Thursday, December 28, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Frequently I'm asked -----
Since I'm a retired General Officer, some people think I must have a strong opinion regarding just what the strategy should be in Iraq. Well, I don't!! It's been 20 plus years since I was actively involved militarily in anything and in that 20 plus years things have changed exponentially. What I also suspect is that not many of the "talking heads" and the written news media know what they are talking about either relative to the strategy of the war. Most of those individuals are "liberal" in their philosophy and most favorable action is contrary to their personal thinking. Their job is to report the news and their idea of "news" is if it's something good, bury it, and if reflects badly on the effort, exploit it. I pay very little attention to any of them. I'm also suspicious that very few of our congressional representation are as concerned with what's happening in Iraq as they are busy trying to determine the direction the resulting political wind is blowing at any given moment.
One thing I am sure of, is that on September 11, 2003, the United States was attacked insidiously by Islamic terrorists. This was an attack, not primarily on a military installation, but on defenseless civilians,without warning and without regard for human life. Nearly 3000 lives were lost, as well as untold millions of dollars in property. Immediately following that event, our newly elected president stepped up to his leadership responsibilities as he should have. In a speech following that terrible event, he said that we were at war with the terrorists, whether we wanted it or not, and that we were going to do our best to avoid further attacks on our homeland by taking the fight to the terrorists, and if any other entity chooses to harbor terrorists we were taking the fight to them. This we have done. When all of the intelligence agencies agreed that Iraq was harboring terrorists and attempting to develop a nuclear bomb, he and his staff argued we needed to do something about it. In fact, the United Nations and our Congress agreed we needed to do something about it. We declared a preemptive attack on Iraq to find and destroy the WMD (Weapons of Mass destruction). Our military, with a few fair-haired friendly nations, won that battle in less than 30 days, with minimal loss of life and injury to our troops. (That was good military strategy!) No WMD were found, however, that is the result of faulty intelligence, not poor decision-making on the part of the president, or the United Nations, or the Congress. (Let's not forget that our CIA was decimated by liberal thinking and policies of the 70's, 80's, and 90's and that human intelligence could be replaced by technology and artificial means. Technology and artificial techniques are at best a supplement to human intelligence.) I still would not be surprised to see the WMD appear.
Following the actual war, mopping up, hunting down and shooting Saddam's despot sons, and Saddam's capture, the guerrilla war began. Guerrilla warfare is a tough, difficult, and time consuming kind of war to fight and you must be completely merciless in combating the guerrillas. Even then, it can last a long time. (Look back to the Revolutionary War, the Vietnam War, the Civil War, etc) No one was prepared for this particular type of guerrilla warfare and no one anticipated it happening with such indiscriminate intensity. At first it was fueled by fanatical outsiders from terrorist cells of El Quaida of other arabic countries and then they were joined by religious fanatics from the various Suni and Shiite sects in Iraq. Who would have thought that the suicide bombers would think so little of killing 50 of their own countrymen in order to kill one or two American soldiers at a time. That's what the roadside bombs and the suicide bombers have sunk to. We seldom get to confront an enemy force and fight them. When we do, we win!
During the Civil War we lost 60,000 soldiers in one engagement alone and on DDay in WWII we lost 6000 soldiers in one day. The loss of one soldier, airman, or sailor is a tragedy to the nation and every commander mourns and regrets their loss. But lets stop and consider that up to now, we have lost less than 3000 servicemen and women to the Iraq war and most of the losses occured since the guerrilla war started. Every time President Bush or Secretary Rumsfield were asked by the Congress or insinuated by the press and "talking heads" whether more troops should be sent to Iraq, they responded that the minute the commanders on the ground asked for more troops, they would be sent. Lets put things in perspective. I live in Indianapolis. Last year we had somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 murders in Indianapolis alone. In the entire state of Indiana we have had less than 80 deaths attributable to the war in Iraq since the war began. No one wants to see our young people die whether its due to the war in Iraq or murders in Indianapolis, but lets put the emphasis where it belongs. President Bush has said it could take a long time to win the guerrilla war in Iraq. My attitude is that we need to believe him, be patient, and support him and the military, and pray that it is over as soon as possible.
And now I see that so-called experts have published a "study" that supposedly provides the solutions to get our troops home. From what little I've read, they have offered very little new. The study group was made up of politicians, no military strategists or military representation. They claim to have interviewed and consulted a large cross-section of experts for advice, but I suggest that they, like most committees, listened to what they wanted to hear. "Bring the troops home in 2007," but how do we disengage without "cutting and running"? To "cut and run" only means that the troops that have already given their lives died for nothing. "Consult with and involve Syria and Iran in bringing peace to the region?" If that's not "letting the fox in the henhouse" I don't know what you'd call it. They're a major part of the problem to begin with. All of these so-called "experts" and "pundits" have all kinds of criticism regarding the President and the way he's conducting the war in Iraq, but I never hear any really new or constructive suggestions on ending the war and bringing our troops home from either party.
