General takes blame (No word from his commander in chief)

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/265137p-226953c.html

WASHINGTON - The Army general in charge of northern Iraq took "personal responsibility" yesterday for the Mosul mess hall bombing that he said probably was carried out by a terrorist wearing an Iraqi military uniform.
"I failed to identify some shortcoming that allowed this to occur," Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of 8,500 troops in U.S. Task Force Olympia, told CNN.

The mea culpa came just hours before Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paid a surprise visit early this morning to Forward Operating Base Marez, where 14 G.I.s were among 22 people killed by a suicide bomber Tuesday.

Rumsfeld said the visit wasn't a response to the bombing and had been planned long before. "The focus of the trip is to thank the troops and wish them a merry Christmas," he said. But the plain-spoken Ham also made no attempt to soften the impact of the attack on U.S. efforts to pacify Iraq for upcoming January elections.

"It is an enemy success," Ham said, adding that he feared "copycat" attacks by terror groups who "will use this as a recruiting tool."

more

[LynnTheDem]

1. "terrorist"???

Rebel.

Attacked a legal target.

And the general knows this full well.

[NNN0LHI]

3. It has to end in ist

Terrorist. Communist. Satanist. See what I mean?

Don

[LynnTheDem]

4. Ahhhhh yes...now I see.

Rebelist?

:D

[saigon68]

8. Yes Don they are still looking for Satan

The Marine couldn't find him in Fallujah. He went to Mosul to find a few new followers.

LOL

[durablend]

11. Looking for Satan? Did they ever think of checking...

The WH?

[saigon68]

21. LOL DON'T GIVE HIM TOO MUCH CREDIT

That's "Beezelbush" one of Satan's elves. The Naughty one.

[0007]

22. LOL!

[Thor_MN]

20. Not sure who it was, military guy said "Murderers" on idiot box

when talking about the people that our military are fighting.

I was walking past the TV and it stopped me in my tracks - Liberal media my ass - Faux is blocked out on every TV I can do it on.

The * administration declared war on them, so they can't have it both ways. Either BOTH sides are murderers or they are fighting for their cause. Frankly, from an as objective a viewpoint as I can muster, the "insurgents" have the more noble cause - ejecting an invading and occupying army which attacked them for no reason.

I detest what * has done to the US. If our country is to hold true to it's origins - * and his ilk HAVE to go.


I just watched a CNN Headline News piece about some guys about to ship out to Iraq (teenagers, freaking CHILDREN) selling their sports memorabilia to buy armor and satellite phones. WTH has happened to this country that a kid has to sell his autographed NFL jersey to try tp prevent getting his ass shot off??? WTF kind of GOP "VALUES" are those??!?!?!

[leftchick]

2. terror groups?

:eyes:

[LynnTheDem]

5. Wasn't he referring to the foreign invaders?

aka the US & "coalition" troops?

When he mentioned "recruiting tool", and what with the US military being 50% down in recruiting, I naturally thought he meant the soldiers...

[Tace]

6. There Are Many Honorable Men In The US Military

Ham appears to be one.

[LynnTheDem]

7. Ummm....

As a military person I'd argue that point with you regarding Ham.

[Tace]

12. Hey, I'm Open -- And I'm A Pacifist

I was a conscientious objector during the draft for the Vietnam conflict.

It's simply refreshing to see persons in positions of responsibility take responsibility.

So what's up with Ham. Come on, tell me!

Cheers

[LynnTheDem]

18. The usual.

Rightwing religious idiot & liar.

Spouts the bushCartel bullshit; we're fighting for our freedoms, the more the rebels attack, the more "desperate and isolated" the rebels are.

The "we don't need no stinkin' armor, we are STRYKERS!" bullshit.

Not as bad as Franks or the incredibly sociopathic Boykin. Or the sonovabitch Shoomaker.

[ewagner]

23. I agree

Ham appears to understand that Security was his responsibility and he failed. He will NOT be held any further accountable from above because it will probably implicate Civilian leadership of the pentagon....e.g. forced to have contractors on the base, vetting done by private contractors etc., Ham is definitely "old school".

[lebkuchen]

9. "The visit had been planned for long before"

and happened to coincide with the bombing so that Rummy could pass the blame onto our beleagered military in order to save his own worthless ass.

on edit: "Sorry" ass changed to "worthless" ass

[Vidar]

10. Meaningless--passing it off as his oversight. Paid to take the fall.

An honorable man would implicate the perpetrators.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Honorable men don't invade other peoples countries for no good reason

That is the truth.

Don

[Tace]

17. You're Right -- It's A Thankless Task To Be A Military Apologist

I'll stop. I completely agree with your comment. Cheers

[Solly Mack]

13. He should take responsibility.

that's what commanders do...real commanders with an ounce of integrity, that is....


Which explains why Shrub & Rummy will never take responsibility.

[0007]

15. I wonder if the General's last name had anything to do with the

bombing?

[BOHICA06]

16. He forgot the basic lessons of Duffer's Drift

...a tactical masterpiece from 1906 that every junior officer and NCO should be required to read and understand.

If you can't tell friend from foe, don't let either into your camp!

[spanone]

19. Gen., this is your war and that was your enemy and they scored.

If they are terrorists so are we.

[leesa]

24. The shortcoming is that we carpet bombed civilians in both Fallujah

and Mosul. Another shortcoming is that we launched an unprovoked invasion of a disarmed country and slaughtered 100,000 or so of their citizenry.