attackerman.firedoglake.com - 11/30/2008
—
Barry McCaffrey sells out
nytimes.com - 11/30/2008
—
nytimes.com —
For the first time, there is a chance
that a reasonably stable democratizing government, though no doubt...
corrupt in places, can take root in the Iraqi political space. >
(more)
Op-Ed Columnist: Obama’s Iraq Inheritance
topics.nytimes.com - 11/28/2008
—
topics.nytimes.com —
On a second tour, he was assigned to
train a new Iraqi army a problem that...
has vexed the United States since the army was disbanded in the occupation's early days. While Iraqi forces grew during this time, they continued to lag in capability. In ...
(more)
David H. Petraeus News - The New York Times
confederateyankee.mu.nu - 11/30/2008
—
confederateyankee.mu.nu —
Barack Obama and his Democratic allies have famously
done everything in their power to try to lose...
the Iraqi War while President Bush is in office, but now that everyone with any understanding of the conflict knows that the war...
(more)
NY Times Scurrying To Give Obama Victory Credit For ...
Comments
Blog Reactions
War Machine
Matthew Yglesias —
... . Spencer Ackerman remarks that if the piece is false “McCaffrey really ought to sue, because if it isn’t, he has no reputation for integrity left.” This is true. And Barstow certainly seems to have the goods. The piece is long to the point where excerpting from specific examples has no real point, but here’s a bird’s eye view of the issue: ...
McCaffrey
Political Animal —
... , directing his focus to one of the more prominent retired generals: Barry R. McCaffrey, a retired four-star Army general, military analyst for NBC News, and highly-paid consultant to defense contractors. It's really worth reading the whole piece, but Spencer Ackerman's take was spot-on. If this mammoth New York Times piece is wrong, Barry McCaffrey really ought to sue, because if it isn't, he has no reputation for integrity left. [...] [T]he scope of McCaffrey's hustle is really breathtaking. Barstow demonstrates that many, if not most, of the pronouncements he made on TV ...
A Scandal on Multiple Levels
Lawyers, Guns and Money —
... But there's an even deeper scandal here -- the extent to which the McCaffreys and Williamses of the world form part of the military-welfare-queen complex. In a time period with immense strains on the public fisc, all military spending remains essentially beyond criticism. In this remains true even though as a description of the relationship between much of the spending and national security "diminishing returns" is a gross understatement.
Mike's Blog Roundup
Crooks and Liars —
VetVoice: Interrogator who located Zarqawi rips U.S, torture policy
Attackerman: A one man military-industrial complex
Ken Silverstein: Accountability, there and here
The Mahablog: Neal Gabler explains why Joe McCarthy — not Barry Goldwater, and certainly not Saint Ronald — was the real father of modern movement conservatism.
The Agonist: Bangkok Airport
Connecting.the.Dots: The comparisons were inevitable: two charismatic presidents in their forties and their dazzling wives moving ...
Related Content
Spring
mudvillegazette.com 11/21/2008 — Continuing a series begun here , in which General Petraeus was unanimously confirmed by the Senate and sent to Baghdad with instructions not to involve himself in political arguments back home.
From part one: This is the ideal; politicians ...
Down with Barriers, Up with Iraq
michaelyon-online.com 11/25/2008 — On November 13th I covered a mission in south Baghdad with soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division. General Petraeus once told me during the height of the fighting, back when violence was the lingua franca and victory was very much in question, that ...
Down with Barriers, Up with Iraq
pajamasmedia.com 11/25/2008 — Once it was impossible to keep track of all the bloodshed. Now it's impossible to keep track of all the progress.
Iraq Coup? Never Mind.
swampland.blogs.time.com 12/20/2008 — The New York Times reports today that the vast "conspiracy" and possible "coup attempt" that caused the arrest of 24 officials at Iraq's Ministry of Interior was just a bit of political rough-housing, Mesopotamian-style. The officials have been ...
Winter
mudvillegazette.com 11/18/2008 — Some very predictable (and unfortunate) reactions to military victory in Iraq . Imagine the surprise so many of these people would feel if they discovered the war was won a year ago. I don't think we need to worry about that, however - most of these ...
Generals Seek To Reverse Obama's Iraq Withdrawal Decision
huffingtonpost.com 2/2/2009 —
WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (IPS) - CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus, supported by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, tried to convince President Barack Obama that he had to back down from his campaign pledge to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq ...
Surge Dialectics
corner.nationalreview.com 11/28/2008 — There is some controversy in regard to the recent Rumsfeld NY Times op-ed about the surge, namely suggestions by some that Rumsfeld in Johnny-come-lately fashion was seemingly trying to take credit for the success of the surge, by citing in his essay ...
Generals Seek to Reverse Obama Withdrawal Decision
antiwar.com 2/12/2009 — Excerpt: CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus, supported by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, tried to convince President Barack Obama that he had to back down from his campaign pledge to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months at an ...
Hot Town, Summer in the City...
mudvillegazette.com 5/12/2009 — One briefing (General Odierno, 8 May 2009) - two headlines:
New York Times - General Sees a Longer Stay in Iraq Cities for U.S. Troops "The top American general in Iraq said Friday that one-fifth of American combat troops would stay behind in Iraqi cities even after the June 30 deadline ...
Follow BeltwayBlips on Twitter
