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Originally Posted by politicophile
.....I, for one, appreciated the irony of war protests held on the third anniversary of the liberation of Iraq, the time when it became clear that the insurgency had already lost.
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I am grateful that the former U.S. Army General, Paul Eaton, "dubbed Father of the Iraqi Army", (note the date of the defendamerica "article", it's 21 months ago...and our troops are still in Iraq, now, with nearly the entire troop strength that existed back then...) on the military propaganda website created by the DOD in 2002, cared enough about our troops and our country's failed "war of choice" to speak out, on the third anniversary of the liberation of Iraq
The true irony is that Gen. Paul Eaton, just like the "war protestors", chose the "anniversary" date, to make his own, much better informed "protest", even at the risk of his own reputation, and the certainty that the "tribute" I've linked to below, will vanish from the defendamerica.mil site.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/opinion/19eaton.html
By PAUL D. EATON
Published: March 19, 2006
......In sum, he has shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically, and is far more than anyone else responsible for what has happened to our important mission in Iraq. Mr. Rumsfeld must step down........
<i>Paul D. Eaton, a retired Army major general, was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004.</i>
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http://www.defendamerica.mil/article.../a061404e.html
<b>U.S. Army General Dubbed Father of the Iraqi Army</b>
By U.S. Army Sgt. Jared Zabaldo / Office of Security Transition
BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 14, 2004 — Less than a year ago an unassuming man from Weatherford, Okla., arrived in this country to guide an organization that didn’t even exist – to build an army that wasn’t there.
There was no plan, no force, and only slight guidance.
And 363 days later – despite a host of staggering setbacks and difficulties with logistics, contractors, funding, cultural differences and a plan that changed in scope, size and overall delivery – Iraq’s armed forces and civil security forces total more than 230,000 people.....
........ “There’s nothing that could have prepared me for what I’ve encountered here – but a number of things have happened to me in my career that have proven helpful,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, the former Office of Security Transition Commanding General.
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If you've read Gen. Paul Eaton's entire NY Times Op-Ed piece, linked above,
doesn't his opinion of Rumsfeld's treatment of Gen. Eric Shinseki, and the impression that it made on other senior officers, including Gen. Tommy Franks, make this <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051219-2.html">Dec. 10, 2005 statement</a> by President Bush, seem...misleading?
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...I think that, John, there's going to be a lot of analysis done on the decisions on the ground in Iraq. For example, I'm fully aware that some have said it was a mistake not to put enough troops there immediately -- or more troops. I made my decision based upon the recommendations of Tommy Franks, and I still think it was the right decision to make. But history will judge....
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How can anybody have any confidence in the accuracy of anything that Rumsfeld or Bush tells us concerning "progress" in Iraq, or policies related to the treatment of Iraqi prisoners....or......?