New ‘War Czar’ Advocated Troop Withdrawals To ‘Undercut Perception Of Occupation’
New ‘War Czar’ Advocated Troop Withdrawals To ‘Undercut Perception Of Occupation’
“After a frustrating search for a new ‘war czar’ to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” President Bush has chosen the Pentagon’s director of operations, Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute.
The choice of Lute is notable because of his previous advocacy for troop withdrawal in Iraq. As Atrios first noted, in August 2005, the Financial Times reported that Lute said the U.S. was planning to draw down troop levels. “You have to undercut the perception of occupation in Iraq. It’s very difficult to do that when you have 150,000-plus, largely western, foreign troops occupying the country.”
Lute echoed this notion in January 2006, telling PBS’s Charlie Rose that “we would like to see a smaller, lighter, less prominent U.S. force structure in Iraq.” Lute argued such a move would “undercut the enemy propaganda that in fact we have designs on Iraqi resources or Iraqi bases and so forth.” It would also reflect a lesson “we’ve learned in post-conflict scenarios like…the Balkans” to avoid “the dependency syndrome.”
Watch it (remarks start at 6:00):
UPDATE: VoteVets’ Jon Soltz: “Those of us who have a rudimentary understanding of the military and Constitution know that there is already a war czar. The position has a different name, though — commander in chief, or as the president says, ‘the commander guy.’”
UPDATE II: Noah Shachtman at Danger Room has more.
Transcript:
DOUGLAS LUTE: Whatever the political arguments, Charlie, there are at least two good operational reasons that we would like to see a smaller, lighter, less prominent U.S. force structure in Iraq. One is this perception of occupation that a large American force brings with it. Today, there are about 140,000 American troops on the ground in Iraq. We would like to bring that down and undercut the enemy propaganda that in fact we have designs on Iraqi resources or Iraqi bases and so forth, and that in fact we`re really just masquerading as an occupation force. So we want to undercut that perception.
The other thing, though, Charlie, is that we’ve learned in post-conflict scenarios like Iraq but elsewhere, in the Balkans and so forth, that if you’re not careful to avoid what we call the dependency syndrome, that American soldiers will do it all, they’ll do all that they can and then some. This is the sort of person we recruit into the armed forces today. And as they do it, those who we really want to do it, the Iraqi security forces, will be content to stand by and watch.
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How does a 3 star general oversee wars with 4 star commanders? Nobody is going to listen to him.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:10 pmDoes this mean Georgie Bush isn’t the Decider anymore?
May 15th, 2007 at 6:12 pmundercutting the ‘peception’ of occupation
how about undercutting the occupation
where are the men and women with guts
May 15th, 2007 at 6:13 pmWho knows? Maybe this is Bush’s way of getting the troops out of there. Put someone else in charge that any problems can be blamed on later.
Wishful thinking, I know.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:14 pmnote the word perception. he’s not worried about waging war and occupying another country, just the perception. that’s just the kind of games these people play. they twist, distort, lie – all the while expanding power by waging wars.
perception, my ass.
what we need to realize is that war is NOT a proper tool of foreign policy. period.
Some reading:
May 15th, 2007 at 6:16 pm“Is War Necessary?”
http://www.populistamerica.com/is_war_necessary
Dubya is an alcoholic with an alcoholic ego. He will never change. Nothing changes unless we remove the chimp. Chimpeachment is the only answer to saving this nation from the thugs of the KKKarl Rove administration.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:19 pmInteresting. Lute’s stature in the military is way below that of those previously identified as having turned down the position.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:21 pmSounds like a propoganda department to me. Nothing more. And we’re fed up with propoganda. First bad decision by Lute: accepting the position.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:21 pmWho knows? Maybe this is Bush’s way of getting the troops out of there. Put someone else in charge that any problems can be blamed on later.
Wishful thinking, I know.
