Defense Tech: Generals Gone Wild!


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Edited by Christian Lowe \| Contact

Generals Gone Wild!

Today on CNN, retired Army Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack called for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. "I think we need senior military leaders who understand the principles of war and apply them ruthlessly, and when the time comes, they need to call it like it is," the former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division said.

Swannack joins former Central Command boss Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold and Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste -- all retired -- in demanding that Rumsfeld step down.

Batiste, like Swannack, joined the fray relatively late, in an interview with CNN's Miles O'Brien on Wednesday. The interview opened with Batiste slamming Iraq's potential for democracy: "Iraqis, frankly, in my experience, do not understand democracy. Nor do they understand their responsibilities for a free society."

The interview continued:

O'BRIEN: So, you're suggesting a wholesale house cleaning [of Defense Dept. leadership]?

BATISTE: I didn't say wholesale. I said new leadership in the Pentagon, a fresh start. You know, it speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out from retirement about the leadership climate in the Department of Defense.

O'BRIEN: What is going on that is -- what is it about that climate that is leading to difficulties, leading to trouble, leading to -- as you put it -- perhaps unnecessary bloodshed?

BATISTE: I didn't say unnecessary bloodshed. But when decisions are made without taking into account sound military recommendations, sound military decision making, sound planning, then we're bound to make mistakes. When we violate the principles of war with mass and unity of command and unity of effort, we do that at our own peril.

Ahem.

I met Batiste a year ago when he was commander of the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq. We spoke for an hour about the insurgency, the Iraqi Army and the upcoming January election for an interim national assembly.

The difference between Batiste's attitude then and his attitude now is suprising. Last year, he said the insurgency was "not an impressive effort", insisted that Al Qaeda was behind the worst attacks in Iraq and predicted that everday Iraqis would soon turn against insurgents. And the kicker -- he described the chunk of the World Trade Center that he kept in his office to remind himself why we had to invade Iraq.

From the safety of retirement, and with his buddies watching his back, Batiste has lashed out at Rumsfeld. But Batiste is guilty of lapses in judgement just as gross as Rumsfeld's. The only difference is that Rumsfeld ranks higher, so his lapses have greater consequences. I'm not defending Rummy. But if Batiste were Secretary of Defense instead, I doubt we'd be much better off.

Below are excerpts of my interview with Batiste:

Q: What is the insurgent strategy?

BATISTE: I haven't seen an insurgent strategy. I've seen disparate efforts. A piece of me says that we give them too much credit.

Q: What is the gravest threat [in the 1st Infantry Division area of operations]?

BATISTE: Al Qaeda.

Q: How are Iraqi security forces shaping up?

BATISTE: The enemy ... he's a coward, is what he is. It's not an impressive effort, and these great Iraqi security forces are figuring that out.

Q: What does a successful election mean for Iraq?

BATISTE: A good election is a huge victory. Our challenge is to give Iraqis an alternative to an insurgency. You know, I carry a piece of the World Trade Center ... to remind me why we're here.

Q: Why are we here?

BATISTE: To end radical Islamic fundamentalism.

Q: But wasn't Saddam Hussein's regime hostile to radical Islamists?

BATISTE: We could argue about that all night.

[end of interview]

--David Axe

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Posted by: wowpowerleveling at April 14, 2008 08:21 PM

He has to tout the party line while he was interviewed in Iraq. Did you expect him to publicly denounce the mission or give a hint that it was poorly planned while he was busy leading thousands of soldiers? NO, he's going to suck it up and get the job done as best as he can with what he has. I too have met the General and know him to be a man mission-focused and without political agenda. He is not the soft, old-boy, golf-playing former General some might make him out to be. I think he is speaking from a legitimate concern for the troops over there and a legitimate lack of confidence in the executive leadership of the nation. I'm not trying to speak for him in any way, I'd just like to speak against the flip-flopping, golf-playing portrayal that seems to have been made. The motto of the First Infantry Division is "Duty First." The General embodied that creed in Iraq and continues to do so in retirement.

