Ex-General: Bush Should Sign Iraq Bill
On Democrats' Radio Time Retired Army Big Says U.S. Squandered Lives
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Retired Army Lt. Gen. William Odom, a fierce critic of the war in Iraq, gave the Democrats' weekly radio address. (Getty Images)
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"I hope the president seizes this moment for a basic change in course and signs the bill Congress has sent him," Odom said, delivering the Democrats' weekly radio address.
Odom, an outspoken critic of the war who served as the Army's top intelligence officer and headed the National Security Agency during the Reagan administration, delivered the address at the request of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. He said he has never been a Democrat or a Republican.
The general accused Bush of squandering U.S. lives and helping Iran and al Qaeda when he invaded Iraq.
"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place," he said. "The president has let (the Iraq war) proceed on automatic pilot, making no corrections in the face of accumulating evidence that his strategy is failing and cannot be rescued. He lets the United States fly further and further into trouble, squandering its influence, money and blood, facilitating the gains of our enemies."Listen: Democrats' radio address
Read: Bush pushes immigration in radio address
Odom said he doesn't favor congressional involvement in the execution of foreign and military policy, but argued that Bush had been derelict in his responsibilities. This week Congress passed an Iraq war spending bill that would require Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq on Oct. 1.
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Listen: Democrats' radio address
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See all 108 CommentsIT IS ADAMANT THAT YOU, GW BUSH SIGN THE BILL PRESENTED BY THE 110TH CONGRESS! Bring PEACE TO THE WORLD - not WAR & OIL!
Let there be peace.
www.kjh-es.com
Here's Odom's 'non-political' writings.
http://www.hudson.org/learn/index.cfm?fuseaction=staff_bio&eid=OdomWill
Victory is Not an Option 02/12/2007
Know When to Fold 'Em 01/11/2007
How to Cut and Run 10/31/2006
Intelligence Community No Better than Its Policymakers 08/03/2004
Retreating in Good Order 07/23/2004
Fixing Intelligence Book Discussion as seen on C-Span 05/29/2003
General Odom's Bibliography of Published Articles 05/23/2002
Realism About Russia 04/26/2002
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 04/17/2002
Macedonia Crisis Shows Need for NATO Expansion 06/25/2001
Buchanan Has It Backwards on Globalization 08/23/2000
A Disaster Puts Putin in a Bind 08/23/2000
21st Century Directions in American Foreign Policy 04/01/2000
Russia's Next Blunder 10/29/1999
Losing Our Russian Illusions 11/01/1998
Ratifying NATO Enlargement: Borah Versus Vandenberg 04/01/1998
IT IS ADAMANT THAT YOU, GW BUSH SIGN THE BILL PRESENTED BY THE 110TH CONGRESS! Bring PEACE TO THE WORLD - not WAR & OIL!
Posted by joanpz at 02:42 PM : Apr 28, 2007
No Bush has permantely ruined his family reputation. Sadr is only postering so that he can take control of Iraq and who is he sleeping with?
What the righties don't realize is, this is an opportunity to save their political lives. A withdrawl deadline is the first actual strategy change in Iraq since it started. It will finally give the Iraqis incentive to step up and take control of their own security. Because if the 2008 election comes and we are still "staying the course" in Iraq, the Republican losses in Congress will be even bigger than 2006. Dems are actually giving Repubs a lifeline, but they are too dumb to realize it.
Guess they are still expecting to be WELCOMED WITH FLOWERS - in the next world?
First off, you have been reported for violation of the ROE.
Second, didn't CBS report that China, India, and Japan have gotten the Iraqi oil contracts, not America? You need to read up a bit more before posting your facts.
Ah, there we go. I knew disrespecting Odom (and his many years of military experience) wouldn't take long.
Why not let Odom's own words speak for themselves? He's been advocating the Democrat side for years, i.e. cut and run, victory is not an option, etc.
