Petraeus's military comrades worry that he is being set up by the Bush administration as scapegoat

[dajoki]

Bush Leans On Petraeus as War Dissent Deepens
General Set Up as Scapegoat, Some Say

By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 15, 2007; Page A07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/14/AR2007071401140.html

<<snip>>

With opposition to Bush's Iraq strategy escalating on Capitol Hill, the president has sought, at least rhetorically, to transfer some of the burden of an unpopular war to his top general in Baghdad, wielding Petraeus as a shield against a growing number of congressional doubters. In speeches and meetings, the president has implored his critics to wait until September, when Petraeus is scheduled to deliver a much-anticipated assessment of the U.S. mission in Iraq.

Petraeus, a marathon runner with a doctorate from Princeton, is the fourth general to command U.S. military operations in Iraq, but he is the first with whom Bush has forged such a close relationship. Every Monday, the two men confer via a secure video link without the standard retinue of deputies and aides.

Some of Petraeus's military comrades worry that the general is being set up by the Bush administration as a scapegoat if conditions in Iraq fail to improve. "The danger is that Petraeus will now be painted as failing to live up to expectations and become the fall guy for the administration," one retired four-star officer said.

Bush has mentioned Petraeus at least 150 times this year in his speeches, interviews and news conferences, often setting him up in opposition to members of Congress.

"It seems to me almost an act of desperation, the administration turning to the one most prominent official who cannot act politically and whose credibility is so far unsullied, someone who is or should be purely driven by the facts of the situation," said Richard Kohn, a specialist in U.S. military history at the University of North Carolina. "What it tells me, given the hemorrhaging of support in Congress, is that we're entering some new phase of the end game."

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Of course he is.

He's been blaming the generals all along. Didn't he just throw Tommy Franks under the bus in a speech the other day?

[dajoki]

5. Yup...

KO's words, exactly.

[ClayZ]

2. K and R

[thereismore]

3. Of course he is! All of a suden, it's Petraeus' plan, as I have noticed. nt

[dajoki]

8. My question is...

Will Petraeus deliver the report Bush wants or will he tell the truth?

[thereismore]

17. Almost irrelevant. Unless it is devastating, bush* will spin it his way. Petraeus

has no choice but to follow through or resign.

[dajoki]

21. Well then...

Do you think he will follow through or resign?

[rodeodance]

4. all P. had to do is look at Casey!

[NCarolinawoman]

11. Right, and what he said about Tommy Franks in the last press conference.

Keith O. referred to Bush as throwing "Franks under the bus".

I am not that big a fan of Franks, but Bush Did give him that Medal of Freedom award and now Bush is implying that Franks was not up to snuff and that's why the war has gone badly.

These creeps will never take responsibility for anything, I'd watch out, General Petreus.

[TwilightGardener]

14. In Chimpyland, Medal of Freedom = Medal of You Fucked Up. Petraeus--

got room on your chest for one more decoration?

[DemoTex]

20. General Petraeus had best heed the old fighter pilot warning:

CHECK SIX!

[zabet]

6. Where does the war czar come into play? n/t

[dajoki]

15. LOL n/t

[thereismore]

19. He takes in a nice paycheck I bet! nt

[old guy]

7. This guy was a second rate desk jockey at best.

He was unimpressive and going nowhere. This was probably his only chance to be "someone". If he gets thrown under the bus it will only be what he deserves.

[thereismore]

18. He was part of the original invasion. I hear he did very well in local politics -

working with tribal leaders very early on. I read that in Newsweek some time ago. So he is not a deskjockey at all, but I don't know if he can handle the whole "theater" for Arbusto.

[old guy]

22. Just made my observation from what I read on Wikipedia.

It was not all that impressive for someone who now has his position. Hell, I've been wrong before.

[JohnnyLib2]

9. Yup

SOP for this Administration

[IndianaGreen]

10. Petraeus had no problems sticking the knife in the backs of Gen. Casey and Abizaid

Petraeus also was portrayed as the author of the Army's counter-insurgency manual, when all he did was to edit the existing manual.

I think Petraeus is one of those rightwing generals that is as deluded as his Commader-in-Chief and that once he takes the fall for the surge's failure, no one will miss him.

[CK_John]

12. I don't think * has given the Gen a nickname yet. Not a good sign for P. n/t

[dajoki]

38. Once he gets a nickname...

he's gone. I think shrub uses his first name now, getting close to the end for Gen. P.

[Telly Savalas]

13. Get real.

"Our brilliant president's well thought out Iraq strategy would have been effective were it not for the bumbling general!"

Petraeus could personally call the dozen or so Americans who would believe that and explain to them that it's not his fault.