Posted by: Chris at May 8, 2006 03:41 AM

romsfeild does not understand war like these ex-military generals due also he is to hold ,he has never been to a major war conflict before and he's just like a side line cheerleader.

Posted by: suranyi at April 17, 2006 12:11 AM

Axe is right. One general who speaks up when he has something to lose is worth a dozen who wait until his pension is secure. There are plenty of officers who resigned rather than participate in a campaign they saw as damaging to US security. And others in the State Department, as well.

General Shinseki tried to bring some reality to the war planning and got pushed out. Where were the other officers? Hiding behind their oaths like Hitler's generals. The time to speak out is when it matters, not in your memoirs.

Posted by: James at April 14, 2006 06:55 PM

By the way since we are all the sudden giving weight to generals views here at this site as not just news worthy but worthy of consideration and belief. I would recommend reading this here

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20060413-110216-1235r.htm

Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, who commands the XVIII Airborne Corps

Its funny how different impressions are between when in the thick “over there” and back here at home on the Mainstream media news feed as the source of info.

Posted by: C-Low at April 14, 2006 01:48 PM

lets remember the adage of gen and president Eisenhower about the military industrial coml;ex. we havae it now and it is destroying our country and its economy, pleasae note the numer of congress pearsons aand tne prsident staff who seved and the number wo dodgead the draft with all kinds of giicks national guards and harvard and ivey leage eductional derements

Posted by: ken at April 14, 2006 01:27 PM

Here's what I think the problem is: when Batiste starts talking about what he actually thinks Rumsfeld's sins are, he starts talking about things like "Goldwater-Nichols Act" and "mass and unity of command." Which, as far as I can tell, are valid, professional criticisms. But to the average viewer, it might as well be Chinese. All they hear is "generals are coming out against the Bush administration." And that’s a very bad thing, because it makes it look like military leaders are getting involved in political (rather than professional) issues, which is never healthy.

The line between professional criticism and political opposition is getting blurred, if only because the public is unlikely to notice the subtleties in what the generals are saying.

On another note, anyone notice how this part of the interview got totally steamrolled by CNN? I thought it was the most interesting part.

BATISTE: Number three: when my family and I returned from Germany after three years with the [Army's 1st Infantry Division], we were struck by the fact that there's a lack of sacrifice and commitment on the part of the American people -- the exception [is] those families with soldiers committed into this fight.

And certainly, too many of these families truly understand the meaning of sacrifice. Most Americans only confront this issue by deciding what color of magnet on the back end of their SUV.

I think that our executive and legislative branches of government have a responsibility to mobilize this country for war. They frankly have not done so. We're mortgaging our future, our children, $8 to $9 billion a month. And it seems to me it's time to start some form of rationing. The American people have done this before.

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Posted by: brad at April 14, 2006 09:42 AM

I'm guessing that the current crop of flaggellating flag rankers doesn't feel all that strongly about their gripes as not a single one of them resigned in protest. Sparkling examples of moral courage, eh wot?

Posted by: JSAllison at April 14, 2006 09:03 AM

In my day the average life of a Second Leutendant in combat allows a shining example that reflects Idiots such as Generals gone wild never lived long enough to make General

Posted by: Bill Gordon L. Stafford at April 14, 2006 05:08 AM

You don’t have an AXE to grind do you?

I see your 9-11 commission and up it with a Saddam couldn’t believe in the “my enemies enemy is my friend” rule could he? Hell he couldn’t have maybe thought the only way to face America today was with terrorist asymmetrical warfare could he? Lets see

http://www.freerepublic.com/~jveritas/

Worthless Iraqi soldiers yeah its amazing how when troops are green they don’t do to well but it is also amazing how once they get some experience under their belts that changes. Lets see

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLG%2CGGLG%3A2005-39%2CGGLG%3Aen&q=Iraqi+forces+repel+insurgent+attack