http://www.hudson.org/learn/index.cfm?fuseaction=staff_bio&eid=OdomWill
Victory is Not an Option 02/12/2007
Know When to Fold 'Em 01/11/2007
How to Cut and Run 10/31/2006
Intelligence Community No Better than Its Policymakers 08/03/2004
Retreating in Good Order 07/23/2004
Fixing Intelligence Book Discussion as seen on C-Span 05/29/2003
General Odom's Bibliography of Published Articles 05/23/2002
Realism About Russia 04/26/2002
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 04/17/2002
Macedonia Crisis Shows Need for NATO Expansion 06/25/2001
Buchanan Has It Backwards on Globalization 08/23/2000
A Disaster Puts Putin in a Bind 08/23/2000
21st Century Directions in American Foreign Policy 04/01/2000
Russia's Next Blunder 10/29/1999
Losing Our Russian Illusions 11/01/1998
Ratifying NATO Enlargement: Borah Versus Vandenberg 04/01/1998
Invading Iraq was a strategic mistake, no doubt, that's a good term for it, blunder could also work. But unfortunately as a couple other posters have made clear here, Al Qaeda and Iran were NOT problems as they related to Iraq before we invaded...but they certainly are now!! We defeated Iraq (Saddam's Iraq), but if we have lost now, we lost to those two entities in the post-2003 period. It has been Iran and Al Qaeda that have helped to ignite and foment the sectarian strife that has left Iraq to this point ungovernable. If there is a victory that unfolds from this, from our withdrawal, it will be theirs, and they will be the beneficiaries (Iran will have their puppets under Sadr - aka Hezbollah Iraq - controlling most of Iraq, including the southern oil; and Al Qaeda will have far more valuable territory to plan and attack our interests and allies locally, and if they have their way NOT locally - aka the US, and most importantly, Iran will be secure to finish their nukes, by helping to bloody us and deny us a victory in Iraq, they have helped to ensure we won't have the will to take them out, even if that means allowing them nukes). This is certainly a case where the "strategic blunder" cannot just be correct by "reversing" the error, i.e., just pulling out.
Doens't matter. His years as a military officer, all the way to Lt General, says that he knows something about war. And he knows what a number of other retired officers are saying - the US is in a horrible tactical situation in Iraq. The strategy is bad, plain and simple and no one in the Bush administration is trying to even change it or are willing to try something different.
How do his years as a military officer allow you to disregard his writings? The article is ALL about his writings, not his military career. And, what type of officer was he? Was he hated or admired? Was he a butt-kisser, or a Yes-man, or a can-do person? This article says NOTHING of his military career.
"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place,"
Too bad most Democrats lack the courage to take this stance.
1954 Graduated from the West Point Military Academy.
1954-1960, Served in both the United States and West Germany.
1962, Earned a Masters Degree from Columbia University.
1964-1966, Served as part of the military liaison mission to the Soviet Union.
1966-1969, Taught at West Point as an assistant professor of government.
1970, Completed a Ph.d. at Columbia.
1970-1971, At this point a Lieutenant Colonel, served in Vietnam, being on the Staff of Plans, Policy, and Programs, and working on the Vietnamization phase of the war.
1971-1972, visiting scholar at the Research Institute on Communist Affairs at Columbia.
1972-1974, US military attache at the United States embassy in Moscow.
1974, Published The Soviet Volunteers: Modernization and Bureaucracy in a Public Mass Organization,
1974-1975, Associate of the Research Institute on International Change at Columbia
1974-1977, Associate professor, Department of Social Science at West Point.
1975-1976, Associate member of the Columbia University Seminar on Communism
1975-1977, Senior research associate, Research Institute on International Change at Columbia
1977-1981, Military assistant to Zbigniew Brzezinski.
1981-1985, Assistant chief of staff for intelligence,Army.
1984, promoted to Lieutenant General.
1985-1988, Director of the National Security Agency
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Who's in the wrong here, and will bad-mouth and name-call to distract from the truth?
You are doing that, gkc99, not me. You are calling people names. Whose mantra is that?
The voice for impeachment of the present pathetically inept and criminal administration will never be silenced by any troll. Shoot down one spokesperson, and another will arise. That is the voice of the American people, friend.
Rebuilt Iraq Projects Found Crumbling
By JAMES GLANZ
Published: April 29, 2007
In a troubling sign for the American-financed rebuilding program in Iraq, inspectors for a federal oversight agency have found that in a sampling of eight projects that the United States had declared successes, seven were no longer operating as designed because of plumbing and electrical failures, lack of proper maintenance, apparent looting and expensive equipment that lay idle.
Even the much publicized "rebuilding effort" now appears to be a failure. Is that NOT a surprise after reading all the reports about graft, mismanagement and "missing" money with our "specially picked" no-bid contractors???
How's that move to Dubai going for your company Haliburton Mr. Chaney? Robbed the US Treasury enough - Robbed the Iraqis of a DECENT rebuilding to line the pockets of WHICH people?
Pretty sure there'll be investigations over this neo CON job for decades to come.
