we should win the war in Afghanistan. Second, move to Somalia, which as he described was almost anarchy but with a substantial number of al-Qaida cells; then to Yemen. And that we should be very careful about Iraq, because our intelligence was so weak that we didn't know what we were getting into," Graham said.

In an excerpt read on the program, the senator said Franks told him "his men and resources were being moved to Iraq, where he felt that our intelligence was shoddy. This admission was coming almost 14 months before the beginning of combat operations in Iraq and only five months after the commencement of combat in Afghanistan."

Graham's book also discusses apparent financial ties of Saudi officials with two of the Sept. 11 hijackers. Graham said the matter was discussed in a 28-page section of the committee's report on the attacks that was kept secret at the request of the White House.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&e=8&u=/ap/graham_franks

[Joylaughter]

1. Any response from Franks?

THis I gotta hear!

[indepat]

2. Not enough oil in them thar' parts?