Study Published by Army Criticizes War on Terror's Scope

[gulliver]

By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 12, 2004; Page A12

A scathing new report published by the Army War College broadly criticizes the Bush administration's handling of the war on terrorism, accusing it of taking a detour into an "unnecessary" war in Iraq and pursuing an "unrealistic" quest against terrorism that may lead to U.S. wars with states that pose no serious threat.


The report, by visiting professor Jeffrey Record, who is on the faculty of the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, warns that as a result of those mistakes, the Army is "near the breaking point."

It recommends, among other things, scaling back the scope of the "global war on terrorism" and instead focusing on the narrower threat posed by the al Qaeda terrorist network.

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8435-2004Jan11.html

[Leilani]

1. Whoo Hooo

The CIA is pissed

The Military is pissed

Old time republicans (those with character) are pissed

We're all pissed

Who's next?

[mbperrin]

2. Awww, what does the Army know about war?

Surely one deserter, one guy with other priorities and another with a boil in his ass know much much more!

[Kinkistyle]

3. Uh.. ya think?

<sigh> You think maybe this was something you could have let us know, oh.... A YEAR AGO?

[lebkuchen]

4. Massive numbers of our military will be in theater in Feb

either rotating in or out divisions to/from Iraq, "one of the largest troop turnovers in history." With the bulk of our military engaged in that costly exercise, leaving our troops vulnerable to attack as they traverse the desert and fly in/out with troops and equipment, if anything major occurs during that time, whether a significant attack on our troops or a terrorist attack against the US, we are up Shit Creek.

Inre: breaking point, read this troop letter from yesterday's Stripes:


Back to Iraq

I’m a soldier who returned from Iraq to Fort Stewart, Ga., last July with the 3d Infantry Division. Prior to my PCSing from Fort Stewart to Germany in November, I found out that the 1st Infantry Division to which I was reassigned was due to deploy to Iraq in February to replace a unit there.

Not one to complain...


http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=19792

[grasswire]

5. page A 12

sigh

[kskiska]

6. How timely!

Right on the tail of the O'Neill story.

[lebkuchen]

7. Convenient timing, though the Army War College is responding to

this monstrous upcoming unit rotation. THAT is going to be something worth monitoring, starting now and well into the month of Feb.

[Military Brat]

8. In a nutshell, why the hell did we invade Iraq and ignore al Qaeda?

But that's just my interpretation of it. The scholars must be more polite in their criticism.

Many of Record's arguments, such as the contention that Saddam Hussein's Iraq was deterred and did not present a threat, have been made before by critics of the administration. Iraq, he concludes, "was a war-of-choice distraction from the war of necessity against al Qaeda." But it is unusual to have such views published by the War College, the Army's premier academic institution.

Drip ... drip ... drip ...

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. I have to point out,

this is the war college we are talking about. This is very unusual folks... the army is POed... folks and if they are saying the Army is near the breaking point, IT IS.

[Toucano]

10. Can I kick this?

I missed it totally. Thanks to Harry Shearer for bringing my attention to it.