I think Prsident Bush's idea of thrusting more and more responsibility on the Iraqi leadership and training their army and police force to step up to the business of of saving the integrity and sovereignty of their own country is the best solution I've heard so far. Its not a short term solution and I guarantee its going to take some time, but until someone comes along with better solutions to the problems in Iraq, I'm supporting the President and the current military strategists.
I told you I had no strategy of my own to offer!!
One thing I am sure of, is that on September 11, 2003, the United States was attacked insidiously by Islamic terrorists. This was an attack, not primarily on a military installation, but on defenseless civilians,without warning and without regard for human life. Nearly 3000 lives were lost, as well as untold millions of dollars in property. Immediately following that event, our newly elected president stepped up to his leadership responsibilities as he should have. In a speech following that terrible event, he said that we were at war with the terrorists, whether we wanted it or not, and that we were going to do our best to avoid further attacks on our homeland by taking the fight to the terrorists, and if any other entity chooses to harbor terrorists we were taking the fight to them. This we have done. When all of the intelligence agencies agreed that Iraq was harboring terrorists and attempting to develop a nuclear bomb, he and his staff argued we needed to do something about it. In fact, the United Nations and our Congress agreed we needed to do something about it. We declared a preemptive attack on Iraq to find and destroy the WMD (Weapons of Mass destruction). Our military, with a few fair-haired friendly nations, won that battle in less than 30 days, with minimal loss of life and injury to our troops. (That was good military strategy!) No WMD were found, however, that is the result of faulty intelligence, not poor decision-making on the part of the president, or the United Nations, or the Congress. (Let's not forget that our CIA was decimated by liberal thinking and policies of the 70's, 80's, and 90's and that human intelligence could be replaced by technology and artificial means. Technology and artificial techniques are at best a supplement to human intelligence.) I still would not be surprised to see the WMD appear.
Following the actual war, mopping up, hunting down and shooting Saddam's despot sons, and Saddam's capture, the guerrilla war began. Guerrilla warfare is a tough, difficult, and time consuming kind of war to fight and you must be completely merciless in combating the guerrillas. Even then, it can last a long time. (Look back to the Revolutionary War, the Vietnam War, the Civil War, etc) No one was prepared for this particular type of guerrilla warfare and no one anticipated it happening with such indiscriminate intensity. At first it was fueled by fanatical outsiders from terrorist cells of El Quaida of other arabic countries and then they were joined by religious fanatics from the various Suni and Shiite sects in Iraq. Who would have thought that the suicide bombers would think so little of killing 50 of their own countrymen in order to kill one or two American soldiers at a time. That's what the roadside bombs and the suicide bombers have sunk to. We seldom get to confront an enemy force and fight them. When we do, we win!
During the Civil War we lost 60,000 soldiers in one engagement alone and on DDay in WWII we lost 6000 soldiers in one day. The loss of one soldier, airman, or sailor is a tragedy to the nation and every commander mourns and regrets their loss. But lets stop and consider that up to now, we have lost less than 3000 servicemen and women to the Iraq war and most of the losses occured since the guerrilla war started. Every time President Bush or Secretary Rumsfield were asked by the Congress or insinuated by the press and "talking heads" whether more troops should be sent to Iraq, they responded that the minute the commanders on the ground asked for more troops, they would be sent. Lets put things in perspective. I live in Indianapolis. Last year we had somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 murders in Indianapolis alone. In the entire state of Indiana we have had less than 80 deaths attributable to the war in Iraq since the war began. No one wants to see our young people die whether its due to the war in Iraq or murders in Indianapolis, but lets put the emphasis where it belongs. President Bush has said it could take a long time to win the guerrilla war in Iraq. My attitude is that we need to believe him, be patient, and support him and the military, and pray that it is over as soon as possible.
And now I see that so-called experts have published a "study" that supposedly provides the solutions to get our troops home. From what little I've read, they have offered very little new. The study group was made up of politicians, no military strategists or military representation. They claim to have interviewed and consulted a large cross-section of experts for advice, but I suggest that they, like most committees, listened to what they wanted to hear. "Bring the troops home in 2007," but how do we disengage without "cutting and running"? To "cut and run" only means that the troops that have already given their lives died for nothing. "Consult with and involve Syria and Iran in bringing peace to the region?" If that's not "letting the fox in the henhouse" I don't know what you'd call it. They're a major part of the problem to begin with. All of these so-called "experts" and "pundits" have all kinds of criticism regarding the President and the way he's conducting the war in Iraq, but I never hear any really new or constructive suggestions on ending the war and bringing our troops home from either party.