[dajoki]

23. "Our brilliant president"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :dunce:

[Doctor_J]

16. Well, if he couldn't figure that out going in, he deserves it

Anyone who signed on to this debacle within the last year has to be terminally stupid.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

24. they will be running out of military commanders

what then?

[Mz Pip]

25. What did Petraeus expect?

He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

If he says things are going well, no one will believe him.

If he says things suck, Bush will exchange him for a newer model of suck-up yes man.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[RamboLiberal]

26. Of course he is

And he was supposed to be the best. Well, when he fails who will they find for the next scapegoat? He was supposed to be their U.S. Grant, instead he's probably their Robert E. Lee - delaying end of the lost cause.

[Imagevision]

27. Bush is using Petraeus as he has used Casey and the other general's they're disposable after

shit-head is finished using them...

[jmp]

28. Petraeus will say

What he is told to say. These guys don't know how to say "No sir!"

[Stinky The Clown]

29. File this one in the "Gee. Ya think so?" file.

From top to bottom, Gin Blossom George has NO respect for the military.

...... Now watch this drive.

[sendero]

30. That's right..

... and I have zero, not one ounce of sympathy for Patreaus or any other military leader who raises false hopes about solving the Iraq problem with military action.

He will get blamed and he will DAMN WELL DESERVE THE BLAME.

[arewenotdemo]

33. I fully agree.

On a side note, the Cheerleader now openly refers to Betrayus by his first name.

[MasonJar]

31. It will not work. Bush will never fool the people with such an obvious ploy.

Maybe in 04, but not now.

[Kingstree]

32. Patraeus is to blame also

all generals are glory hounds and this is his plan approved by the Bush administration. He got an accelerated field promotion to 4-star general and he wants the accolades and fame that comes along with it. He has a tough row to hoe trying to change the minds with a people and insurgency that has thousands of years of conflict, culture and religion that dictate their way of life but I guess the general thinks he's different from everyone else, probably due to his Ivy league educated background. It seems that politicians like soldiers with those type of credentials but plain old common sense may work better. He is going to be really surprised. Plus, you think that he will give you an honest assessment in September? At this point 8 of 18 benchmarks have marginally been met and with less than 2 months to go? I don't believe it because his ass and reputation is on the line. I for see a request for more troops, $$$ and time So yes, if he tanks, Bush will throw him under the bus like the generals before him and he will be on CNN, Fox or whatever media outlet picks him up, blaming the administration for his failure but Patraeus wanted it this way, sink or swim. Oh, don't forget about the book deal.

[dajoki]

39. 8 of 18...

I agree with Keith Olbermann, the report was fudged quite a bit


'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for July 12
Read the transcript to the Thursday show
Updated: 11:18 a.m. ET July 13, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19745624/

Good evening from New York. Just last month a high school student in Germany, faced with having to repeat his sophomore year because of a bad report card, convinced two friends to break into his classroom and try to steal that report card from his teacher by threatening her with an iron bar.

Our fifth story on the COUNTDOWN. That plan collapsed due to its fatal flaw, it never dawned on the kid that people would realize his motive was so obvious.

Unfortunately it does not work this way in Washington, where President Bush has just done the same thing with his report cards and managed to change the f‘s he was getting on the war in Iraq and counterterrorism.

The Bush administration‘s heavy hand, clearly evident in the final version of the Iraq interim progress report that was released today to Congress, instead of simply stating whether the Iraqi government has met any benchmarks, a clear no in all 18 areas as described in the first draft of the report revealed last week, the administration now claiming progress, however that is defined, has been satisfactory on 8 of the 18 benchmarks, eight not satisfactory, two, a mixed bag.

Congress already telling the White House what it thinks of the Iraq report. The House earlier tonight approving legislation that would require the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq beginning in 120 days.

[liberalla]

34. Duh!

He knew this before he accepted his "top General" role in the bush-Iraq plan.

Any military commander that worries about "being set up by the Bush administration as a scapegoat" needs to put in for retirement. Leave with your honor. Better yet, speak out and build support for withdrawal and redeployment.

[Kablooie]

35. He knew the job was hopeless when he took it.

He had the opportunity to turn it down the way several other top commanders did.

[GeorgeGist]

36. How do you know when it's beyond hope

"General David Petraeus, U.S. commander in Baghdad, is an outstanding officer who knew when he accepted his job that it was almost impossible. He mused privately to a friend shortly before flying to take up command: 'How do you know when it's beyond hope, and how do you convey that to a President who does not want to hear it?'"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/columnists/columnists.html?in_article_id=468368&in_page_id=1772&in_author_id=464

[dajoki]

37. Well its up to him...

to figure that out. He's supposed to be the Decider's decider on Iraq. Does he tell Bush what he wants to hear or does he do what's best for the country?