‘Petraeus Report: Crisis In Confidence.’
By on Sep 10th, 2007 at 9:35 am
‘Petraeus Report: Crisis In Confidence.’
The National Security Network interviewed top national security experts, including former Bush administration counterterrorism analysts Richard Clarke and Rand Beers, to get their perspective on Petraeus’ testimony. “It’s going to be written by the White House. It’s going to be edited by the White House,” Clarke says of Petraeus’ “report.” Beers adds, “I think it’s a political document and I don’t think you can see it in any other way.” Watch it:
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the night of the living trolls starts….now.
September 10th, 2007 at 9:43 amThe Bushit Report
September 10th, 2007 at 9:44 amOne has to wonder what Betrayus’ payoff will be for this. Why a man who once showed integrity would debase himself the way he has is inexplicable to me. He has to have some huge payoff waiting in the wings because he is destroying his reputation.
September 10th, 2007 at 9:46 amThe fact that Petraeus will follow up his presentations today with an appearance on Fox News says it all. He’s a tool, and a disgrace to the uniform.
September 10th, 2007 at 9:49 amBeers adds, “I think it’s a political document and I don’t think you can see it in any other way.â€
…unless of course you are an idiot Bushbot then this “report” might seem based in reality.
September 10th, 2007 at 9:52 ambilbogaggins sez:
Or perhaps he was convinced by other methods…
September 10th, 2007 at 9:54 amSorry guys, the hawks are going to win. I just don’t get any sense of political will from the Democrats to put up any significant resistance other than bluster and lip service. This will be a clear propaganda victory for the Bush administration.
There is nothing and no one that this President won’t sacrifice at the alter of his grotesquely inflated ego, and it doesn’t appear that anyone is going to stop him.
September 10th, 2007 at 9:55 amWe have seen this all before, same book, repeat bushco lie’s, just a diffrent page…Wonder if month’s down this dreadful road when bushco kick’s him under the neocon bus if he will join all the previous used up military and come out with a true accounting..My guess is he will..Sadly thousand’s more will die and nothing will change untill all these evil people are out of office…Blessings
September 10th, 2007 at 9:58 amThe best hope of getting out of Iraq quickly is to fund the war with a war tax on higher incomes. That will get the Right’s attention quickly. If they want the troops, they need to pay–no more credit card war!
September 10th, 2007 at 10:11 amI just don’t get any sense of political will from the Democrats to put up any significant resistance other than bluster and lip service.
Probably so. And it’s going to be an ugly primary season for them.
September 10th, 2007 at 10:14 amAs the National Security Network’s experts make clear, there is little doubt that General Petraeus will promote the White House’s agenda in his testimony. Somewhat less certain is how members of Congress will react when he does so. From a psychological perspective, warmongering often “works†because we fail to confront it with cogent and uncompromising counter-arguments. We find such resistance to be especially difficult when the warmongers target our core concerns about personal and collective vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness. I apply this analysis to the Bush administration’s war in Iraq—and its possible plans for an attack on Iran—in a 10-minute online video entitled “Resisting the Drums of War.†The video examines ten warmongering appeals and counter-arguments against them. It’s available for viewing HERE.
September 10th, 2007 at 10:14 amProbably so. And it’s going to be an ugly primary season for them.
Comment by PeterW — September 10, 2007
The Innocent Bystander Fable by David Sirota.
September 10th, 2007 at 10:26 amIt doesn’t matter how many facts we have, the war mongerers will believe what they want. This administration forces out anyone of the top brass that does not give them the answers they want. Before I am accused of only looking at the information that agrees with me, let’s review:
1. Major General John Batiste
- Said Rumsfeld threatened to fire anyone who discussed conflicting views
- Retired to speak out against the occupation
- WSJ would not post insight from a TWO STAR general on the occupation
2. General Eric Shinseki - (4 star general for the military illiterate)
- suggested several hundred thousand troops necessary if we invaded Iraq
- ignored pre-invasion
3. LT. General Gregory Newbold - (3 stars)
- Retired in 2002 openly criticizing Donal Rumsfeld’s plans fro invation
- Retired in protest
- suggested 500,000 troops necesary
- Wrote a very insightful TIME article “Why Iraq was a mistake”
4. Lt General Anthony Zinni
- Says it was a mistake to support Bush in 2000
- Supported Jim Webb in last election
- Presented plan about what was necessary to invade Iraq - was ignored
- Outlined 10 majore criticisms of the Iraq Invasion in May of 2004
5. Many retired Generals (8 I believe) wrote an open letter to the President about their concern about torture policy.
There are more, I am sure, but I don’t have them all here. This is UNPRECIDENTED. Never before in the history of our country have so many of the TOP military spoken out against an administration. Although I will listen to the Patraeus report and weigh it on its merits, I have low expectations, because anyone being honest or saying what the administration does not want to hear is forced out or marginalized.
Let’s not forget that these Generals were traditionally Republican - not to mention they have great combined combat experience. You can not accuse these men of “hating America” or “wanting the US to fail”. When will people wake up?
September 10th, 2007 at 10:27 amKudos, TP for harvesting this video. You guys are doing a good job!
