Article

2014-09-29 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Pappy 2014-09-29 00:00|| || Front Page|| [10 views ] Top
File under: Islamic State

#1 I feel bad for the General, but I think we've all been there: The Boss says "Marty, I want you to do some stupid shxt." You say, "Boss, that's some stupid shxt. It's gonna bite us on the ass." Boss says, "Do it." And you do, hoping you can somehow mitigate the damage.

Resignation is not much of a threat. Obama would look at it as an opportunity to purge disloyal staff. Been a lot of personnel changes lately...

Posted by SteveS 2014-09-29 00:26|| 2014-09-29 00:26|| Front Page Top

#2 Dempsey resignation vs Champ resignation? I'll give them even odds.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-09-29 00:41|| 2014-09-29 00:41|| Front Page Top

#3 I'd guess that Dempsey wants Chump to fire him so that the entire debacle lies on those puny shoulders. The Generals have apparently been offering advice that hasn't been taken. They can't all resign en masse

Posted by Frank G 2014-09-29 07:22|| 2014-09-29 07:22|| Front Page Top

#4 Being an officer in the military has forever been a case carrying out dumbs**t decisions dropped from above. You all know what rolls downhill.
The last person that stood at the fork in road at this level was probably Douglas MacArthur.

Posted by ed in texas 2014-09-29 07:53|| 2014-09-29 07:53|| Front Page Top

#5 I dunno. Think about Singlaub vs. Carter.

Posted by Richard Aubrey 2014-09-29 08:13|| 2014-09-29 08:13|| Front Page Top

#6 They can't all resign en masse

Yes, they can. We don't have coups in the history of the US armed forces (though our pre-history as Brits will find Cromwell). However, nothing would send a message a week before a critical election like a mass resignation and remain people that their oath is/was to the Constitution, not an individual, which they could not carry out any further in true faith and confidence. Most of those in the upper echelons are political appointees already, so such an event is near zero.

Posted by Procopius2k 2014-09-29 09:10|| 2014-09-29 09:10|| Front Page Top

#7 I think that Eric Shinseki got canned for standing his ground after his Congressional testimony back in 2003: http://youtu.be/a_xchyIeCQw which contradicted the wishes of Paul Wolfowitz and his masters.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2014-09-29 09:14|| 2014-09-29 09:14|| Front Page Top

#8 ..and probably why they saved the dirt* on Petraeus till they needed to use it. *Nothing that wouldn't disqualify running for the Senate in MA, right Teddy.

Posted by Procopius2k 2014-09-29 09:23|| 2014-09-29 09:23|| Front Page Top

#9 Nopresident in his right mind wants to see the very public resignation of a top general on principle. If his policy fails, and the Islamic State strategy surely will, President Obama would alone shoulder the blame for the debacle.

Obama will not shoulder the blame for any debacle alone. Obama is good at shedding blame and putting it on someone else. Someone, somehow will go under his bus. He will either get out in front of a Dempsey resignation by firing him for some trumped up cause or first disgracing him in some way and accepting the resignation.

After Benghazi, sometimes I have fleeting thoughts that Obama will leave a contingent of forces in Iraq or Afghanistan to fight their way out without support.

The thought has also crossed my mind, that maybe he is setting up the U.S. for an ignominious defeat in Iraq and Syria.

I suppose these are just slightly paranoid Monday morning thoughts but then there was Benghazi.

Posted by JohnQC 2014-09-29 10:03|| 2014-09-29 10:03|| Front Page Top

#10 I dunno. Think about Singlaub vs. Carter.Posted by Richard Aubrey

Right you are Richard, but General Singlaub was an entirely different breed of Army officer and general.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-09-29 10:08|| 2014-09-29 10:08|| Front Page Top

#11 To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen:

Mr. President, I served with General Dempsey, I knew General Dempsey, General Dempsey was a friend of mine. Mr. President, you are no General Dempsey. (Prolonged shouts and applause) What has to be done in a situation like that is to call in the — And frankly I think you are so far apart in the objectives you choose for your country that I did not think the comparison was well-taken.

