Pace offers regret for Iraq War mistakes

[unhappycamper]

Retired Marine Gen. Peter Pace finished his career in Oct. 2007 after serving two years as chairman of the Joint Chiefs and four as vice chairman.


Pace offers regret for Iraq War mistakes
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jan 14, 2009 5:33:18 EST

WASHINGTON — As the Bush administration works in its final days to cement its legacy, one of the leading architects of the Iraq war acknowledged Tuesday that he’d change some of the military advice he gave at the time, if he could.

Retired Gen. Peter Pace, who was President Bush’s top military adviser from 2005-07, served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the most volatile and deadly years of the war.

Speaking at the unveiling of his official portrait in the Pentagon, he said he’s had 15 months since he left the job to think about what went right and what went wrong.

“I certainly made some wrong estimates. And I certainly made some recommendations that, if I could take them back and change them, I would,” Pace told the small crowd, which included former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

But, adding a caveat of 20-20 hindsight, he said, “I also know, given the exact same data, at the exact same time in history, that I would give the exact same advice.”


Rest of 'yes man' article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/ap_pace_regrets_iraq_011309/%2e

[grannie4peace]

1. he's finding out your past follows you for real!!!!

[leveymg]

2. One good piece of advise from Pace: don't lie to get us into another war with Iran.

He deserves credit for pushing back when Rummy and Bush did lie about Iran. For that, he took it in the gut. He was the only JCS Chair who was ever actually fired by the White House. See, http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/8/154911/3350 For that honorable self-sacrifice, we have much to thank him.

[leveymg]

3. P.S. - I'm glad I was wrong about Adm. Mullen.

And that we didn't see a removal of the other Chiefs who opposed the Big Surge into Iran.