What Would Petraeus Advise A New President Who Wanted to Wit

[graceman25]

Thats not the mission Rep. the mission is to win.

[Bredac]

The General has actually done a good job over there, and if you can't see that you are dumb. He was handed a shit storm by Bush, and has done well.

Yes this war was started on lies, but its our job to stabilize the country. We cannot just leave it in a mess like we've done with other countries in the past, if we do that in Iraq we will create further enemies.

[tokyoscramble]

Wow. Petraeus would make a great politician. He can talk so much without really saying anything at all, let alone answer the question.

[PadawanOsswe]

tokyo,she didnt word her question properly so that why she didnt get a response.

[PadawanOsswe]

I feel detached from my fellow civilians,because none of them give a shit about anything! I hope I can get into the Corps next year. escape this "sillyvilian" world!

[radoraf]

My taxes still pay for your hardware so serve or shut the f**k up.

[PadawanOsswe]

the civilians that control the military should be veterans themselves! that way they dont make dumbass assumptions and mistakes that congress has made! remember them trying to pass budget cuts? that shows real love of the military!

honestly our whole civilian population is ignorant! they only state opinions made by the politicians and get their info from CNN,MSNBC,and CBS! few americans actually talk to veterans,read the blogs,read the alternative media sources,or study history!

[cobwebhead]

And if they they did talk to military people, Padawan, they'd learn that over half of active military think Iraq was a mistake (according to the Military Times), that their campaign donations go to #1) Ron Paul and #2 Obama, both anti-occupation candidates.

Active military wants out. We should support the troops.

[PadawanOsswe]

the military doesnt make the policies,they deploy wherever. if there is one thing ive learned in life it is to never trust statistics! ide like to see multiple honest polls before making judgements that the military supported paul or obama. because I highly doubt that.

[cobwebhead]

The polls are out there, just use the google. I think they reflect frustration among active military over the back door draft, the lack of a clear strategic vision (and mission creep) in Iraq, and the sense that the reinforcements aren't coming anytime soon.

The other interesting numbers are the polls of Iraqi civillians on whether or not they want us there and whether or not they think we're a stabilizing influence in the country.

[PadawanOsswe]

theres only ever been polls of iraqi's in cities,never a comprehensive survey,besides not all Iraqis are the same,you have 3 major groups who all differ. and the miltary isnt allowed to talk about their political ideologies,that can get them into serious trouble. there's been no draft of any sort,every man serving there has done so out of their own will to enlist!

[cobwebhead]

There has been comprehensive polling in Iraq. A Turkish firm does an annual survey. The latest, March 2008, does show some improvement. Still, 72% of Iraqi's either "somewhat" or "strongly" oppose the presence of coalition forces in their country, 61% think our presence is making their security worse, and 42% think that attacks on coalition forces are acceptable.

If you want to see, it's all online. BBC has the full results (23 pages) and ABC has the methodology (which is pretty meticulous).

[cobwebhead]

You're right there's been a formal draft. The "back door draft" refers mostly to our stop-loss program, which prevents volunteers who have completed their obligations from leaving the military. In other words, if you only draft people who have already served honorably, you don't have to call it a draft, you can say "stop loss" instead.

The back door draft also probably includes extending tours and abusing the commitments of the Reserves and National Guard.

[PadawanOsswe]

cob, they sign a contract,it can be bent to whatever need. my dad was extended in his time for the corps beacause of the Gulf War.he didnt complain.

We are going to be fighting in the middle east,africa,south east asia,and in a few decades...here for the next few decades at least! so pulling out of Iraq makes no difference,this country would still be at war! and I'm content with that as should every other american!

we didnt start all this. the Mujahids did!

[firstritestelevision]

62% really speaks more like 89%.....

[Psuedogenius]

I call bullshit on the "people of california love the troops" I am a veteran living in SF and I get no love. I am going to med school in the midwest because the medical schools here don't consider experience as a veteran to be worth anything. (but volunteering once a week for minority services or being a minority counts a lot apparently). I wrote Pelosi about the issue, she didn't even respond.