Comment by Janie
Yep, Janie. That’s what I was just thinking about. W cannot admit failure or a mistake, so he hires somebody to do it for him. I guess it is ok, as long as our brave soldiers get home sooner rather than later.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:24 pmDon’t they get it yet – even after being kicked in the ass for four years now? Misinformation and lofty rhetoric wins elections (because people are stupid) but those tactics don’t work that well on the battlefield (the “enemy” is not stupid).
May 15th, 2007 at 6:27 pmwar czar? I thought aWol was a war president. He needs more time to sit around and fantazise about his legacy. War president bushie need a war czar. The crazies are in control.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:27 pmOh come on you naysayers, give the surge, er.. the new Czar a chance to succeed. How about we get back to you in about, say..6 months? Unless we make another stupid ass appointment in 5 months then we can say, give it another 6 months.
The rolling 6 month program, until Chimpf*ck is out of office.
Every day that Bush’s War goes on, more soldiers die for his ego.
And the sycophantic whores that support him have more blood on their hands.
How do you type ButtBoy, VV, Jake, etc… Do you lick your hands before you type? How do you sleep?
May 15th, 2007 at 6:28 pmFrom the article:
“You have to undercut the perception of occupation in Iraq. It’s very difficult to do that when you have 150,000-plus, largely western, foreign troops occupying the country.â€
He knows folks! It’s an occupation and he wants us to think that its a war.
and:
“Lute argued such a move would “undercut the enemy propaganda that in fact we have designs on Iraqi resources or Iraqi bases and so forth.â€
We want there oil? Perish the thought!
There you have it folks! This is what we have. An occupation and designs on Iraqi oil. And of course these ideas are the propaganda of the enemy. Thats us folks!
Great to hear it from someone in the know.
Here, little trollies. Come on! Time for you to start earning your wages of sin. Lets hear your “carefully considered point of view.”
May 15th, 2007 at 6:29 pmSTOOGE!
…blame HIM…
May 15th, 2007 at 6:30 pmfrom the nyt back at the end of april…
ooooooo, it’s so exciting…! a real WAR CZAR, oops, i mean Implementation and Execution Manager…
May 15th, 2007 at 6:31 pmAnd, yes, I DO take it personally
I agree, nanlichi.
Come September, the WH will not be able to provide any status updates because “Lute is just starting to roll-out [x].”
How much more do you think we’ll be hearing “Petraeus is the only one that can provide that assessment.”
May 15th, 2007 at 6:31 pmAnother sign of shrub’s commitment to the core conservative principle of limited government.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:38 pmQuoting Lute
“One is this perception of occupation that a large American force brings with it.”
Perception???
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be an occupation. We should all be calling it what it is folks! It is not a “war”, it is an occupation.
The frame is important. War can be justified, an occupation can not.
Let’s ban the words “Iraq WAR” from our collective vocabulary!
May 15th, 2007 at 6:38 pmIs there any other president we can point to who farmed out the “Commander-In-Chief” part of his job?
May 15th, 2007 at 6:40 pmre: 17 — GDumbya is not committed to limited government – he’s committed to limited damage; that’s why he has appointed a war czar (to keep the damage as far away from himself as possible)
re: 19 — GDumbya has already outsourced the CIC role to Cheney; it is similar to what his hero, Ronnie RayGun, did — but Ronnie farmed it out to Nancy and her astrologer because he didn’t trust the Bu$h in his own administration
May 15th, 2007 at 6:46 pmI wish my country had a real president
May 15th, 2007 at 6:46 pmNow they can blame some one else for the war. How priceless. The Commander guy is even trying to distance himself from his own catastrophe!!
May 15th, 2007 at 6:46 pm“…undercut the enemy propaganda that in fact we have designs on Iraqi resources or Iraqi bases and so forth.â€
but, but, but we DO have designs on Iraqi resources and Iraqi bases and so forth.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:47 pm.
Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute is taking one for the team.
One question: Why?
May 15th, 2007 at 6:48 pmIt took 6 years for Bush to build a nice house of cards, and now it’s all falling down around him.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:50 pmworsh(3) and stopthecons(5): Remember, in a faith-based society, perception trumps reality. Perception, in fact, is all there is.