I think Prsident Bush's idea of thrusting more and more responsibility on the Iraqi leadership and training their army and police force to step up to the business of of saving the integrity and sovereignty of their own country is the best solution I've heard so far. Its not a short term solution and I guarantee its going to take some time, but until someone comes along with better solutions to the problems in Iraq, I'm supporting the President and the current military strategists.
I told you I had no strategy of my own to offer!!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Bringing Things Up-to-date
Last Sunday the Colts got back in the winning column. The entire team looked good the whole game and the the Colts can thank their lucky stars that they have players like Harrison and Freeney who step up when the need is there. The defense really surprised me because I was beginning to believe the "crap" the pundits were constantly preaching. The defense swarmed and if they play like that the rest of their schedule they can go to the Super Bowl and win.
The Pacers didn't do quite as well, but they have the talent and if Coach Carlisle can just keep them focused and they can keep their "stars" from getting the "big head" they may be able to do alright into the playoffs. I also enjoy watching IU play, but I just can't quite figure them out yet.
I think we've wound up our Christmas shopping. We always seem to end up spending more than we intended, but I guess that's what money is for and we're fortunate to have enough to spend.
I went to three different luncheons this week, all with military associated groups and always timed around the Christmas Holidays. The first was with my old battalion at Bloomington, Indiana. They have a dinner every year for all the retirees. It's nice because I get to see a lot of my buddies that I spent a lot of time with in the National Guard. We're all getting up in years and it seems that death gets a few of us every year. Some really fine people, especially COL Money, the oldest living former Commander and a really fine gentleman, who was there. The second luncheon was hosted by the State Armory Board and mainly consists of senior ranking military retirees and current and past members of the State Armory Board. The State Adjutant General is always the main speaker and he usually brings us up to-date on the status of the Indiana National Guard. His talk is always interesting and I would enjoy it even more if I could hear well. The third luncheon was with the MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) chapter. The entertainment at their Christmas meeting was, as usual, the choral group from North Central High School and the kids are really outstanding. The food was excellent and reasonably priced, but the membership is all elderly and just doesn't ever seem to get any younger. It's been a busy week, what with shopping, luncheons and getting the house ready for the kids to come home for Christmas. Here's wishing everyone a merry and joyous Christmas.
The Pacers didn't do quite as well, but they have the talent and if Coach Carlisle can just keep them focused and they can keep their "stars" from getting the "big head" they may be able to do alright into the playoffs. I also enjoy watching IU play, but I just can't quite figure them out yet.
I think we've wound up our Christmas shopping. We always seem to end up spending more than we intended, but I guess that's what money is for and we're fortunate to have enough to spend.
I went to three different luncheons this week, all with military associated groups and always timed around the Christmas Holidays. The first was with my old battalion at Bloomington, Indiana. They have a dinner every year for all the retirees. It's nice because I get to see a lot of my buddies that I spent a lot of time with in the National Guard. We're all getting up in years and it seems that death gets a few of us every year. Some really fine people, especially COL Money, the oldest living former Commander and a really fine gentleman, who was there. The second luncheon was hosted by the State Armory Board and mainly consists of senior ranking military retirees and current and past members of the State Armory Board. The State Adjutant General is always the main speaker and he usually brings us up to-date on the status of the Indiana National Guard. His talk is always interesting and I would enjoy it even more if I could hear well. The third luncheon was with the MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) chapter. The entertainment at their Christmas meeting was, as usual, the choral group from North Central High School and the kids are really outstanding. The food was excellent and reasonably priced, but the membership is all elderly and just doesn't ever seem to get any younger. It's been a busy week, what with shopping, luncheons and getting the house ready for the kids to come home for Christmas. Here's wishing everyone a merry and joyous Christmas.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Starting My Blog
This is my first attempt at Blogging and the above article about our recent trip to Italy and Cruise across the Atlantic Ocean was my first attempt at a commentary. After I wrote it, I felt some satisfaction with myself and then allowed myself to post it. I was a little too quick. Immediately I realized I had forgotten to mention that our dinner meals aboard ship were spent with some very nice people besides the folks we were traveling with from Connecticut. There were ten of us seated at that table in the dining room. One of the couples, in particular, told me about their experiences with blogging and that's what has aroused my interest. I'm attempting to attach a photo of them that I took on the trip.
I've had considerable difficulty in getting started with this business of blogging, specifically with "logging in" and "saving"my efforts. So far I've managed by myself and aside from struggling to get my passwords worked out and a few other minor difficulties, I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it and as a result, I hope to be a bit more interesting.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Cruising on Big Ships
My wife, Marilyn and I just returned from a cruise. We had wanted to visit Italy to include Rome and the Amalfi Coast area for some time. The trip was contracted by a California Travel Company, but when we got to Rome we found that it had been sub-contracted to an Italian company. The trip consisted of the flight from the U.S. to Rome, a stay of three days in Rome, then moving north to Montecatini as a base, where we visited Siena on the way and then spent the next day in Florence. Following our visit to Florence, the next day we continued our trip by bus to the coastal port of Savona, about a four to five hour bus ride through beautiful and historical countryside. At Savona we boarded a Costa Cruise Lines ship, the Mediterranea, and left the Italian tour company's guidance.
