The former commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq insisted today that the troublesome situation in Iraq is "just fine" and suggested that critics of continuing American casualties are basing their views on "invalid expectations."
Gen. Tommy R. Franks, who headed the U.S. Central Command before retiring last month, said "there has been hope for a long time that, once the major combat was over, things would settle down and the going would be relatively easy for our troops.
"I myself had that hope," added Franks, 58. "But, given the history of that region in general, and this country in particular, it was not to be. And we have to be careful not to base our plans on such expectations."
and
"In 1943, we shot down 66 of our own planes and killed 368 of our own men in one 24-hour period of World War II," he said. "And that's not to mention what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorist attacks killed more than 3,000 Americans and threatened the very fabric of our country."
from
newsday.com
Sorry Tommy Boy, but in the first quote, our rational for being in Iraq was based on "such expectations". Without them, the rational needs to be reexamined. And the second quote refers to a case where this country was attacked, not an optional war. Different standards apply. That is unless you are making a connection between 9-11 and Iraq - one that even Bush has now disavowed.
JMO
lurqer |