..m..
May 15th, 2007 at 6:53 pmWar czar
The very title indicates the ideology of the neo-cons. To give this title “war” shows the importance they place on the use of war to reach their goals!
Were he to be called “peace czar” that “might” mean something else. But the neocons have always been “in your face” and this is just another example.
They are people who sanction killing and want credit for doing it. In fact they give themselves Medals of Freedom and puffy titles like war czar.
I’m reminded that Watterson did a bunch of strips on Calvin and Hobbes awarding themselves medals for senseless achievements. Of course Calvin is only 6 years old.
Oh wait…so is Bush.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:53 pmMore layering to protect Bush from his debaucle?
Someone tell me what is Stephen Hadley’s, the National Security Advisor, job description? Why bloat the beauracracy with more? This is NSA position.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:54 pmwar czar = escape goat
May 15th, 2007 at 6:57 pm#26 Comment by mikes — May 15, 2007 @ 6:53 pm
worsh(3) and stopthecons(5): Remember, in a faith-based society, perception trumps reality. Perception, in fact, is all there is.
Good connection! You have perception!
May 15th, 2007 at 6:57 pm#4 Comment by Janie — May 15, 2007 @ 6:14 pm
Put someone else in charge that any problems can be blamed on later.
Very perceptive! (today’s political vocabulary word) He committed himself to being the “commander guy” and this “war czar” position is “preemptive damage control” to get Bush’s foot out of his mouth in advance.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:05 pmExample: Abu Gonzo just blamed his #2 guy for the firings-after he resigned. The pattern is set in stone.
#25 Comment by Republicans are the Fear and Smear Party — May 15, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
It took 6 years for Bush to build a nice house of cards, and now it’s all falling down around him.
All together now,
Atchooo!
May 15th, 2007 at 7:11 pmIf Bush is giving up his role as Commander in Chief, by appointing a “War Czar”, why doesn’the just resign and admit he cannot do the job?
I wish my country had a real president
Comment by kay2
Me too, Kay
May 15th, 2007 at 7:11 pm#24
He wants that 4th star really, really bad.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:20 pmand george will give it to him, whether he earns it or not.
Just ask george tenet
#6 Comment by kasinca — May 15, 2007 @ 6:19 pm
Dubya is an alcoholic with an alcoholic ego. He will never change. Nothing changes unless we remove the chimp. Chimpeachment is the only answer to saving this nation from the thugs of the KKKarl Rove administration.
Chimpeachment is only step 1! He is just the puppet. Cut his strings and the whole neocon structure remains. It is running these neocon bast*rds out of town that is the real first step to opening the door of freedom. That won’t happen until ‘08.
Until then, let the investigational pressure increase and light be shown in the darkened hearts of the whole cabal. Yea, Waxman and the others!
Let us not repeat the tragic rewriting of history in the 80s with a puppet called RayGun gaining the status of hero. Bush and these truly evil people need to be put in their rightful place in the historical record. In the historical fires of political hell.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:22 pmVoteVets’ Jon Soltz: “Those of us who have a rudimentary understanding of the military and Constitution know that there is already a war czar. The position has a different name, though — commander in chief, or as the president says, ‘the commander guy.’â€
Oh, that’s for when it’s plausible to unfurl “Mission Accomplished” banners. When things aren’t going so well, then it’s time to become “The Conductorer-in-Chief” and let someone else take the blame for the Commanderer-In-Chief snafu….
It’s the story of Dubya’s life….
Cheers,
May 15th, 2007 at 7:23 pm“NO BRAINS REQUIRED” is the bush employment mantra.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:27 pmBush is bored with the war. Same “difficult” death stuff goin’ on. “War is tough, but I’m a wartime president, I can take it. However it is even more difficult for a Decider type when it gets boring. So I need to take some time for me; I want to go on Dancing with the Stars and take drum lessons”.
