Bush’s Escalation ‘Hammered Out’ By ‘A Bunch Of Armchair Generals’ From AEI

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/25/aei-escalation/

Bush’s Escalation ‘Hammered Out’ By ‘A Bunch Of Armchair Generals’ From AEI


Earlier this month, President Bush affirmed his commitment to his escalation plan, stating, “I’m going to remind the people in the audience today that troop levels will be decided by our commanders on the ground, not by political figures in Washington, D.C.”

But the DC Examiner reports today that “a bunch of arm chair generals in Washington” from the American Enterprise Institute “almost single handedly convinced the White House to change its strategy” in weekend meetings last December. The AEI escalation plan reportedly “won out over plans from the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command”:

They banded together at AEI headquarters in downtown Washington early last December and hammered out the surge plan during a weekend session. It called for two major initiatives to defeat the insurgency: reinforcing the troops and restoring security to Iraqi neighborhoods. Then came trips to the White House by AEI military historian Frederick Kagan, retired Army Gen. John Keane and other surge proponents.

More and more officials began attending the sessions. Even Vice President Dick Cheney came. “We took the results of our planning session immediately to people in the administration,” said AEI analyst Thomas Donnelly, a surge planner. “It became sort of a magnet for movers and shakers in the White House.” Donnelly said the AEI approach won out over plans from the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command.

The Examiner adds that AEI still retains a strong influence on the Iraq war, as Keane (ret.) is an adviser to Petraeus and Kagan left for Iraq this past week.

In 2006, President Bush was debating a new strategy in Iraq and expressed that he was open to outside advice on troop levels. “I’m going to rely upon General Casey,” Bush said of then-Multinational Force commander when asked about his new strategy. But Casey pressed Bush not to increase troop levels, along with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who were unanimously opposed to the escalation. In response, Bush replaced Casey with Gen. David Petraeus.

“It was kind of the 11th hour, 59th minute,” an AEI analyst said of its escalation plan. Unfortunately, a hasty, last minute plan beat the advice of Bush’s own commanders.

[Solly Mack]

1. " ****Even**** Vice President Dick Cheney came"

Inserting the even as if Cheney being involved was something new or surprising...

You can email his wife at [e-mail]

Cheney is part and parcel to AEI

[driver8]

2. Isn't Wolfowitz at AEI? The shit storm never stops, does it? n/t

[mediaman007]

3. Color me...aghast!

[libnnc]

4. I wish the EPA could declare AEI a toxic waste dump

Close it down and put it on the Superfund List.

[acmavm]

5. The 'movers and shakers' in the White House. Is that the new

euphemism for liars, traitors, and thugs?

[SpiralHawk]

6. arm chair generals = Chickenhawk republions

Afraid to serve America, but happy to send us and OUR kids off to fight for republicon war profits. For them I have no respect. They rank right up there with the Deserter in Chief, AWOL Bush, and Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney.

[donkeyotay]

7. So, we committed to this witless plan based on lobbying from the same

so-called think tank that helped start this war and wants another one? A lot of people have died and suffered for this "11th hour, 59th minute" stunt. And bush just told his umpteenth bald-faced lie without the liberal media calling him on it.

[donkeyotay]

8. This isn't even news anymore: BUSH LIED, again.

When bush was saying that troop levels in Iraq would be determined by the "commanders on the ground, not by political figures in Washington," he neglected to tell us that the neocons are still plotting our fate.

His daddy even offered him a bailout in the form of the Iraq Study Group, but junior, at "the 11th hour, 59th minute" STILL LISTENED TO THE NEOCONS. Every chance they get bushco accuses Democrats of "playing politics," yet here's this unelected, unaccountable cabal who has more influence than our elected congress.

This doesn't bode well for an attack on Iran.

[ThomWV]

9. I disagree. This is a specific lie and it is not only topical but it is recent

This is the kind of thing you cut and paste into an E-Mail going to any asswipe you happen to know who still supports the pinhead.

[donkeyotay]

10. I agree. This is a whopper. I'm frustrated that no one has picked it up,

that the commander guy doesn't get called on this shit, and that the country hasn't come to a halt demanding his impeachment, AGAG's impeachment, Roberts and Alito's impeachment...oh, and last but not least, Cheney's.