Pentagon backs off general’s claims

[Suzie]

Pentagon backs off general’s claims

U.S. commander said al-Qaida was plotting
new attack

http://a799.ms.akamai.net/3/799/388/455e8aae73be40/www.msnbc.com/news/1501393.jpg
U.S. Maj. Gen. Frank Hagenbeck, seen here at left last March at the U.S. base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, told The New York Times that intelligence reports indicate a pending al-Qaida counterstrike.



MSNBC NEWS SERVICES

WASHINGTON, May 28 — The Pentagon on Tuesday played down statements by its general in charge of the Afghan campaign, saying that while al-Qaida and Taliban fighters might be in Pakistan there is no intelligence that they are plotting a major counterattack or that senior leaders are with them.
MORE HERE (http://www.msnbc.com/news/627086.asp)

[DesertFox]

Even generals have arseholes, and by common consent can therefore have opinions.

[Suzie]

This General needs a haircut, that's my opinion! images/icons/tongue.gif

[DesertFox]

Prolly a Reservist. images/icons/grin.gif

[Warlady]

I think I would trust the boots on the ground over the suits in the cushy offices in DC. That's my opinion.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Warlady:
I think I would trust the boots on the ground over the suits in the cushy offices in DC. That's my opinion.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

War Lady here I go again, I have to agree. He certainly would not be first and probably not the last General to be told to shut up.
McArthur and Patton were a couple I can think of right away.

[Suzie]

I agree Warlady, as Patton always said ...

"All of them at SHAEF are scared to death to say anything which might be quoted."

DF I didn't know a Reservist's hair ever grew longer than a couple of centimeters. It never happens at my house. images/icons/confused.gif

[DesertFox]

images/icons/grin.gif Just pullin' yer shapely leg, lady.

[Suzie]

images/icons/tongue.gif Imagine my surprize when my son sprouted this lovely wavy hair. My frustration trying to get a cow lick to lay flat had my mother in law to respond ... "His hair is just like his daddy's" ... My response, REALLY??? images/icons/confused.gif

[Warlady]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BigJohn68:
War Lady here I go again, I have to agree. He certainly would not be first and probably not the last General to be told to shut up.
McArthur and Patton were a couple I can think of right away.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think the question is why John? Why shut him up?

[Suzie]

The General knew that one too Warlady ...

"no good decision has ever been made in a swivel chair" images/icons/grin.gif

[**DONOTDELETE**]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Warlady:
I think the question is why John? Why shut him up?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

War Lady the Politics of high Field Grade Officers especially at the General Officer level is something to make inside the beltway in Washington shake.

I will try by using this parable that I sent to Suzie some time back because her husband is still on active duty.[[[I have to let you in on one of the 'FUNNIEST THINGS" of my career. In 1967, I was First Sergeant of CoA, 504th MP Bn and we had between 40 and 50 jeeps on the road at all times, to cover 258 miles of Supply routes. If you ever watched Desert Rats our jeeps were just like the ones they used, sand bagged w/30 Cal machine gun mounted in back. One day we received orders that a Brigade to the 4th Infantry was coming thru the intersection of Hwy 1, and the Hwy they were on and to turn them North on Hwy 1 to Song Gau. Well we went out that evening did our recon and established TCP,s and the next morning here comes the Brigade, I was standing on the side of the road observing when the first vehicle, a personnel carrier, came right up to where I was standing and out jumps this Brigadier General, screaming, red in the face and swinging both arms. He then shouted at me "What are you doing here"?? I told him that I had an Op Order to set a TCP at that location then 2 more between Tuy Hoa and Song Gau. He wanted to know how long we had been there and I told him we run the road all the way to Song Gau and established places for TCP's, then he broke into a string of profanity that would have easily made him the winner in the use of profanity. He then said those rotten SOB's promised that I would be the first one over this road and open it for use. He then got back into his PC and drove off. Never heard anything else. But I won't forget it either.]]]

My Opinion is that he was promised credit for opening Hwy 1 from Tuy to Song Gau and one of his, not so buddy, budies found out and had an Operations Order sent to us the day before. That is kinda how it works.

[DesertFox]

That matches anything I could tell.

John, is that the same Highway 1 of Rue sans Joie (Street without Joy) fame from Bernard Fall's book of the same name?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DesertFox:
That matches anything I could tell.

John, is that the same Highway 1 of Rue sans Joie (Street without Joy) fame from Bernard Fall's book of the same name?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Desert Fox, sorry I don't know. I think I have kinda sorta shut View Nam out of my mind up until 6 or 7 years ago. When I was med-evaced out in 1967 and spent 10 weeks in the hospital in Okinawa, as I lay there I never did come up with any reason good or bad that would indicate I should go back.

[Warlady]

So I guess it all boils down to egos and politics. IE testosterone? Men! I love em.

[DesertFox]

Well, it ain't just ego and politics. You don't make General without being sharp. The best discussion I've ever seen of what happens to many of them once they make that august rank is in Colin Powell's bio. It really goes to the heads of a lot of 'em.

[Warlady]

Isn't being drunk on power part and parsel "ego"?

[DesertFox]

Yeah, but you can be drunk on power and totally incompetent, viz our 42d prez. images/icons/smile.gif

[Warlady]

Clinton has the biggest ego of any man I've ever seen.

[PaulRevere]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Suzie:
This General needs a haircut, that's my opinion! images/icons/tongue.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Maybe in Kandahar high-n-tights and shiny boots don't have the high priority they do around US garrions. images/icons/confused.gif

[RocketScience]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PaulRevere:
Maybe in Kandahar high-n-tights and shiny boots don't have the high priority they do around US garrions. images/icons/confused.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

They do if you're a Marine. Marine boots are no doubt dirty, but for duty in civilized Afghanistan (Bagram) they stay "high 'n' tight".

Pretty boys and politicians groom themselves for the camera; warriors dress themselves for combat. This General truly is "an Army of One."

Rocket

[RocketScience]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Warlady:
I think the question is why John? Why shut him up?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Opsec, maybe? It seems like the policy is, top to bottom, to tell everything there is to know about just about everything.

That said, I know there is in fact tons more about which no one is saying anything...like Homeland Defense. Quite frankly, I personally don't have a "need to know" if there is going to be a counter-strike in Afghanistan.

If the General is talking about the States, one wonders if that's really above his paygrade to comment on.

IMHO we're all talking too much at the Pentagon -- top to bottom. Too much talk about what we're going to do, when, and to whom.

It will have serious ramifications if, for some reason, we decide not to do those things.

Rocket

Rocket

[Warlady]

I agree they are talking too much. Loose lips sink ships.

[RocketScience]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Warlady:
I agree they are talking too much. Loose lips sink ships.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just as soon as I posted my last I had to think...maybe the Pentagon's suggestion that the General isn't right is also opsec; cover and deception.

Who knows?

Rocket

[Suzie]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PaulRevere:
Maybe in Kandahar high-n-tights and shiny boots don't have the high priority they do around US garrions. images/icons/confused.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Come now, you must know that these guys with the stars usually have a team of people looking after them. One of them is bound to be able to turn on some clippers. images/icons/smile.gif images/icons/wink.gif