For Vietnam Vet Anthony Zinni, Another War on Shaky Territory

[zimv20]

link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22922-2003Dec22.html)

excellent piece about zinni's view of the iraq war, from a man who once planned an iraq occupation.

he endorsed bush/cheney in 2000, is now wondering how the neocons were able to take over foreign policy.

[Neserk]

Good article. Nice to see I wasn't the only one who thought the reasons for going to Iraq were questionable. My husband *finally* said a month or so ago that we should have never gone.

[ThomasJefferson]

I know several Marines that served under Zinni, or at least know of him. They all have a deep respect for his judgement.

Thanks for the link. I sent the article to several retired Marines. Most of them are torn on the subject of Iraq. About 2/3 have gradually and quietly concluded that the whole thing was bonehead. They have a hard time saying it in public due to their fierce loyalty to the men currently in uniform.

[Desertrat]

Very interesting article.

A similar sort of analysis, but far more brutal, is that of Robert L. Kocher, about the politicos of the Vietnam era. Kocher is in his 60s; a PhD in both very-advanced Physics and in Psychology:

http://freedom.orlingrabbe.com/lfetimes/vietnam_betrayal.htm

Whether one has been for or against our military actions in Iraq seems to me to now be moot. We went in; we're there, and IMO we'd lose an incredible amount of credibility were we to now cut and run. This, to me, leaves us with less of an issue about our present goal(s) than about how we are to accomplish it.

The part of Zinni's article wherein he speaks to the "how to" of dealing with an occupied Iraq is the strongest part, to me. The present system of one central office in Baghdad reminds me too much of the ideas and concepts decried by Lederer and Burdick in both "The Ugly American" and "We Have Met The Enemy (and he is us)"

'Rat

[mactastic]

Originally posted by Desertrat
'Rat

Welcome back! Haven't seen you in a while around here. Hope all is well with you.

[Desertrat]

:)

Way too much flailing and thrashing through the late summer and fall. Suffice that I survived 5-1/2 weeks of radiation "zaps" and six weeks after that, colon cancer surgery on Dec 11th. Clean bill of health, now. No further problems expected. Now, it's just a matter of regaining weight (A week of IV is not my recommended weight loss program.) plus some endurance...

Doin' just fine, thankee!

'Rat

[Sayhey]

'Rat,

we were all worried about you! Welcome back! :)

[pseudobrit]

Originally posted by Desertrat
:)

Way too much flailing and thrashing through the late summer and fall. Suffice that I survived 5-1/2 weeks of radiation "zaps" and six weeks after that, colon cancer surgery on Dec 11th. Clean bill of health, now. No further problems expected. Now, it's just a matter of regaining weight (A week of IV is not my recommended weight loss program.) plus some endurance...

Doin' just fine, thankee!

'Rat

Glad to hear you're doing well. I had a feeling you'd be okay.

[zimv20]

Originally posted by Desertrat
Clean bill of health, now.

excellent news to kick off the new year. welcome back.