Army officer's "blistering attack": "...intellectual, moral failures constitute crisis in Generals."

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Army Officer Accuses Generals of 'Intellectual and Moral Failures'
By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 27, 2007; Page A04

An active-duty Army officer is publishing a blistering attack on U.S. generals, saying they have botched the war in Iraq and misled Congress about the situation there.

"America's generals have repeated the mistakes of Vietnam in Iraq," charges Lt. Col. Paul Yingling, an Iraq veteran who is deputy commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. "The intellectual and moral failures . . . constitute a crisis in American generals."

Yingling's comments are especially striking because his unit's performance in securing the northwestern Iraqi city of Tall Afar was cited by President Bush in a March 2006 speech and provided the model for the new security plan underway in Baghdad.

He also holds a high profile for a lieutenant colonel: He attended the Army's elite School for Advanced Military Studies and has written for one of the Army's top professional journals, Military Review.

The article, "General Failure," is to be published today in Armed Forces Journal and is posted at http://www.armedforcesjournal.com. Its appearance signals the public emergence of a split inside the military between younger, mid-career officers and the top brass.

Many majors and lieutenant colonels have privately expressed anger and frustration with the performance of Gen. Tommy R. Franks, Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and other top commanders in the war, calling them slow to grasp the realities of the war and overly optimistic in their assessments.

Some younger officers have stated privately that more generals should have been taken to task for their handling of the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison, news of which broke in 2004. The young officers also note that the Army's elaborate "lessons learned" process does not criticize generals and that no generals in Iraq have been replaced for poor battlefield performance, a contrast to other U.S. wars....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/26/AR2007042602230.html?nav=most_emailed

[Peace Patriot]

1. Wow! Correct me if I'm wrong, but is it not unprecedented--or extremely rare-

for active duty officers to criticize generals?

I am very impressed with this man's courage. He may not be Lt. Ehren Watada--who has refused to be re-deployed to this illegal war. But he is extraordinary in going public with this criticism.

We are seeing the real America emerge in so many ways--for instance, with the Republican US Attorneys who resisted political manipulation and obstruction of justice by Karl Rove, and got fired, and didn't take it sitting down; became whistleblowers, fought back for the integrity of the justice system. And in Sen. Murtha--long time defender of the military machine--who just couldn't take it any more, and defected from this heinous war. And in Sen. Gravel the other night, in the Democratic debate, laying it all out--the whole sorry tale of US militarism, from places like Chile and the Congo all the way to Iraq. What a speech! I'm also thinking of the JAG lawyers who fought against the torture policy, and the CIA agents and WMD counter-proliferation specialists, who saw their job as preventing war, not manufacturing it. And Nancy Pelosi, who seems to have placed herself between Cheney and Iran, in the midst of the UK-sailor crisis--possible trigger for Mideast War II--and who took no shit for doing so. And Sibel Edmonds! So many brave people speaking out, and taking action! It is heartening.

I have big political and cultural differences with many of the above. But I can still recognize and praise courage when I see it. And, as to our military heroes, who have risked so much in opposing this Junta, I have always felt that moral courage is as difficult--and praiseworthy--as physical courage, and probably more so.

Kudos and laurel wreaths to Lt. Col. Paul Yingling! We really do need to start a list of particular heroes to be given special medals from the people of the United States for their courage in standing up to this Junta, and for speaking the truth, however costly to their personal careers.

[peacetalksforall]

2. I'm not a student of things military. I tried to use logic and accept

a military for defense. Something snapped for me. I gathered all the things that ticked me off - billions of dollars for fancy space toys. Then, Bosnia and Kosovo put me over the edge. There was a short period where I kept reading near vile criticism of Clinton that he wouldn't give them the go ahead to bomb. The generals said that the delay was bad for their soldiers - they were pumped up to go and why the delay was detrimental to them. I would assume the Clinton was negotiating or communicating or waiting for more data - and the generals were furious with him - on national tv.

I support our kids. I don't support the brass. I'm happty to learn there are exceptions.

Now, with Iraq - I've found nothin to admire - former generals newly employed by corporations to pimp for war, going. generals accepting the plan for torture, generals accepting corporate and DOD partnerships with mercenary corporations and agreeing to pay them absurd pay compared to our kids, happy to partner with industrial white houses and Israel to maintain perpetual war in the ME.

I support our troops. I don't support the brass. I'm happy to learn there are exceptions.

And did you hear the guy on WJ this morning - said he was in Iraq War 1 - said they left their equiepment and supplies there. Remember right after shock and awe - reports of the army sending soldiers on missions to warehouses made them very chemically ill - allowing the pillaging of humanity treasures - spawning Rumsfeld to run the show with stupid jokes that only the media could laugh at.

I support our kids. I don't support the brass. I'm happy to learn there are exceptions.

Then we have the Bay of Pigs - we only read and saw accounts of the generals. But, there have been no denails.

Sad, when a nation can't stick to defending us instead of what really is going on - politically and professionally participating in imperialism, plunder, massacres, torment torture and theft of our money.

I'm so sad to write this that I may delete it.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. I'm glad you did write this eloquent and heartfelt response. Thank you. nt

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Thanks for a great post! I hope someone knowledgeable about the military...

will weigh in on your question about precedents.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

4. This takes some serious guts, to publish this.

[merh]

6. A question to our military experts

Will this man, this brave soldier, this hero in my eyes, face discipline or court martial? :scared:

This bunch punishes those who speak out and I fear for him.

thank you Lt. Col Yingling :patriot:

[bonzotex]

7. not discipline or court-martial ....

Believe it or not there is actually something resembling "academia" within the military. Officers on track to full Colonel(0-6) and above attend a series of service schools. Within these schools there is a surprising amount of academic freedom and the students publish in military journals just like post-grad students in other disciplines would.

This is actually one of the good things about professional military education the the US services and in European services (notably the UK) as well.

It is unusual to criticize serving officers by name. If the criticism is too sharp or unfounded it is definitely a career limiting move. The good-ole boys club among the generals remember the squeaky wheels.

By the time an 0-5 like Lt. Col Yingling publishes something like this, usually there is a strong undercurrent of anger and frustration in the officer ranks that is waiting for someone to have the guts to publish about.

Good on him, and good luck, but he won't end up behind bars in Leavenworth. Worst case, whistle blowers like this just get passed over for promotion and get out with pension intact. That still sucks because we should want smart, no BS officers to stay in.

[Poiuyt]

8. I thought there was something in the Military Code of Conduct that forbade

protesting their superior officers while in uniform or on base?