Posted by SlipSter01 at 09:54 PM : Apr 28, 2007
There is one VERY obvious difference. Like George SR. who ALSO chose to NOT go into Baghdad he appears to have a considerable background in INTELLIGENCE and DIPLOMACY. Excellent credentials in ASSESSING the situation and potential risks.
JR OBVIOUSLY has NO claim or background in ANY form of INTELLIGENCE which explains his glaring lack of understanding.
This type of cowardice will not be forgotten for hundreds of years following his Presidency.
I have a better idea. Let's get our troops out of there immediately, so we can focus on initiating war crimes tribunals against the Bush regime by October, 2007!
www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow
Gonzales was PROTESTED at his Harvard 25th reunion.
An ESCORT list of High Ranking US Officials was released.
Carl Rove was attacked by 20 students after speaking at American University in Washington, D.C.
But you wouldn't know this information if you read the CORPORATE FASCIST MAINSTREAM NEWS.
FREE AMERICA FROM THIS FASCIST REGIME!!!!!!!!!!
Bush and Cheney are simply murderous thugs who deserve life in JAIL for LYING us into this WAR.
Tenet also writes that he is not certain the increase in troops in Iraq will succeed, according to the Times. "It may have worked more than three years ago," he writes. "My fear is that sectarian violence in Iraq has taken on a life of its own and that U.S. forces are becoming more and more irrelevant to the management of that violence."
That is the thing Bush can never admit.
The Iraq War is the centerpiece of his entire Presidency.
Bush just doesn't have the guts now to do anything but prolong the agony in a hopeless attempt to save face.
Gonzales was PROTESTED at his Harvard 25th reunion.
An ESCORT SERVICE list with High Ranking US Officials who used that ESCORT SERVICE was released.
Carl Rove was attacked by 20 students after speaking at American University in Washington, D.C.
But you wouldn't know this information if you read the CORPORATE FASCIST MAINSTREAM NEWS.
FREE AMERICA FROM THIS FASCIST REGIME!!!!!!!!!!
What a pathetic lunatic the Chimp is, who does he think he is? The moron doesn't realize he is the number one idiot politician that put this country and the military in the cluster in Iraq.
Prior to invasion, Chimp didn't listen to anyone, military or civilian, who told him invading was a mistake and destroyed the careers of anyone who got in his way. Bush and Cheney need impeachment in the worse way.
I am a registered Democrat (do I always agree with them? - NO), but I find it hard to support the democratic party if they will not stand up to defend our constitution. The American people want Bush & Cheney out, but the democrats (except Kucinich) are trying to stay distant to save their campaigns. Hillary, Obama, Edwards & the rest - where are your guts - DON'T YOU REALLY WANT THE REPUBLICANS OUT?!
This one single act has me very dissapointed with the democratic party. Kucinich - remind me to share a beer with you after this is all over!
How many is it now that AFTER getting snakebit by him wrote tell all books. Funny how they ALL seem to be saying the same thing - THEY warned against it.
WHERE were they when that might have REALLY counted.The first were the bravest; now the rest just seem to be hopping the bandwagon. It's probably eventually tip the scales but the cost in blood and treasure is already lost.
I cry not for those fools that rode the train to war and fell off. I cry for the 3 year old child that died by the road and the soldier that has nightmares of seeing her there. I cry for a 15 year old pen pal that in fear hid and was killed by gunfire shot through the door she hid behind. I cry for an officer facing a corrupt contractor that never returned home. They are the REAL faces of this war.
I don't see how he can possibly retrieve his reputation in the now, let alone improve on how history will portray him for the rest of eternity...rue the day he met *** Cheney.
The war goes poorly, the Islamic Extremists have poured everything they have into fomenting civil war, and Bush seems lost about how to grapple with what is fundamentally an ideological war. All this is true.
But the comments here show a marked disdain for the truth and for the nature of democratic society. First, Bush gained the assent of congress before committing troops to war - it is not "illegal."
Second, he made the case he had: focusing on some information while passing over other. This is called "judgment" and it was done with the support and agreement of a huge swath of the Washington establishment, including many Democrats. Now the hard left is screaming about lies, calling for impeachment and declaring America a fascist state?
This forum seems filled with people who don't like living in a Republic where decisions, once made, must be followed through. Bush may well have been wrong on Iraq (as was Clinton and Gore before him) but we arrived here through the normal, flawed process by which our government works. So all of you nutroots types calling for impeachment and "war trials" should reconsider whether you haven't spent a bit too much time rolling around in hate literature.
The war goes poorly, the Islamic Extremists have poured everything they have into fomenting civil war, and Bush seems lost about how to grapple with what is fundamentally an ideological war. All this is true.