What the hell is a War Czar? Sec. of Defense? No, guess not. The President? No, wrong again. Who is really running our country? It sure the hell is not Bushleague. If he doesn’t want the job, I agree #33, he should resign.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:29 pmGeorge W. Bush, Dick Cheney and their ENTIRE administration…
…should be…
ARRESTED
TRIED
CONVICTED
and HUNG
…AFTER we’ve confiscated all of their (and their families’) personal assets…
…to help defray war costs of course…
May 15th, 2007 at 7:39 pm#38 Comment by leftcoast — May 15, 2007 @ 7:29 pm
Who is really running our country? It sure the hell is not Bushleague.
It is the Corporate backed neo-con cabal. Bush is just a puppet whose strings are pulled to make him walk and talk.
If he doesn’t want the job, I agree #33, he should resign.
IMO, Bush has no say in his resignation. He will resign only if the puppet masters pulling his strings direct him to do so. As long as he has a purpose he will stay. And he still does.
As it stands, he and his administration are between the public and the real power brokers. Large corporate power brokers. We still never got the skinny on Cheney’s energy conference. The administration is protecting them from our knowing the truth.
For a powerfully clear overview of what is really going on read:
“Tomgram: Michael Schwartz, The Prize of Iraqi Oil” over on TomDispatch.com
Its about the 4th article down. A very worthwhile read.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:47 pmDidn’t Bush say a little while ago that he is the Commander Guy? But now Lute is the War Czar, so doesn’t that mean that Bush, the Commander Guy, has handed his job as Commander-in-Chief over to Lute? Just wondering whether this action Bush has taken is legal or not?
May 15th, 2007 at 7:53 pmHmmm, the constant semantic evolution the identity of El Busho Supremo: The President, the War President, the Decider, the Commander Guy (at least he didn’t publicly claim to be the “Commander Gal” …), and now the Conductor Guy or Mister Maestro… This person seems to be in a constant identity crisis… which would seem to indicate deeper mental problems.. Any ideas, anyone?
Cheers.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:54 pm“we would like to see a smaller, lighter, less prominent U.S. force structure in Iraq.†Lute argued such a move would “undercut the enemy propaganda that in fact we have designs on Iraqi resources or Iraqi bases and so forth.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:57 pmWhat would really undercut enemy propoganda??? A TIMETABLE for WITHDRAWAL. Anything short of that is just propoganda of our own.
as others varioulsy note, this general seems more attuned to politics and perception than anything else
May 15th, 2007 at 8:11 pm#42 Comment by james k. sayre — May 15, 2007 @ 7:54 pm
This person seems to be in a constant identity crisis… which would seem to indicate deeper mental problems.. Any ideas, anyone?
Please read “Bush on the Couch” by Justin A. Frank. (From the book jacket) He is a clinical professor of Psychiatry at George Washington University Medical Center. Since 1980 he has been a teaching analyst at the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute He practices psychoanalysis in Washington D.C.
Bush suffers from megalomania as well as ADHD according to Frank and the group of therapists who studied Bush from every angle (without ever actually having him in therapy.) They covered his young home life and his relationship with his parents, his parents role, his documented actions through life, his speeches, body language, facial expressions, college life, business failures etc. In other words the whole magilla.
It was written for the lay public (i.e. easy to understand) in 2004 in time for the ‘04 elections. A fascinating read that will explain everything you want to know about our dear leader.
May 15th, 2007 at 8:12 pmWhat would be better than reducing the perception of an occupation would be an actual move to not occupy Iraq. We have spent over $340 billion in Iraq, with the price tag and death toll rising, and no good has come out of it. There is no peace, no end to terror and worst of all we have left the Iraqi people in deeper turmoil and poverty. If the Iraqi people oppose the occupation, why do we insist on remaining? There needs to be an alternative.
According to the Borgen Project, $340 billion has already been spent in Iraq and we have a $522 billion military budget. What has resulted from that money? The money would be better spent on plans such as the UN Millennium Development Goals to end global poverty. Just $19 billion annually can end starvation and malnutrition. Issues such as poverty foster a lot of the tensions that exist in the world today. As leaders in this world, we really need to get behind peaceful growth rather than war.