They give two shits about veterans in california. Nice trashy hair do and nose scratching bitch.

[hanta10]

I'm Vietnam Vet.and live in Ca. I understand your plight. I just want you to know some of use out here give a shit. I want thank you for your service and I'm sorry for the chicken shit deal your getting.

[socctty]

I'm an Obama supporter that's in the military, so I'm torn on this.

Really, what did she expect Gen Petraeus to say? He had no reasonable response to give other than the one that he gave - that he'd engage in a detailed dialogue with his new CinC about their goals and how best to achieve them. I sense that the Congresswoman was just fishing for something for the Democratic nominee to put in a campaign ad, or to paint him as a politician in uniform.

[atavismnocturn]

Petraeus is just doing his job. It would be inappropriate to give the answer it think most people are wanting to hear.

[crapo87]

"dialog"!!!! HAHAHAHA This ******** wants to TALK about it some more.

[FeelFreeToArgue]

This whole process is so patriarchal - it makes me quite sick. WTF are we doing in Iraq? By what right do we remain? Any mandate we might have had evaporated the second Hussein was captured. Now, we have NO RIGHT to be there. NO RIGHT whatsoever. The Lancet and ORB surveys show more than 1 million excess civilian deaths during the occupation - we own every one of those deaths and every single fresh one until we leave. We're losing our soul and our treasury in Iraq.

[nakedbullwinkle]

Iran is chapter three no matter what anyone hopes, says, believes, debates. It is inevitable and will happen. Fact and not fiction..now, anyone can respond negative to my point but when we go into Iran with a democrat president, how will bush and cheney be blamed then???? Will be interesting to see a democrat use military action in middle east while saying we would get out. the Dems will shit their pants when that happens..and cannot blame anyone but themselves then..waiting for it to happen

[1rtypl]

Bush and cheney are the republicans who didn't protect america on 9/11. if you would have been on one of the planes on 9/11 you would be dead today.They did nothing to protect america. "That's fact and not fiction." All of those dead americans who died in iraq believeing there were WMDs in Iraq? blame that on rebublicans bush and cheney. That shit already happened. it would not be a good idea to have a senior citizen as president if at war with iran. that's a job for a young man.

[thereallurker]

I wonder how Patraeus feels to being the defense industry's tool to being prosperous?

I can't wait until we have a new President who doesn't waste money on a trumped up war, throws money at the Middle East making them the richest on the planet and devalues the dollar ruining normal Americans' net worth and damning them to a life of financial ruin.

[1loydster]

[Eeaahhh] WRONG ANSWER - YOU'RE FIRED ASSHOLE !

We the People hereby take responsibility and control of OUR U.S. Armed Forces due to complete mental incompetence of the current commander and chief...

YOU'RE FIRED TOO ASSHOLE !

[kell4809]

He never answered the freaking question..anyone notice this?

[SarsPirate]

I watched this thing for hours, the guys do nothing but dodge questions which is why watching washington is so damned annoying.

You can try to ask the most clear cut specific question possible, and the answers you get back are riddled with so much ambiguity and legalese that you can't help but be frustrated with it all.

[VibeRay69]

Amen to that!

[socctty]

In the context of his previously stated concern for maintaining the gains of the surge - which the Congresswoman didn't mention until she had to re-ask the question - his answer makes perfect sense. She asked "What would you ADVISE them" and not "What would you do". She asked him an open-ended question first, so he gave her an open-ended answer. He mentioned he'd ask what the "desired end-state" would be. That's reasonable, because she didn't provide that the first time around.

[schulwitz]

"My response would be dialog."

What kind of a response is that? That's the same as saying "I'd open up my mouth and words would come out".

[VibeRay69]

ROFL I noticed that too! Wasn't that sad?

