Franks Says U.S. Should Have Hired Iraqis

[Khephra]

NICEVILLE, Fla. - The United States should have quickly reformed the Iraqi army after most of its soldiers walked off the battlefield and got them "working for us," retired Gen. Tommy Franks said Tuesday.

Franks, who oversaw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, told reporters it may have taken "a couple billion dollars," but that he would have liked to have put Iraqi troops "back on the payroll right quick."

"What we could have done better, should have done better, what I would have liked to have seen done better, once they were gone, is hire them back," the former Army general said before making his first Florida campaign appearance for President Bush.

Neither Bush nor Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld should be blamed because Congress never appropriated money for that purpose and no other country offered to pay for it, Franks said.

"I fault bureaucratic behavior in my own country and in the international community," he said.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/9902385.htm

[krkaufman]

1. WTF?? Blame Congress for Bush/Rumsfeld/Frank's poor planning?

Wow. So Congress is now responsible for the Iraq failure. And John Kerry's in Congress.

The Iraq war is solely John Kerry's fault.

[mitchtv]

2. Did anyone askfor the money?

but who needs'm we had the oil ministry guarded. Congress was doing anything the Chimp asked. So, ye, I blame the whole bunch for not knowing what I, a dumb assed civilian knew.

[struggle4progress]

10. We had the reconstruction money. And Congress refused to put ...

... any significant constraints on how that money was spent, remember? So the Administration and its contractors always had the option of hiring Iraqis.

[wishlist]

3. Of course, don't blame him or Bush or Rumsfeld, blame other countries!

He must think we have all forgotten that he was set up to be the Administrator of Iraq after the invasion until he cut and ran away with his sudden retirement leaving the situation there for others to handle.

Takes a lot of nerve to blame Congress and other countries for not providing the necessary funding when it was Bushco who failed to make the correct decisions and policies that might have prevented the insurgency. I guess Abu Ghraib is also the fault of Congress and other countries too?

[KittyWampus]

4. Bush Was Advised Before The War To Keep Army & Police Intact

and just punish higher ups.

It was Bush's Foreign Policy cabal who decided to ignore the actual experts.

One of the guys who wrote the recommendations that were ignored wrote an editorial to the NYTimes around the time of the post-invasion chaos.

[Neshanic]

5. Franks is quite the chatty bastard is he not? Unbelievable.

[JPace]

6. Anyone can have perfect hindsight.....

these privileged jokers were paid gazillions to
have good for sight. I want his pay checks back and
all the neocons need to be fired on November 2nd.

[barb162]

7. strange he is saying this now, why not BEFORE????

all I have heard from this clown is his praise for Bush TIL NOW. So why didn't Franks suggest it or did he and he got turned down.

[skrunch]

8. With all due respect...

Fuck You General Franks!

How do you get to "retire" in the middle of a war? Did Patton?...Did Bradley?

How can you abandon your comrades in the field of battle?

Men and women under fire who have served their commitment to this country can't just pack up and get a lucrative book contract to ease their transition into civilian life.

If this country can be deprived of your valuable, skilled leadership during wartime, why the fuck do we need to keep the commander-in chief on?

I hope every gourmet meal you eat on the GOP Victory Tour tastes like a beef stroganoff MRE.

[TacticalPeek]

9. Frankly,

the general continues to have difficulty securing his line of communication.

:evilgrin:

[w4rma]

11. The flipping Republican Congress is a rubber stamp for BushCo

SO THE FAULT IS WITH BUSH AND THE WHOLE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP.

[doubleplusgood]

12. rabid conservative ideology triumphed

Instead of employing millions of Iraqis to help clean up the post-war mess - and keep them busy - the Bush administration instead let them flounder unemployed on the streets, there to steadily build up a wellspring of ill will towards the U.S. occupiers after the shock of war had dissipated. Rabid conservative ideology held that government employment - socialism in their minds - was to be avoided no matter what, that the economy had to be immediately privatized. They expected that in the absence of government dictat, that a wave of entrepreurial spirit would spontaneously spring up, that Iraq would become a free-market showcase.

Needless to say, what the f*ck were they thinking ?

[Roland99]

13. Retired Gen. Franks Criticizes Kerry

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1004/179344.html

RENO, Nev. (AP) - Retired Gen. Tommy Franks launched a four-state campaign swing for President Bush (website - news - bio) by criticizing Sen. John Kerry (website - news - bio) 's anti-Vietnam War activities and voting record on the military.

Franks, former commander of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, faulted Kerry's votes on major weapons systems and intelligence issues, and against the 1991 Gulf War.

"If his voting record ruled the day, Saddam Hussein (news - bio) would not only be running Iraq but Kuwait," Franks told about 200 people Sunday at a Reno rally.

"The choice is very, very clear. We need decisive, strong, no-backing-down and no-equivocating leadership," he said.



Makes me wonder who got to Franks considering this:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040808/D84B9N8O0.html


WASHINGTON (AP) - Retired Gen. Tommy Franks, producer of the early military successes in Afghanistan and Iraq, said Sunday that criticism of John Kerry's war record is political hyperbole and Kerry is "absolutely" qualified to be commander in chief.

A year into retirement, Franks also said he has not decided whether to endorse President Bush for re-election. "I don't know yet. I'm leaning in that direction," he said on ABC's "This Week."

Franks, whose hometown is Midland, Texas - where the president and first lady Laura Bush grew up - has been making television appearances in recent days to publicize his just-published memoirs, "American Soldier."

"Do you think Senator Kerry is qualified to be commander in chief?" Franks was asked.

"Absolutely!" he said.