May 15th, 2007 at 8:12 pmComment by elle c — May 15, 2007 @ 8:12 pm
If the Iraqi people oppose the occupation, why do we insist on remaining?
elle c, are you seriously asking this question? Or do you know the answer?
May 15th, 2007 at 8:31 pmBush, the Commander guy, the decider, has put another layer between himself and accountability.
May 15th, 2007 at 8:49 pmOne more future sacrifice before the rioting mobs get to Bush himself.
#47. Marie-I was just thinking the same thing: Bush just put another layer of insulation in the White House. Cost of insulation? Priceless.
May 15th, 2007 at 9:19 pmComment by Marie #47
…have you SEEN this guy?
…NOT a sword swallower is he…
May 15th, 2007 at 9:41 pmi’m holding out for an ‘accountability czar’
May 15th, 2007 at 9:43 pmi’m holding out for an ‘accountability czar’
Comment by pgw — May 15, 2007 @ 9:43 pm
Sadly Jan 2009 and no sooner
May 15th, 2007 at 9:58 pm#44 Comment by Britisher — May 15, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
as others varioulsy note, this general seems more attuned to politics and perception than anything else
Yup. All the others are retired. You know, all those old disgruntled generals who weren’t up to snuff and had to be kicked out.
May 15th, 2007 at 10:04 pmWhere are the Trolls?, Send in the Trolls, There must be……Trolls!(With apologies to Stephen Sondhiem).
May 15th, 2007 at 10:11 pmThe buck never stops!
May 15th, 2007 at 10:11 pmLute is just another degree of separation distancing the fascist warmongers, profiteers, and pathological liars in the Bush government from accepting any responsibilty, accountability, or culpability for a festering litany of deceptions, abuses, catastrophic failures, systemic cronyism, and wanton profiteering in Iraq, Afghanistan, abroad, and here in the land of Oz.
May 15th, 2007 at 10:25 pm“It’s very difficult to do that when you have 150,000-plus, largely western, foreign troops occupying the country.â€
150,000-plus 130,000 MERCENARIES.
Funny how they always leave that ILLEGAL/IMMORAL force-doubling out.
May 15th, 2007 at 11:54 pmI wonder what they had to offer this guy to be their fall guy, because make no mistake, that’s what he’s being hired to be. It must be a lot of money because this guy is going to have NO reputation when he’s done with this. It’s either that or the guy has a huge ego that needs stroking. Either way, its a very scary concept.
We are in deep shit people. Let’s hope it is not too late to turn this country around and head back into the light.
May 16th, 2007 at 12:05 am“Where are the Trolls?” –Jim Wolf359
Fallwell That Ends Well has got the demons down.
They’ll have to eat TWO Iraqi infants tonight, instead of their usual one.
May 16th, 2007 at 12:06 amKate, the point was made elsewhere that this Lt. Gen. is just low enough on the totem pole not to be able to say no.
They apparently worked through all the full Generals, and no one was sufficiently coercible.
Luckily there are always those of lower rank on the conveyor belt.
May 16th, 2007 at 12:09 amGen. Lute’s comment that there is a sense of comradary among the troups makes perfect sense, but only because the Americans are away from their country. Whenever I have left my country, I have always felt closer to Americans that I see, it is a sense that of a familiarity of where you come from, as well as language. That sense is only heightened in a place of danger. They are doing their job because that is the mission they were ordered to do. Soldier’s politics rarely enter into their minds because of their duty and commitment to one another to ensure survival.
May 16th, 2007 at 10:21 amBush now has a scapegoat for the failure of his war.
May 16th, 2007 at 11:10 amI am baffled by the thought of first having a “war
May 16th, 2007 at 7:52 pmpresident” and now a “war czar”.
I guess anything with the word war in it has to be
very important. Since nothing else makes sense
and there is no concern otherwise to the make believe new free-for-all American way of life..
Try to make sense of that !!!
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