Gen. Batiste: To win in Iraq, war on terror, U.S. needs new defense chief

[grytpype]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060523/OPINION02/605230318/1039/OPINION

This article is a few days old, but on this day when the Misadministration admitted they can't withdraw any troops this year, it has special relevance.

Gen. Batiste commanded the 1st ID in Iraq for 12 months then turned down a promotion (he would have been the #2 commander in Iraq) to go public with his criticisms of Rumsfeld's handling of the war.

I'm going to post the whole thing because it is all really important and I think this is more like a press release than a copyrighted article, mods willing.

May 23, 2006

To win in Iraq, war on terror, U.S. needs new defense chief

John Batiste
Guest essayist

The war in Iraq was started by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his inner circle who "knew everything," except how to win.

Winning in war is an absolute and there is no substitute for victory. Americans go to war to win.

Driven by his contemptuous attitude, dismissiveness and arrogance, the defense secretary built a war plan that violated the principles of war. What should have been a deliberate victory is now a protracted challenge. He is responsible for America and her allies going to war with the wrong plan, setting the conditions for Abu Ghraib that fueled the insurgency and disbanding Iraqi security force institutions when we needed them most. The effort in Iraq has never recovered.

Our secretary of defense does not know how to win. He built his team by systematically removing honest dissent. America went to war with his plan and to say that he listens to his generals is disingenuous. He has micromanaged the war and caused delays in the approval of troop requirements and the deployment process that tied the hands of commanders while our troops were in contact with the enemy.

At critical junctures, commanders were forced to focus on managing shortages rather than leading, planning and anticipating opportunity. The secretary of defense's war plan did not account for the hard work to build the peace, nor did it anticipate an insurgency that was an absolute certainty.

Our nation's treasure in blood and dollars continues to be squandered under his leadership. Losing one American life due to incompetent war planning and preparation is absolutely unacceptable.

From the first day of the invasion, the mission in Iraq required more than 380,000 coalition forces, supported by the entirety of the Iraqi army and police to build the peace, control the ground, secure the borders, intimidate the insurgency in its many forms, and establish relationships essential in the hard work to change attitudes and give the people of Iraq alternatives to the insurgency.

We had a winning strategy that the secretary of defense dismissed and the results have been playing out for more than two years. We have never recovered from these fatal errors in judgment.

The work to remove Saddam Hussein and his regime was a challenge, but it pales in comparison to the work to build the peace and set the conditions for Iraqi self-reliance. Our incredible military was not set up for success.

I am an experienced combat veteran with significant experience in peace enforcement operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. I have been an agent of change and transformation in the military since 1974 and well understand the requirement to fight with the right mix of high technology and boots on the ground. I experienced firsthand in Iraq the consequences of the secretary of defense's leadership and decision making. It is my duty to continue speaking out. Integrity is everything and the future of our republic is at stake.

The American people deserve accountability and senior leadership in the Department of Defense whose instinct, judgment and motivation we can all trust. We all deserve nothing less as we prepare for a very uncertain future. This is all about accountability and competent leadership as we continue to fight the war on terrorism. Victory hangs in the balance.

I challenge the American people to continue speaking out and our congressional oversight committees to kick into action. This is not about partisan politics but rather what is good for our country.

Write or call your elected officials in Washington, D.C. The issue is accountability which we have yet to address. Demand accountability.

Batiste is a retired major general in the U.S. Army and now president, Klein Steel Service in Rochester.

[acmavm]

1. The Decider said Rummy is staying. Poppy says he needs to

be given the old heave-ho. So do 7 retired generals. And now this guy piles on.

Rummy must be feeling pretty picked on right now. And I doubt that Junior's making the decision anyway. The is an area where the neocons pretty much rule. Cheney's calling this shot. And Junior, just to make himself feel good, is the one telling Poppy to go pound sand.

[cliss]

2. This is really good.

Earlier this week, I was listening to Ed Schultz. He had Gen. Batiste on. The general kept hammering away at who is at fault......Don Rumsfailed.

He must have pointed this out about 10 times within a 2- minute period. He just kept pounding away at this fact.....

The general was very effective at getting his point across.....Rumsfailed must go. Today. This afternoon. I'll even send some cardboard packing boxes so he can get going.

[hadrons]

4. Batiste makes it sound like Dumsfeld works in a vacuum

sorry Batiste, its the jackass at the top who you admitted to voting twice that's the problem

[grytpype]

3. Rummy has to prove that he and Bush and Cheney didn't make a mistake.

That's why we can't change course until they all are gone.