It would probably be a good thing if someone stuck a muzzle on Gen Odierno.

And it would not be a violation of his 1st Amendment rights for as most veterans can tell you, when you’re a GI, no matter what rank, you lose some of those rights when you put the uniform on.

The General seems to think Iraq is his personal war to run as he likes.

I seem to recall earlier generals who thought they had their own private wars to wage, using US troops.

I also seem to recall that most all of those generals wound up being relieved of duty.

that’s a very disturbing photo. is he the one on the right? he looks like a blunt object.

The Iraqi people haven’t wanted us there for years if they ever did at all. Where does POTUS stand on the isssue?

Would somebody just throw a shoe at this bald-headed fart? Boink!

Who blinks first? Malaki.

Yep – that’s him.

C’mon and let me know
Should I stay or should I go

He’s the pin head.

He doesn’t know the precise number of troops there now? Jeez.

you stay,
odierno’s got to go.

There is the precedent of Gen. Douglas McArthur. But it might take sacking Petraeus (Odierno’s superior) to do it.

Think about the shitstorm that move would cause.

yes, i noticed that.

It is not really possible for Odierno to be a rogue general. If he breaks the SOFA and is left in command we must assume he is following orders from the CIC.

as this withdrawal is continuing do we know how many people are where? we won’t know – precisely – until they’re all out I guess.

Once again, President Obama, as Prof. Turley said on Rachel this past week, stop the endless performance of “Hamlet on the Potomac”. Honor the mandate of the American people AND the Iraqi people. Go rent Bridge on the River Kwai. Remember how Alec Guinness lost his perspective building the perfect bridge and thus enabling the Japanese captors? Seduction for our generals and our POTUS. People beneath them are no longer human beings, they are pawns (possible “necessary” (?) “collateral damage”) in the chess game of power. And sometimes it is no longer about losing or winning. It is about stopping playing the game! So many have said military is not the answer. Diplomacy is. But if your only or favorite tool has become a hungry (frustrated) hammer…. everything seems like an awaiting nail.

Thanks, Siun.

zactly.

and he hurts himself. big knock they tried to pin on him? thin resume (and he did have a thin resume). he keeps pullin’ stuff like this, gitmo and people are just sayin’ “see. bullshit campaign promises. he didn’t know what he was talkin’ about. now he’s finding out about reality.” hurts him across the board

Congress’ stance to the military industrial complex (and how they get away with murder, literally and figuratively): “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Listen to Nancy Pelosi … well, they told us about what torture they might use which we didn’t like, some of us, and we didn’t agree with, some of us, but we didn’t know they were actually using it. yada yada yada… which wasn’t even true, but to use that as a rationalization for inaction and to exhibit such a PROFOUND LACK OF LEGISLATIVE CURIOSITY. Wow. CYA is the eleventh commandment (i.e., don’t get caught.)

He always left himself wiggle room by saying he’d listen to “the commanders on the ground.”

Screw the word warriors.

The military is back running the Pentagon.

CYA is the eleventh commandment (i.e., don’t get caught.)

In the corridors of power, CYA is the only commandment.

He’s still riding the brand, though, and the mantra “he’s got a lot on his plate, give him time.” Oy vey. People are hanging onto the hope w/ Obama. (Remember that quote, “Hope was the last temptation of Chris”) Obama can’t community organize addicted to power military group-think and the common good, coaxing military group think to see things the way of peace and non-patriarchal power and competition. If you fail to plan (ergo, enacting your promised agenda) you plan to fail.

Been hearing about the corporate cronyism in the military re Halliburton, etc. What a powerful umbrella those profiteers have been hiding under for so very long. Corporate profit at the cost of American and Iraqi (et al.) blood!

:) survival, screw principle. And if our constituents are screwy, follow them (and our corporate extortionists) like lemmings over the cliff and take America and the constitution with it!

Iraq is about to find out getting WashingtonDC,the Pentagon and any number of corporatists who represent American energy interests in ME who now consider Iraq largely to be an American Colony/Garrison Outpost to honor SOFA will be extremely unlikely.

G.W.Bush was quite correct when he claimed after flying out to the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln,an American attack aircraft carrier,that this was a ‘Mission Accomplished’ for the Americans in Iraq.

Which mission? Getting WashingtonDC,the Pentagon and lots of Americans into Iraq,taking out Saddam’s regime,giving Iraq a big dose of Shock Doctrine and essentially running up the Stars and Stripes over Iraqi oil fields for all practical purposes.

That massive American Embassy in Baghdad,several American super-bases across Iraq and USAF full control of Iraqi airspace for years to come all point to what was “accomplished” in Iraq.

Gen.Odierno is the current front man for American Occupation of Iraq.

Let’s see if President Obama fires him for being off mission or backs him up and tells Iraqis to take what they are given by Americans,like it and expect more to come.

Israel surely wants an American Overlordship in Iraq and WashingtonDC surely wants sway in and over Iraq to menace Iran as desired or sought.

President Obama is free to do whatever he thinks will move forward what was started in Iraq by WashingtonDC in March 2003 until a few months ahead of 2012 election when he can whiplash Americans politically in bid to get four more years in WH. This Democrat run WH is as much for being in Iraq as the recently departed GOP run WH. Only difference being Democrats think they can do it in smarter policy ways.

That certainly gave me pause … and must feel awful for the folks serving there.

The oliogarch gated community is getting more and more aggressive. And we as middle/lower classes in this country are getting a taste of the narcissistic and deadly steam rolling of the US patriarchy using our money and in our name that they have been doing elsewhere. Enmeshment with the U.S. is a dangerous deal. Exploitation by corporatists rewarding government administration is the amoral game.

I am thinking US tossing the Geneva Convention with torture, etc., is a supportive move to our international crony, Israel, since Israel has tossed out Geneva Convention long ago in terms of Gaza. Talk about being on the same regressive and repressive page!

he may have just been trying to deflect the question. he can truthfully say he doesn’t know the precise number. somebody may have just been blown up. One less.

Book Salon upstairs with Benjamin Page’s Class War? What Americans Really Think About Economic Inequality hosted by David Watkins

Exactly how is it not possible for him to be a rogue general?

And why must we automatically assume that he is carrying out orders that come from the President? He carries out orders that come from Petraeus. In one sense, he doesn’t ask where Petraeus’s orders are coming from unless he get explicitly instructed from Washington, which bypasses Petraeus and makes him let his pique be known to the press and the minority party on the Armed Services committees.

Bureaucrats and generals routinely try to nullify those parts of their tasking that they don’t like.

OK I reread it. “If he breaks the SOFA and is left in command…”

Yep. But there might be a day or two between when he breaks it and when he is relieved of command. That will be the first shitstorm.

Then if in response to that, he is left in command, that is the second one.

But if he is relieved, there will be a shitstorm from a different direction.

Let’s see what Betray-us has to say on all the Sun. blabfests tomorrow. Maybe that will answer some of these questions but I won;t hold my breath.

I thought that’s how things are suppose to work these days, with the financial industry running the economy, the aristocracy running the media, the church running the judicial, whats so surprising about the generals running foreign policy? How could the politicians ever find enough time to write policy, or even read or contemplate policy, let alone fire a general who is making policy. How could they ever find time to raise the money required to stay in office, if they had to actually do something else?

(regretfully, am)