The cruise ship was beautiful, a little bit gaudily decorated, and only three years old. It held 2500 passengers and over 900 crew. Our first stop was at Barcelona, Spain, for the afternoon. My wife , Marilyn and I, were traveling with another couple whom we had met on a previous cruise through the Panama Canal two years ago. We left the ship , boarded a bus for a short ride into town, got off the bus for a short walk into the downtown and my wife got sick to her stomach. It was then back to the bus, the ride back to the ship, back on board and a race to our cabin. No more Barcelona! Then on to St.Cruz de Tennirife, an island in the Canary Islands. We went ashore there, explored the city of Tennerife and enjoyed the bustling little city. From there, our next stop was Guadaloupe, an island in the Leeward Islands, after spending five days crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Crossing the Atlantic was an interesting experience, but after spending five days eating, playing cards, looking at water all day and both of us being sick with a virus (they said) a day and a half, neither of us has any desire to cross the Atlantic Ocean again. When we arrived at Guadaloupe our friends and us couldn't wait to get off the boat. We hired a cab and the driver agreed to take us to see a waterfall. The pathway to the falls was so muddy and slick, the girls were afraid they'd fall and so only half our group got to see the falls, which wasn't much. From there we left for St. Maartin. Nice clean, well-kept island but only a half day visit. Then to Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic. This was a beach which was leased by Costa and was just a picnic day in the sun surrounded by beautiful blue waters. Our next to last stop before ending our cruise in Miami, FL, was Nassau for a day. We had been there before and aside for the fact that it was cleaned up some, it's still the same highly commercial tourist trap. After arriving in Miami, getting off the boat, collecting our baggage, going through customs and getting to the airport for the trip home was the same disorganized mess we had experienced before on departing cruise ships.
To recap this vacation trip:
1. The guides we had in Rome were terrible.
2. The hotels in Italy were nice.
3. The sub-contracted guides really cheated us by not narrating information about northern Italy on the bus trip from Rome to Savona.
4. The ship was gorgeous and the crew was first-rate.
5. Five days crossing the Atlantic was boring.
6. Most Carribbean Islands aren't very clean.
7. 22 day vacations are just too much to be away from home when you're old and set in your ways.
All-in-all it was a great trip!!
The cruise ship was beautiful, a little bit gaudily decorated, and only three years old. It held 2500 passengers and over 900 crew. Our first stop was at Barcelona, Spain, for the afternoon. My wife , Marilyn and I, were traveling with another couple whom we had met on a previous cruise through the Panama Canal two years ago. We left the ship , boarded a bus for a short ride into town, got off the bus for a short walk into the downtown and my wife got sick to her stomach. It was then back to the bus, the ride back to the ship, back on board and a race to our cabin. No more Barcelona! Then on to St.Cruz de Tennirife, an island in the Canary Islands. We went ashore there, explored the city of Tennerife and enjoyed the bustling little city. From there, our next stop was Guadaloupe, an island in the Leeward Islands, after spending five days crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Crossing the Atlantic was an interesting experience, but after spending five days eating, playing cards, looking at water all day and both of us being sick with a virus (they said) a day and a half, neither of us has any desire to cross the Atlantic Ocean again. When we arrived at Guadaloupe our friends and us couldn't wait to get off the boat. We hired a cab and the driver agreed to take us to see a waterfall. The pathway to the falls was so muddy and slick, the girls were afraid they'd fall and so only half our group got to see the falls, which wasn't much. From there we left for St. Maartin. Nice clean, well-kept island but only a half day visit. Then to Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic. This was a beach which was leased by Costa and was just a picnic day in the sun surrounded by beautiful blue waters. Our next to last stop before ending our cruise in Miami, FL, was Nassau for a day. We had been there before and aside for the fact that it was cleaned up some, it's still the same highly commercial tourist trap. After arriving in Miami, getting off the boat, collecting our baggage, going through customs and getting to the airport for the trip home was the same disorganized mess we had experienced before on departing cruise ships.
To recap this vacation trip:
1. The guides we had in Rome were terrible.
2. The hotels in Italy were nice.
3. The sub-contracted guides really cheated us by not narrating information about northern Italy on the bus trip from Rome to Savona.
4. The ship was gorgeous and the crew was first-rate.
5. Five days crossing the Atlantic was boring.
6. Most Carribbean Islands aren't very clean.
7. 22 day vacations are just too much to be away from home when you're old and set in your ways.
All-in-all it was a great trip!!
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