Archive for the ‘war’ Category

The wonderful memories:

September 2007

But Clinton not only couldn’t bring herself to criticize it, she also attacked Petraeus’ honesty: “The reports that you provide to us really require the willing suspension of disbelief,” she huffed to the general Tuesday.

And she slammed him (and Ambassador Ryan Crocker) as “de facto spokesmen for a failed policy,” pointedly refusing to criticize the ad – which called him an outright liar who’d “betray” his nation.

Sept 2009:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushed back against the US military’s blunt warning that the battle against insurgents in Afghanistan would likely be lost within a year without more US troops.

Clinton’s comments in an interview with PBS television late Monday came amid reports that the Pentagon has asked General Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, to delay a request for more troops.

Clinton expressed “respect” for McChrystal’s assessment that the United States would likely lose the war in Afghanistan within a year without more US forces.

“But I can only tell you there are other assessments from very expert military analysts who have worked in counter-insurgencies that are the exact opposite,”

Well at least she said it with a bit less venom.

Let’s hope this president gives Mrs. Clinton opinion the same weight that it was given the last time.

What is this thing with generals? Next thing you know she will be going after General Hospital.

The real sad thing is the politics of it all:

There’s this anonymous quote from one observer: “He can send more troops and it will be a disaster and he will destroy the Democratic party. Or he can send no more troops and it will be a disaster and the Republicans will say he lost the war.” Isn’t this extraordinary? Obama will roil the Democratic party by sending more troops to fight the war that Democrats have said for years is the “necessary war” (in Obama’s words), the central war in the fight against terror, etc., etc. It’s hard to imagine a starker demonstration of bad faith on an important issue of national security.

No sign of the idea of WINNING the “formerly necessary war“! Maybe they didn’t mean it. It was so bad like that on Morning Joe where they were saying the problem was the people stuck on the idea of winning I had to change the channel.

That’s liberals for you. Pass Obamacare and put the cost on our children and grandchildren, Concede defeat and pass the danger and the risks on to our children and grandchildren.

It is for this reason more than any other that Glenn Beck is all wet when it comes to McCain v Obama. He might have been poor on domestic issues but he damn well wouldn’t sell out the country when it comes to the war. We wouldn’t have to worry about defense being ignored period.

2010 & 2012 can’t come soon enough for me.

Update: I’ll wager Baldilocks would have given anything to not be able to take this victory lap

…was in charge of Iraqi airspace in 1981?

Answer: Either George Bush would have been fighting a Nuclear Iraq ten years later OR

Saddam would be in power and in charge of Kuwait (and maybe Saudi Arabia) as we speak.

And that is the Best case Scenario!

Exit question: If Carter had won in 1980 and retained Brzezinski would the same result as above have taken place even without airspace control? In fact would we be talking about the upcoming 20th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall? Inquiring minds like Rush Limbaugh honorary lizzardoid want to know!

(Sorry Mika I know it’s your dad but that’s just the way it is.)

In a mostly self serving story at the Washington post (despite the title) worrying about an Israeli strike on Iran, Jackson Diehl reports an important truth:

Between April 2001 and the end of 2008, 4,246 rockets and 4,180 mortar shells were fired into Israel from Gaza, killing 14 Israelis, wounding more than 400 and making life in southern Israel intolerable. During what was supposed to be a cease-fire during the last half of 2008, 362 rockets and shells landed. Meanwhile, between late 2000 and the end of 2008, Israeli forces killed some 3,000 Gazans.

Since April there have been just over two dozen rocket and mortar strikes — or less than on many single days before the war. No one has been seriously injured, and life in the Israeli town of Sderot and the area around it has returned almost to normal. Israeli attacks in Gaza have almost ceased, too: Since the end of the mini-war, 29 Palestinians, two of whom were civilians, have been killed by Israeli action.

These are basic facts and those facts add up to lives saved on both sides of the fence and more importantly regular lives that can be lived by real people.

This is why we who stand with Israel are proud of it and will continue to do so…

(unless they decide to do something really nasty like support Glen Beck or Rush Limbaugh, Honorary Lizardoid then maybe Israel too can be proudly banned from lgf. It’s the last piece of the puzzle that the bloggers at lgf watch are waiting for before setting up their accounts.

Update: A Good sign Charles is still hitting the Saudi’s over Israel.

You mean the Saudis lied when they said they would stop participating in the Arab League boycott of Israel? Shocka!

As long as he keeps a grip on some reality there’s still hope and the LGF watch people will remain disapointed. Pollyanna lives!

I generally don’t do rule 5 entries but I’m going to make an exception here for a purely Sicilian reason, family interest.

Martha Raye pinup

This is Martha Raye from the 40’s. You likely remember her from of all things polident commercials but to the soldiers she entertained in war zones she was a lady.

So Why am I bringing this up. Well in the book I’ve already plugged and urged you to buy. The Army Insider by retired 30 year Sgt Major David C. Carden who served from Vietnam to the First Iraq war and beyond both in combat and undercover has a Martha Raye story on page 55 which I will partially repeat here:

I was a 19 year old kid in December 1966 when I first met Martha Ray(e). She came to my Special Forces camp at Kontum, Viet Nam as part of a USO tour. It was just her and her entourage. Martha Ray(e) was a movie star and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Nurse Corps. This trip was a little entertaining an performing her Military duty. She was good people

It was early evening and I had just returned to camp after being out for about 10 days. We had a small one-room shack that served as a club and I headed over to get a Coke. I was unshaven, dirty and probably smelled a little ripe. Maggie was siting in the corner of the room at the poker take and a group of guys was standing around watching the game. I walked over and some of my friend were playing and there was an open seat. She looked at me and said, “Have a seat young Sergeant.” I told her I didn’t have any money with me and a voice behind me said, “Here kid”. Sergeant Major Johnson the Camp Sergeant Major handed me $200 in MPC’s So I sat down…

the army insider

I’ll tell the end of the story next Sunday, but if you can’t wait the self published book is available at Amazon and is a great way to say thanks to a man (part of my family by marriage) who gave thirty years to serving his country while enjoying a bunch of great yarns.

Update: Welcome Rule 5 readers. The promised end of the story is here.