Before W. gave the final order to invade Iraq back in '03, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Eric Shinseki, made the career-ending blooper of doing his duty by telling the truth to a congressional committee. He was asked how many American troops would be needed to prevail in a war in Iraq, he said it would take perhaps 300,000 to win a war and pacify the country. His boss at the Pentagon, Secretary Rummy, had a much lower figure in mind and was most unhappy with the General's testimony. Shinseki was informed that he had reached the end of the road in the Army--no more promotions--and would be deprived of any more oxygen while he remained in uniform. Final salute and good-bye. And don't let the door hit you on your way out.
Within months of Shinseki's testimony it was violently clear that he had been right and that Rummy was one of history's losers. Iraq just wouldn't end, Rummy saw the door in '06 after the Republicans got creamed in congressional elections, and today comes the happy news that President-elect Obama will name General Eric Shinseki, U.S. Army (Ret.), as the next Secretary of Veterans' Affairs. It will be his job to care for the lives wrecked by Rummy.
Let us pray that he succeeds beyond all hope and that the idiocy he had to endure will not visit us again.
1 comment:
I remember it well. Only the New Yorker magazine and McClatchy newspapers covered it at the time. The military did know more or less what they were getting into. Furthermore, the intelligence wasn't so flawed as we've been led to believe. The analysts who actually knew anything about the Middle East were very skeptical about the case for WMD in Iraq.
Thank Allah that nightmare is coming to a close.
Post a Comment