Posted by Thrusoting Crase3152 2014-09-29 10:25|| 2014-09-29 10:25|| Front Page Top

#12 The thought has also crossed my mind, that maybe he is setting up the U.S. for an ignominious defeat in Iraq and Syria.

Everything is domestic politics with this fn guy. Heeling the US MIL down a notch and passing a bag of crap onto a republican prez would be considered a feature. It would explain why he wants so many levers under his control, but can't seem to take a day off from golfing. You want your job? Damn sure don't interrupt a potential bogey saving chip. So let it be duffed, so let it be sold.

Posted by swksvolFF 2014-09-29 10:40|| 2014-09-29 10:40|| Front Page Top

#13 Domestic politics certainly is a viable answer. Biases towards Islam is another possibility. A strong dislike for America is another.

Posted by JohnQC 2014-09-29 11:20|| 2014-09-29 11:20|| Front Page Top

#14 I too thought Dempsey should resign. It is the straight forward thing to do.

Instead, and I'm not certain on further reflection, Dempsey has chosen a strategy of passive aggression. He's not failing to obey orders, but, unlike the Vietnam era generals, he is telling the public the truth very clearly whenever asked. If the public is too stupid to listen, it will also be unable to blame the Army when the policy goes tits up. Obama ain't Truman, so he can't easily fire Dempsey without severe repercussions. But Dempsey ain't MacArthur, so he'll have to be careful in how he approaches the line. Wonder how often we'll see him on Sunday shows after the election.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2014-09-29 11:43|| 2014-09-29 11:43|| Front Page Top

#15 Nimble,
he can't easily fire Dempsey without severe repercussions.

What repercussoins do you see? I honestly can't think of a thing that could happen that would cost Zero so much as a missed putt.

Heck, I doubt of his cadre of media sycophants would even publicize it and having the military mad at him is no change.

Posted by AlanC 2014-09-29 12:43|| 2014-09-29 12:43|| Front Page Top

#16 He probably got a chewing out

Posted by Angeager Elmolush4201 2014-09-29 13:19|| 2014-09-29 13:19|| Front Page Top

#17 Alan,

Given that he's a lame duck, you're correct at a certain level. OTOH, he's not got a lot of support in the country. That would crater what's left. Opposing SCOTUS nominees would become much easier, nothing would get through Congress, etc.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2014-09-29 14:00|| 2014-09-29 14:00|| Front Page Top

#18 Obama tried to lay his ISIS troubles at the feet of the CIA and NSA when he claimed he had no intelligence on ISIS.

I have to think that was a bad move on O's part.

Posted by rjschwarz 2014-09-29 14:24|| 2014-09-29 14:24|| Front Page Top

#19 I don't see Obama providing much cover for Donk politicians in the upcoming election. I saw Bruce Braley(D) running for Senate in Iowa say that he is not Barack Obama. Joni Ernst(R) ate Braley's lunch in a debate. There are other Donks as well who are distancing themselves from Obama.

Obama doesn't seem to have much political capital these days. A 4-star resigning in protest might get someone's attention--most likely the conservatives--just not Obama's base of support.

Posted by JohnQC 2014-09-29 17:34|| 2014-09-29 17:34|| Front Page Top

#20 General Dempsey is not the problem. The problem is Obama.

Posted by JohnQC 2014-09-29 17:51|| 2014-09-29 17:51|| Front Page Top

#21 Obama has the Media - It is all he needs.

Posted by Lionel Thoth9784 2014-09-29 23:45|| 2014-09-29 23:45|| Front Page Top

23:45 Lionel Thoth9784
23:31 Rob06
22:43 Mike Kozlowski
22:29 SteveS
21:46 Frank G
21:40 Frank G
19:48 swksvolFF
19:10 SteveS
19:09 Barbara
19:04 SteveS
18:37 BrerRabbit
18:36 charger
18:32 swksvolFF
18:30 swksvolFF
18:27 swksvolFF
18:21 NoMoreBS
18:21 Ebbomosh Hupemp2664
18:21 NoMoreBS
17:51 JohnQC
17:50 JohnQC
17:34 JohnQC
17:03 JohnQC
16:52 Mullah Richard
16:29 OldSpook