Pentagon Sexism or Just Another Incompetent?
19 July 2007 4:00 pm by Taylor Marsh
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| Sen. Norm Coleman’s neighbor sends a message. |
Maybe it’s both.
In May, Senator Clinton asked whether we were planning for a withdrawal from
Iraq.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, in both a letter to Defense Secretary Robert
M. Gates and in a private meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General Peter Pace, called on the Pentagon to brief the Congress on any existing
plans for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, or provide an explanation
as to why such plans have not been properly created.“The seeds of many problems that continue to plague our troops
and mission in Iraq were planted in the failure to adequately plan for the
conflict and properly equip our men and women in uniform,” Senator Clinton
wrote. “Congress must be sure that we are prepared to withdraw our forces
without any unnecessary danger.”Clinton Calls
on Pentagon to Plan for Withdrawal From Iraq
Presses Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Begin Proper Planning
Well, she got her answer in the form of patronizing
Pentagon propaganda that likely came straight out of the vice president’s
office, who used to be the boss of the man charged with handling Senator
Clinton.
Evidently, the boys didn’t like it when Clinton insisted that not being prepared
in Iraq was dangerous. Looking at what’s happened in the war hasn’t made much
of a dent on some of these guys, I guess. Clinton asks pertinent questions
about Iraq only to get the most insulting retort from a Pentagon hack who might
as well have said, Lady, leave this to us. You’re queries are aiding the enemy.
“Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from
Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies
in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia.
Such talk understandably unnerves the very same Iraqi allies we are asking
to assume enormous personal risks in order to achieve compromises on national
reconciliation, amending the Iraqi constitution, and other contentious issues.
Fear of a precipitate U.S. withdrawal also exacerbates sectarian trends in
Iraqi politics as factions become more concerned with achieving short-term
tactical advantages rather than reaching the long-term agreements necessary
for a stable and secure Iraq. … ..”
The flippant way in which Mr. Edelman addresses a member of the United States
Senate is one thing; but considering Clinton is on the Armed Services Committee
and is doing her job his response comes off even worse. This jingoistic, sloganeering,
propaganda don’t bother your pretty head about things that are just way
too premature to be asking statement belies the seriousness of Clinton’s
questions. How dare this presidential hack tell the senator that by simply asking
questions about a critical component of our Iraq mission she “reinforces
enemy propaganda.”
I’d like to introduce Mr. Edelman to the Constitution. You know, the checks and balances and co-equal branches of government edition of our democratic republic.
Clinton has a responsibility to ask these questions, especially considering what the Bush
administration has gotten us into, which, thanks to help from Mr. Edelman, seems
to only be able to offer Republican talking points masquerading as a plan. Edelman’s refusal
to address Clinton’s core question is equally inexcusable.
… Because these operations will continue for many months, it is too early
to assess whether this new strategy will be successful, and it is premature
to say with certainty whether and how a future phased withdrawal would be
conducted.
Excuse me?
It’s too premature to discuss withdrawal from Iraq? With the polls showing
Americans want our troops home, the only thing premature was appointing Mr.
Edelman to any serious post in the Pentagon in the first place. But then of
course he’s only Dick Cheney’s ear, not a serious person who is actually interested
in how we will extricate our troops from this unmitigated disaster the Republicans
continue to support. It’s obvious the man has not one clue how dangerous withdrawal
from Iraq will be.
The other question is why were Senator Clinton’s questions on Iraq shopped
out to Under Secretary Edelman in the first place?
