Reply #33: Heh. Reminds of the time...

[reprehensor]

Scott Ritter went on Dennis Miller's ill-starred TeeVee show. Ritter downplayed the involvement of nations like Poland, and Miller got all (faux?) upset!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3134645#3134851

Ritter: Look, I'm an American citizen, I'm an American patriot,... you know, I'm a former Marine, I would never do anything that would be detrimental to my country's National Security. If I saw something in Iraq that was bad for the United States, if I saw something that was against human rights; I reported it, I have a long record of reporting things to the CIA, to the FBI, to the State Department about what I saw in Iraq but there's a difference between-- reporting, and doing something that corrupts the integrity of the operation- we were there to disarm Iraq, we were not there to remove Saddam Hussein from power. And unless the United States was willing to say, look, we don't believe disarming anymore, we're into regime change, that's it... other than that... it's underhanded techniques... It- didn't help us in the United Nations, we ended up goin' in alone... we're now stuck in a trap, a quagmire, nobody trusts us 'cause we hyped up a threat that didn't exist, to go after- a madman- look, I believe in the death penalty. But I don't believe in summary execution. There's a thing called due process, and we didn't acheive due process in going after Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

Miller: So you really believe it's unilateral, right? None of the other 32 nations mean anything to you be- because they're not the Big Ticket items France and Germany, you still think of this as just us, right?

Ritter: Well, I think us, together with Great Britain, the United Kingdom, we're the two big players. The other nations no, look, look at NATO. Examine the military alliance that we have in NATO and what it took to put together this comprehensive, effective, military alliance, years of training, coordination, commonality of equipment. The 32 nations that we have in Iraq are more of a detriment than they are of a gain. Polish, Bulgarian troops, who's protecting them? Italians, under what chain of command? Uh no, this 32 nations is a show, it's a sham, it's not real. That 'Southern Division' is not effective, especially, if as I fear, Iraq explodes into civil war. The Shi'a blow up against the United States and the coalition this summer, you're gonna see those 32 nations headin' for the hills, and we're gonna be stuck, all by ourselves, maybe with the British there to help us.

Miller: I don't know if the- listen; I think, Poland has done yeoman's service I th- I think ya do 'em disservice sayin' that's it's a bit of a joke. Look I've got around 5 Teamsters here with an s-k-i on the end of their name, who are ready to debate that with ya. Any, ya know, uh(unintelligible), listen Scott lemme ask you this--

Ritter: Now, I'm not denigrating the Poles' courage--

Miller: Well, I misinterpreted the 'Polish being a joke' thing.

Ritter: (--------------uncomfortabe silence----------------) No, I said the 32 nations that are there are a joke in terms of- effective coordinated military alliance. There are troops there that can't protect themselves. We're the ones that're gonna be stuck protectin' them. It'd be more effective to send them home, and make it an all-American uh, show, with British, that's an effective, unified command. To bring in 32 nations, you have logistics issues, you have command and control issues, security issues, and uh, it takes- more effort to supply them, to feed them, to epuip them to protect them, than it is to have them do anything beneficial on the ground.

Miller: Alright Scotty, but ya gotta remember, you send the Poles home, we got nobody screwin' in the light bulbs. We'll be right back to talk more with Scott Ritter right after this...