But the comments here show a marked disdain for the truth and for the nature of democratic society. First, Bush gained the assent of congress before committing troops to war - it is not "illegal."
Second, he made the case he had: focusing on some information while passing over other. This is called "judgment" and it was done with the support and agreement of a huge swath of the Washington establishment, including many Democrats. Now the hard left is screaming about lies, calling for impeachment and declaring America a fascist state?
This forum seems filled with people who don't like living in a Republic where decisions, once made, must be followed through. Bush may well have been wrong on Iraq (as was Clinton and Gore before him) but we arrived here through the normal, flawed process by which our government works. So all of you nutroots types calling for impeachment and "war trials" should reconsider whether you haven't spent a bit too much time rolling around in hate literature.
But the comments here show a marked disdain for the truth and for the nature of a democratic republic. First, Bush gained the assent of congress before committing troops to war - it was not "illegal."
Second, he made the case he had: focusing on some information while passing over other. This is called "judgment" and, regardless of whether it was correct in hindsight, it was done with the support and agreement of a huge swath of the Washington establishment, including many Democrats. Now you scream about lies, call for impeachment and declare America a fascist state?
Bush may well have been wrong on Iraq (as was Clinton and Gore before him) but we arrived here through the normal, flawed process by which our government works. The commenters here calling for impeachment are, essentially, threatening the rest of us with political chaos for no other reason than it satisfies their desire to turn America's political landscape into a leftist mob-state.
Posted by WildM3 at 07:25 AM : Apr 29, 2007
Well written post, but disengenuous, to say the least.
Rice is facing a subpoena regarding the "monkeyed-up" intel that was used to get the authorization. We all know Bush would not have gotten the authorization without using bad intel and if he hadn't forced Blix to end his search for WMD before the invasion. Blix would have found none, and the point would have been moot.
The UN Charter, of which we are a signatory nation, prohibits war except when attacked or in the defense of another member nation. Neither clause applies to Iraq.
We signed the charter. We scream about others violating it. And then we violated it ourselves, thanks to the neocons. Nice work, indeed.
But the comments here show a marked disdain for the truth and for the nature of a democratic republic. First, Bush gained the assent of congress before committing troops to war - it was not "illegal."
Second, he made the case he had: focusing on some information while passing over other. This is called "judgment" and, regardless of whether it was correct in hindsight, it was done with the support and agreement of a huge swath of the Washington establishment, including many Democrats. Now you scream about lies, call for impeachment and declare America a fascist state?
Bush may well have been wrong on Iraq (as was Clinton and Gore before him) but we arrived here through the normal, flawed process by which our government works. The commenters here calling for impeachment are, essentially, threatening the rest of us with political chaos for no other reason than it satisfies their desire to turn America's political landscape into a leftist mob-state.
Posted by WildM3 at 07:49 AM : Apr 29, 2007
I think they are more in line with wishing to see consequences for the acts which the General correctly described in his statement when "the general accused Bush of squandering U.S. lives and helping Iran and al Qaeda when he invaded Iraq."
But the comments here show a marked disdain for the truth and for the nature of a democratic republic. First, Bush gained the assent of congress before committing troops to war - it was not "illegal."
Second, he made the case he had: focusing on some information while passing over other. This is called "judgment" and, regardless of whether it was correct in hindsight, it was done with the support and agreement of a huge swath of the Washington establishment, including many Democrats. Now you scream about lies, call for impeachment and declare America a fascist state?
Bush may well have been wrong on Iraq (as was Clinton and Gore before him) but we arrived here through the normal, flawed process by which our government works. The commenters here calling for impeachment are, essentially, threatening the rest of us with political chaos for no other reason than it satisfies their desire to turn America's political landscape into a leftist mob-state.
But the comments here show a marked disdain for the truth and for the nature of a democratic republic. First, Bush gained the assent of congress before committing troops to war - it was not "illegal."
Second, he made the case he had: focusing on some information while passing over other. This is called "judgment" and, regardless of whether it was correct in hindsight, it was done with the support and agreement of a huge swath of the Washington establishment, including many Democrats. Now you scream about lies, call for impeachment and declare America a fascist state?
Bush may well have been wrong on Iraq (as was Clinton and Gore before him) but we arrived here through the normal, flawed process by which our government works. The commenters here calling for impeachment are, essentially, threatening the rest of us with political chaos for no other reason than it satisfies their desire to turn America's political landscape into a leftist mob-state.
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