[claytongault]

schulwitz, dialogue is what should follow when an order is given that is incompatible with previously stated objectives. The purpose of the dialogue is to decide exactly what objectives should be altered or abandoned so that the new orders can realistically be carried out.

[schulwitz]

The implication of the question was "what sort of dialogue?", "what sort of action would be appropriate?", etc.

I thought Petraeus' doublespeak was pretty obvious, but if you want it spelled out for you watch yesterday's daily show.

[milliradian]

its true...our military is bad ass, because they take directive without question... its the leaders (the guy telling petraeus how to do his job) that needs replaced.

[daninho18]

The Daily Show... you're serious...

[ikekll]

I bet they both "gulped" when it was Tauscher's time! hehehe

Both gentile men should get Fleetwood's "ASSHAT" a ward.

First Crocker,

then Petraeus!

[MrMP81]

Woopty f-in Doo about the Polling, Stick it up your asses.

This is an " Illegal " War, PERIOD. It is an " Aggressive Invasion ", and these idiots need to conduct polls to guide them on what to do? Look at your God Damn Rule book called " The Constitution "

This is Disgusting.

The General made a good point there " We are not Self Employed, We Take Orders And Follow "

what he is saying " ORDER US TO STOP " Stop beating around the Bush...

[zagross16]

One of the best comments i have seen on Youtube!

[doobtribe]

what a sack of bullshit, coward betrayous cant even answer another straight simple question of what would he do to pull out the troops and cut costs... fking jackass.

What would you advised them to retreat the troops and cut down costs (the mission)?

Jackass Betrayous: uhm..ahm..i would have to back off sit down and ask what is the mission (already presented/given on the question)ahm...uhm talk with the chain of command and that would deppend on the mission

Give'm a BIG jackass medal!

[MISSBEBEBLUE]

as Bush would say, good job, Petraeus, good job.

Katrina who?

[JeremyTheBlueDuck]

History will long ponder how such a physically and intellectually weak man like George W. Bush was able to turn much stronger men into his weak, drooling bitches.

Seriously, what gives?

[ubuibiok]

Yo Hi, maybe I can answer "jclayton59466 " a little better. He said, "Define my Mission" .

If told to leave now, today, they would plan a withdrawal to extract the Troops. Now do we leave the Equipment there, No, Ok, then I'll provide you a different time line. As to ,"dialoge be opened btwn the ranks" is a way of saying We then Plan a foundation to use Land, Air & Sea assets to safely withdrawal and the Joint Chief of Staff will advise you of what our troop losses will be as

we dide boop out.

[lorettarosa]

Do I trust Bush ? Hell No.

Do I trust them? Hell No.

[UTBESUX]

All the generals & commanders who told the truth, you know the so-called liberals were FIRED or forced out by the Bush administration.

From the courts to the justice system Bush has stacked the deck. I also question our next election, the powers that be have been involved in so many scandals that they will do anything to stop anyone who will expose them.

Ask yourself this, what good has Bush done for the people & this country? America is one huge corporate whore now. What a fraud!

[Weaseldog2001]

That is a long winded way of saying, "I believe in following orders."

A response that doesn't answer her question.

Why not just say, "I do not recall."?

[Virginian9000]

Good response.

[rakrobn]

I agree, very good mature response, rather than the usual warmonger response.

[jclayton59466]

So by not really answering the question, and explaining that he would follow the orders of the civilian commands.... Is he saying that if he were told to get out of Iraq he would do just that? Pull out to the best of their ability. Provided that dialoge be opened btwn the ranks, he would follow orders. Thus he would give no suggestion on what best to do.

[claytongault]

Sure he would give suggestions about how best to achieve the objectives set. What makes you think that he wouldn't? That's what the dialogue is for, to make sure that the objectives are realistically going to be met. If he is given an order by the politicians that is incompatible with the stated objectives, then there is a problem that needs to be addressed in dialogue so that either the objectives or the orders be changed.