Is U.S. Winning? Army Chief Is at a Loss (Gen. Schoomaker: "not losing")

[Barrett808]

Is U.S. Winning? Army Chief Is at a Loss
By Peter Spiegel, L. A. Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — It seemed like a routine question, one that military leaders involved in prosecuting the war in Iraq must ask themselves with some regularity: Is the U.S. winning?

But for Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff known for his straight-shooting bluntness, it proved a hard one to answer.

During a Capitol Hill briefing for an audience mostly of congressional aides, Schoomaker paused for more than 10 seconds after he was asked the question — lips pursed and brow furrowed — before venturing:

"I think I would answer that by telling you I don't think we're losing."

It was a small but telling window into the thinking of the Army's top uniformed officer and one of the military's most important commanders: Despite the progress being made by the new Iraqi government and the continuing improvement of local security forces, the outcome in Iraq, in many ways, is growing more uncertain by the day.

"The challenge … is becoming more complex, and it's going to continue to be," Schoomaker mused. "That's why I'll tell you I think we're closer to the beginning than we are to the end of all this."

(more)

http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=35035&TM=27136.21

[xchrom]

1. they are fucking stumped.

and i'll tell you something i haven't ventured in this whole outrageous and illegal affair -- i think the guys right now at the pentagon are dumbasses.

just plain stupid and incompetent.

i don't think we could ''win'' there -- but i'm guessing there are others who wouldn't lose this badly.

[w4rma]

9. That's because the Repug leadership has purged all the smart ones

who also were smart enough to oppose this war, many times openly. So only the brownnosers, suckups, zealots and total idiots are left.

Sortof. I suppose there are also the folks who are just trying to stay under the radar of the purgers and keep their seemingly important job.

[daleo]

2. I thought the saying was guerrilla armies "win by not losing"

This guy should check out the military's archives on Viet Nam. He might be surprised by what he reads.

[Monkeyman]

3. Yep

No Standing Military has ever beat a all out Guerrilla force

[tabasco]

4. This is the IDIOT that Rumsfeld had to pull out of retirement

to be Army Chief of Staff because there were not enough ass-kissers on active duty.

Hand-picked yes-man have been promoted in the military over more qualified officers.

Our military will suffer for decades because of the brain drain and purges.

The country is being run by the Mafia. Only loyalty matters to these gangsters.

[Aviation Pro]

5. Pete Schoomaker may be a lot of things....

...but he is not an ass kisser.

[atreides1]

10. How would you describe him?

He seems to be selling the same "snake oil" that BushCo has had on the market since this debacle started.

Even up on the hill he doesn't stray far from the Bush "plan", though no one seems to know what that is, and if, as you seem to indicate, he's not an "ass kisser" then why is he still part of this stay the course and watch our troops die gang?

It' seems clear that his loyalty is to the President first and the Constitution and the country when it suits him.

So, if ass kisser doesn't describe him, how would you feel about boot licker?

[tabasco]

11. Schoomaker is a bought and paid for toady that will do

whatever he is told.

He has no moral courage and is loyal only to Rumsfeld and himself.

[samsingh]

6. the only superpower can't hold one nation

we're losing

[TaleWgnDg]

7. Which page of the Vietnam War is this guy reading? . . . n/t

[ShockediSay]

8. Tell it to 2,548 families n/t

[gratuitous]

12. Closer to the beginning than to the end, Mr. Schoomaker?

Let's see, we've already spent about the same amount of time in Iraq that we spent in World War II, and Schoomaker is saying that we've got at least another 3½ years, which should be just long enough for Iraq to become the headache for whatever luckless bastard succeeds the present Army chief of staff.

And does the "I don't think we're losing" statement remind anyone else of Otto from the movie "A Fish Called Wanda"?

[Barrett808]

13. So, it's Vietnam, 1965 -- with ten years to go...

...before our inevitable, humiliating defeat.

[truthisfreedom]

14. how much of this guy's day does he spend fraught with indecision?

he sounds like he's stressed out beyond his ability to handle things.