Oli
04-11-2008, 12:02 AM
I saw an unusual confluence of stories in my RSS feed this morning.
"General Richard A. Cody graduated from West Point in 1972, flew helicopters, ascended to command the storied 101st Airborne Division, and then, toward the end of his career, settled into management; now, at fifty-seven, he wears four stars as the Army Vice-Chief of Staff. This summer, he will retire from military service.
In 2004, in a little-noted speech, Cody described the Army’s efforts to adapt to its new commitments. (It was attempting to fight terrorism, quell the Taliban, invade and pacify Iraq, and, at the same time, prepare for future strategic challenges, whether in China or Korea or Africa.) The endeavor was, Cody said, like “building an airplane in flight.”
Last week, the General appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee and testified that this method of engineering has failed."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23994339/
"WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers are committing suicide at record levels, young officers are abandoning their military careers, and the heavy use of forces in Iraq has made it harder for the military to fight conflicts that could arise elsewhere.
Unprecedented strains on the nation's all-volunteer military are threatening the health and readiness of the troops.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24036546/
" WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday he sees no chance that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will drop to 100,000 by the end of the year, guaranteeing a heavy American military presence as the war grinds into its sixth year to the end of the Bush presidency.
President Bush said his top commander can take "all the time he needs" to consider further withdrawals after July."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH_IRAQ?SITE=MAFAL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
"In Bucharest last week, NATO weathered one of the most contentious summits in its history.
By standing in the way of U.S. efforts to put Ukraine and Georgia on the path to membership, Germany, France, Italy and a host of other members delivered Washington an embarrassing rebuff. President George W. Bush had just hosted Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in Washington and stopped in Ukraine on the way to Bucharest, all in the service of advancing their case for starting down the path toward NATO membership."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/09/opinion/edkupchan.php
Not as well as we could be.
"General Richard A. Cody graduated from West Point in 1972, flew helicopters, ascended to command the storied 101st Airborne Division, and then, toward the end of his career, settled into management; now, at fifty-seven, he wears four stars as the Army Vice-Chief of Staff. This summer, he will retire from military service.
In 2004, in a little-noted speech, Cody described the Army’s efforts to adapt to its new commitments. (It was attempting to fight terrorism, quell the Taliban, invade and pacify Iraq, and, at the same time, prepare for future strategic challenges, whether in China or Korea or Africa.) The endeavor was, Cody said, like “building an airplane in flight.”
Last week, the General appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee and testified that this method of engineering has failed."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23994339/
"WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers are committing suicide at record levels, young officers are abandoning their military careers, and the heavy use of forces in Iraq has made it harder for the military to fight conflicts that could arise elsewhere.
Unprecedented strains on the nation's all-volunteer military are threatening the health and readiness of the troops.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24036546/
" WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday he sees no chance that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will drop to 100,000 by the end of the year, guaranteeing a heavy American military presence as the war grinds into its sixth year to the end of the Bush presidency.
President Bush said his top commander can take "all the time he needs" to consider further withdrawals after July."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH_IRAQ?SITE=MAFAL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
"In Bucharest last week, NATO weathered one of the most contentious summits in its history.
By standing in the way of U.S. efforts to put Ukraine and Georgia on the path to membership, Germany, France, Italy and a host of other members delivered Washington an embarrassing rebuff. President George W. Bush had just hosted Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in Washington and stopped in Ukraine on the way to Bucharest, all in the service of advancing their case for starting down the path toward NATO membership."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/09/opinion/edkupchan.php
Not as well as we could be.