Lets remember that it was Clarke who insisted the white house take seriously the Intel assertion that “OBL is determined to strike within the US” BEFORE 9/11 and had to resign when the white house marginalized his experience and knowledge to opt instead for the Iraq War.
A better job needs to be done by TP to stop this rampant name-jacking that drastically convolute the general direction of the discourse. Everyone has the right to expression; But no one should be allowed to jack-off their crap while using somebody else’s pseudonym.
It lends a validation to folks who condemn TP as a site where folks are not sure what they stand for/against. I wouldn’t put it past the GOPrs to pay ’someone’ to represent this idiotic and cowardly role.
September 10th, 2007 at 10:29 am…
so jon alterman says it’s up to the american people to say
“i don’t buy it” after reading the national intelligence estimate,
the GAO report and government reports…
would that they could… MOST people don’t even know these reports exist, i’m guessing, much less take the time to read them… IF their local daily papers cared enough to print this information…
the uninformed… the uninclined… and the world goes ’round…
September 10th, 2007 at 11:22 am…
important piece. i hope it receives a wide viewing.
thanks.
September 10th, 2007 at 11:34 amPetraeus is indeed a disgrace to the uniform. Later he will go through what Colin Powell is going through now, the angst of having chosen to fail his country for the sake of the worst President ever and paying the price of his reputation for it.
September 10th, 2007 at 11:47 amI lost a lot of respect for Petraeus when I heard him advocate keeping the “surge” troop levels without suggesting or calling for a draft to meet the necessary demand. Any commander that will keep troops in a COMBAT INTENSIVE WAR ZONE for 3 out of 4 years (15-18 month deployment, 12 month training at home, 15-18 month deployment) is not concerned with troop welfare OR accomplishing the mission. They go hand in hand.
September 10th, 2007 at 12:02 pmClarke says in the clip: The report will say that if we maintain enough troops in an area, we can secure it. He laments that it is expensive and we shouldn’t be expending American troops to keep Iraq secure.
Is there any consideration by Clarke, and many of the left, of the consequences for the U.S. to not follow through on our commitment to Iraq? Any consideration for the greater instability in the region that will most like result when we abandon Iraq? The message that we send to jihadists? Of what forces will fill the vacuum we create if we withdraw?
I think it is easy to agree that Iraq is expensive. That American troop loses cause us all remorse. But, what about the alternative? Retreat from the Middle East? Hand over the region to Islamic theocracy and jihadism? How will surrender help us preserve western liberties that many here take for granted?
September 10th, 2007 at 12:22 pm“Petraeus is indeed a disgrace to the uniform.”
Because he won’t mindlessly parrot your defeatism, he’s a disgrace to the uniform?
Just so you know, your list of disgraceful people seems to be growing:
http://wpherald.com/ articles/ 5737/ 1/ Top-Democrats-acknowledge-progress-in-Iraq/ Improved-security-in-Baghdad-highlighted.html
“Mr. Levin joins a growing chorus of Democrats — including 2008 presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin of Illinois — who say the troop surge has produced benefits…”
September 10th, 2007 at 12:28 pmWith the long-awaited surge progress report from General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker due beginning today, Perrspectives has updated its Iraq Document Center. The repository includes the latest news, statistics, key reports and other essential materials surrounding the Iraq war and its run-up.
For the overview, see:
September 10th, 2007 at 12:34 pm“Required Reading for Petraeus, Crocker Testimony.”
paul, YOU sound like the “defeatist”…
you think you’re a good daddy, always knows what’s right…
the iraqis know how to take care of themselves…
let them…
no one is talking about abandonment, fool…
after all, we made a horrible mess over there…
too damn bad, though, about those dems who just
September 10th, 2007 at 12:50 pmwant to get along and work togther to do the right thing…
i wish they’d figure out the fact that today’s repugs
do NOT want to do ANTthing “together”…
…
Any consideration for the greater instability in the region that will most like result when we abandon Iraq? -comment by paul
You mean the instability that our invasion of Iraq has caused? I agree there will be no good outcome to this horrible policy blunder. THe question is how many more American lives is it worth to commit on the hopes that it will result in a slightly better outcome than if we just get out now guard the borders, and let the situation play out? This is an important question, even if the American lives are people you don’t know.
September 10th, 2007 at 1:38 pmYou don’t try to teach the bull to stop breaking things in the proverbial “china shop”, you just get him out of there so you can begin cleaning up. Next time, don’t bring him in there!
September 10th, 2007 at 1:46 pmdidn’t your parents ever teach that when you make a mess it’s YOUR responsible to clean it up???
You people give credence to the far righties who say Dems/Libs are nothing but spoiled whiney brats who talk endlessly about what’s right and then piss on anyone that doesn’t agree with your version of it.
Get it straight kiddies…General Petraeus was not put in charge to fix OR answer for the mistake of going into Iraq in the first place.
Neither is it his responsibility to help you OR Bush win a PR war!
His one and ONLY job is to win the best possible outcome for OUR country!!!
OUR country!!!
So get over yourselves and stop taking cheap shots at people who have sacrificed a hellava lot more for their countrymen (that is you and me!) than most of you ever have or will!
September 10th, 2007 at 10:36 pm