By the way when was the last time AQ/insurgent/minutemen whatever took over a town, army base, police station, or hell just engaged and overwhelmed some Iraqi police army. Ahh one blemish that one prison raid not to long ago did catch the Iraqi police slippin

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/world/03/22iraq.html

But wait a minute did the police flee in terror?
“But at 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, about 100 masked men came to break them out. Descending from a dozen cars and pickups, they surrounded the compound and blasted away, killing at least 17 police and freeing 33 prisoners in one of Iraq's boldest insurgent raids in months.
In 90 minutes of fighting, the rebels destroyed 12 police cars and set fire to the courthouse and adjacent police station, holding off outnumbered U.S. and Iraqi forces. Reinforcements — delayed by insurgent booby traps, including car bombs — eventually chased down some of the insurgents, capturing eight as they fled.
Six of the attackers were killed, the U.S. military said, and 18 police and two American soldiers were wounded. Some reports put the death toll higher, with as many as 20 police and 10 insurgents killed. “
Woe did that just say the IP at the jail were overrun by 100 insurgents taking 17 dead understandable considering outnumbered 5:1. But then fighting a 90minute battle along side some US reinforcements sent in although still outnumbered. Yeah that sounds incompetent. But I forgot the LLL rules of common sense that says Iraqi insurgents are always fearless unstoppable enemy yet at the same time Iraqi’s on our side are incompetent cowards. Hmmm I thought they were both Iraqi’s. I guess being anti-American gives you super strength like spinach and being associated with pro-Americans makes you weak, stupid, useless. Who would have thought what common sense?

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-39,GGLG:en&q=Iraqi+insurgents+attack+market

I see your “we can’t make them mad or more will form” school of thought and well lets see

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/07/86ed95a7-63b7-41d5-b273-4dec11fa9d2a.html

This was 05’ when the Insurgents/terrorist still had some pretty strong showing of possible victory.

http://pewresearch.org/obdeck/?ObDeckID=6

Ohh and the Sunni’s they still support AQ right right Al ANBAR aahh right caliphate foundation right

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/06/AR2006030601596_pf.html

http://billroggio.com/archives/2006/01/joining_alqaeda_decl.php

This one details the Sunni groups that declared war on AQ

I don’t know, may have something to do with those brave insurgent attacks against women & children in markets. I especially like the part were the anti-Americanism rises some (we are at war in their neck of the woods after all) yet support for Terrorism is dropping. I guess it was all fun and games as long as it was just some dum infidels dying but suddenly when it comes home to roost along with the reprocutions of war with the Big Satan its not so funny anymore huh almost like a plan or something crazy neo-cons. We aren’t in a popularity contest we just want the Muslims to understand we are not going have them blowing up some poor US citizen on their way to work in town because under your religion he is a infidel.

I have said it before History will be the Judge of the Iraq phase of the WOT not the media how have literally put their credibility along with the LLL’s and Dems on the Defeat of their very own nation. Investment in your own nations defeat must suck.

Posted by: C-Low at April 14, 2006 01:06 AM

Id'm supposed to be shock, SHOCKED? Mad that he's a flip-flopper? Is this wher I call him a coward. I don't think so.

He didn't want to get posted to butthole, Alaska or cashiered, so he waited until his honorable disharge was safely in-hand. In the meantime, he toed the line. That's life, folks. People don't stick their necks out becuase if they do, they get it chopped. I can't say from either interview whether I'd like what else he has to say, but he served a long time as a good soldier, and he's earned the right to say whatever he wants to now.

Oh, and Vote Clark, 2008

Posted by: Moose at April 13, 2006 11:35 PM

That’s a pretty dam sharp 180 degree turn.

So which side of Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack is a lie?

The one were he was knee deep in field thick of it or the one after he came home and got chatted up at the club?

Posted by: C-Low at April 13, 2006 11:16 PM

Maybe he wants to be the next Wesley Clark.

Posted by: Brian at April 13, 2006 09:36 PM

Generals Gone Wild!

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