Retired generals, Iraq veterans launch anti-war ads

[forestal]

Hey, I'm not in the military, but these guys are. So don't be upset with me if I'm the message bearer.

Do you know a losing bet when you see one?

<img src="http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/POLITICS/05/09/generals.iraq.ads.ap/vert.votevets.ap.jpg"/>

CONCORD, New Hampshire (AP) -- Three retired generals challenged a dozen members of Congress in a new ad campaign Wednesday, saying the politicians can't support President Bush's policies in Iraq and still expect to win re-election.

"I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste told reporters.

"Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history," Batiste said. "Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates."

 

[Bustem' Down]

Hey, I'm not in the military, but these guys are. So don't be upset with me if I'm the message bearer.

Do you know a losing bet when you see one?

<img src="http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/POLITICS/05/09/generals.iraq.ads.ap/vert.votevets.ap.jpg"/>

CONCORD, New Hampshire (AP) -- Three retired generals challenged a dozen members of Congress in a new ad campaign Wednesday, saying the politicians can't support President Bush's policies in Iraq and still expect to win re-election.

"I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste told reporters.

"Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history," Batiste said. "Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates."

No they are not in the military.

 

[High EGT]

Hey, I'm not in the military, but these guys are. So don't be upset with me if I'm the message bearer.

Do you know a losing bet when you see one?

<img src="http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/POLITICS/05/09/generals.iraq.ads.ap/vert.votevets.ap.jpg"/>

CONCORD, New Hampshire (AP) -- Three retired generals challenged a dozen members of Congress in a new ad campaign Wednesday, saying the politicians can't support President Bush's policies in Iraq and still expect to win re-election.

"I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste told reporters.

"Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history," Batiste said. "Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates."

Maj. Gen. John Batiste, formerly commander of the 1ID in Iraq and a Bush critic of longstanding. His complaint is that the president refuses to listen to what his generals are telling him (Petraeus presumably excepted). Let’s see what Batiste’s own advice to Bush was as of six months ago, before the surge was announced:

John Batiste, a retired Army major general who also joined in the call for Mr. Rumsfeld’s resignation, described the Congressional proposals for troop withdrawals as “terribly naïve.”
“There are lots of things that have to happen to set them up for success,” General Batiste, who commanded a division in Iraq, said in an interview, describing the Iraqi government. “Until they happen, it does not matter what we tell Maliki.”
Before considering troop reductions, General Batiste said, the United States needs to take an array of steps, including fresh efforts to alleviate unemployment in Iraq, secure its long and porous borders, enlist more cooperation from tribal sheiks, step up the effort to train Iraq’s security forces, engage Iraq’s neighbors and weaken, or if necessary, crush the militias.
Indeed, General Batiste has recently written that pending the training of an effective Iraqi force, it may be necessary to deploy tens of thousands of additional “coalition troops.” General Batiste said he hoped that Arab and other foreign nations could be encouraged to send troops.

 

[Vince]

Maj. Gen. John Batiste, formerly commander of the 1ID in Iraq and a Bush critic of longstanding. His complaint is that the president refuses to listen to what his generals are telling him (Petraeus presumably excepted). Let’s see what Batiste’s own advice to Bush was as of six months ago, before the surge was announced:

John Batiste, a retired Army major general who also joined in the call for Mr. Rumsfeld’s resignation, described the Congressional proposals for troop withdrawals as “terribly naïve.”
“There are lots of things that have to happen to set them up for success,” General Batiste, who commanded a division in Iraq, said in an interview, describing the Iraqi government. “Until they happen, it does not matter what we tell Maliki.”
Before considering troop reductions, General Batiste said, the United States needs to take an array of steps, including fresh efforts to alleviate unemployment in Iraq, secure its long and porous borders, enlist more cooperation from tribal sheiks, step up the effort to train Iraq’s security forces, engage Iraq’s neighbors and weaken, or if necessary, crush the militias.
Indeed, General Batiste has recently written that pending the training of an effective Iraqi force, it may be necessary to deploy tens of thousands of additional “coalition troops.” General Batiste said he hoped that Arab and other foreign nations could be encouraged to send troops.

So from this I can gather that now that he is retired, he's got a case of amnesia and can't recall what he said 6 months ago. Probably looking to get into Democratic politics.