Top US general says Rumsfeld is inspired by God

[Terryray]

Thu Oct 19, 3:35 PM ET off Yahoo news.

AFP Photo: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace(R) and United States Secretary of...



MIAMI (AFP) - The top US general defended the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying it is inspired by God.


"He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country," said Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Rumsfeld is "a man whose patriotism focus, energy, drive, is exceeded by no one else I know ... quite simply, he works harder than anybody else in our building," Pace said at a ceremony at the Southern Command (Southcom) in Miami.

Rumsfeld has faced a storm of criticism and calls for his resignation, largely over his handling of the Iraq war.

But he got a strong show of support from the military establishment at Thursday's ceremony, where Navy Admiral James Stavridis took over Southcom's command from General Bantz Craddock.

"He comes to work everyday with a single-minded focus to make this country safe," said Stavridis who was a senior aide to Rumsfeld before taking on the Southcom job.

"We're lucky as a nation that he continues to serve with such passion and such integrity and such determination and such brilliance," said Stavridis, 51.

As head of Southcom, Stavridis will be responsible for military cooperation with Latin American countries, and will be in charge of the Guantanamo US military base in Cuba where more than 400 "war on terror" detainees are being held.

Craddock, who was named supreme commander of allied forces in Europe, hailed the role Southcom has played.

"Today I believe that we can say we were successful in our efforts and contributed to ensuring our nation's security through support on the global war on terror, and encouraged regional cooperation to enhance the security and stability in the region," he said.

 

[Roger Baltrey]

Famous last words of many an imbecile. Logic works much better than Rumsfelds hallucinations. This bozo created a strategic debacle of the highest order. God is not going to help him extricate himself.

 

[Terryray]

Roger B, sounds like you'd agree with Pat Tillman's brother

Roger B, sounds like you'd agree with Pat Tillman's brother

After Pat?s Birthday



Posted on Oct 19, 2006

Courtesy the Tillman Family / The San Francisco Chronicle
Pat Tillman (left) and his brother Kevin stand in front of a Chinook helicopter in Saudi Arabia before their tour of duty as Army Rangers in Iraq in 2003.


By Kevin Tillman

Editor?s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.



It is Pat?s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier leaves us without a voice? until we get out.

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can?t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.



Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few ?bad apples? in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It?s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated.

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don?t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that ?somehow? was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.

Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat?s birthday.





Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,

Kevin Tillman

 

[smurphy]

MIAMI (AFP) - The top US general defended the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying it is inspired by God.
.

 

[bryanz]

After Pat?s Birthday



Posted on Oct 19, 2006

Courtesy the Tillman Family / The San Francisco Chronicle
Pat Tillman (left) and his brother Kevin stand in front of a Chinook helicopter in Saudi Arabia before their tour of duty as Army Rangers in Iraq in 2003.


By Kevin Tillman

Editor?s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.



It is Pat?s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier leaves us without a voice? until we get out.

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can?t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.



Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few ?bad apples? in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It?s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated.

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don?t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that ?somehow? was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.

Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat?s birthday.





Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,

Kevin Tillman

Weasel, what's your take on this propaganda ?

 

[bryanz]

Weasel, what should we do with Kevin Tillman ? He should be tried and hung at high noon for treason right ? Why don't you spit in his face, tough guy.

 

[StevieD]

After Pat?s Birthday...

Amen.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Is there anyone wanting to make friendly wager that Keven Tillman wrote this letter?

 

[The Judge]

Is there anyone wanting to make friendly wager that Keven Tillman wrote this letter?

Considering that Kevin Tillman graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in philosophy, I will gladly take that wager.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Your On Greg
Couldn't think of anyone I'd rather lose it to (if I lose)

$100 or maybe team sweat shirt or cap.
You name the poison.

I haven't been able to find anything on it in my resources including who editor is--however am somewhat concerned as Terryray posts/facts are generally A+

Maybe he can shed some light on his sources--but I'm thinking this will have snopes written all over it in the future--my reasoning is same word and context as many liberal blog sites.-and ddoesn't sound like a soilder speaking.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Maybe he can shed some light on his sources....

"Courtesy the Tillman Family / The San Francisco Chronicle"

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

Considering that Kevin Tillman graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in philosophy, I will gladly take that wager.

You may very well have to kidnap Kevin and take him to Kentucky to meet Dogs to cash this thing.

And just to be clear, it's not Keven, it's Kevin, so don't try that out either, DTB

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

I don't think Greg would make wager with anyone he didn't trust Bobby--as neither would I.

--I might add you would also be on list of several I trusted despite our differences and I might say I am disappointed you would think I tried to squelch on wager on technicality.

--now for Jabbers--how would you get money to him--drop it off in brown bag at designated area or maybe he'd have hooded carrier pick it up at my office:142smilie

 

[Chadman]

I have to say, this is taking the blame game to a new level. Now Rummy is off the hook, because God is the one responsible for the mismanagement of the Iraq war.

I guess I hope the Devil isn't paying attention. Seems like a good time to make a move.

 

[Terryray]

OK, some background.

Part of the reason I posted the Tillman piece second is due to some sick balancing act I was trying for, as it is well known Tillman was an athiest.

Also Tillman family is pretty leftist. Close friend of Pat Tillman, Army Spec. Russell Baer, reported Pat said about Iraq, "You know, this war is so f? illegal."....Tillman's mom sez that a mutual friend arranged a meeting after Tillman's return with one of Tillman's favorite authors, Noam Chomsky.

Considering that Kevin Tillman graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in philosophy, I will gladly take that wager.

I don't doubt Kevin Tillman shares many of Pat's opinions---and almost any gradutate with a philosopy degree, nowadays, is bound to be as familiar with Noam Chomsky as Aristotle.


Kevin Tillman's piece appears on Robert Scheer's Truthdig. A leftist site I monitor. :SIB Scheer wouldn't put up any fabricated piece as he has been covering this story for months and has contacts with the Tillman family, and does follow normal journalistic practices of today.


Kevin Tillman might have had lots of help from friends writing this piece, but as the writing is very clear, concise and cogent, Chomsky was probably not among the helpers.


I do see one person replying to Tillman article at Truthdig questioning whether it is real. Another respondent saying it is part of the pattern involving Sen Wellstone's "murder" and I smell a fine conspiracy theory on the horizon.

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

--I might add you would also be on list of several I trusted despite our differences and I might say I am disappointed you would think I tried to squelch on wager on technicality.

Don't trust your integrity at all, DTB. I just don't think that there's a newsource that would report this story that you would buy off on as legit.

 

[smurphy]

DTB and Gardenweasel can't seem to phathom the fact that many soldiers are Left of center, or perhaps even Democrats.

Lets try and remember: Bush never fought, Rumsfeld never fought, Cheney never fought, Wolfowicz never fought, Rice never fought. EVERY single peron orchestrating Iraq NEVER FOUGHT. The results shouldn't be surprising when you look at it that way.

On the other hand - all these fkn chickenhawks find a way to label people who did fight or families of those soldiers as being the freedom-hating un-American pussies: John Kerry FOUGHT, Cindy Sheehan's son FOUGHT, both Tillmans FOUGHT, 11 Iraq War vets running for Congress as Democrats FOUGHT.

Can we dispell the stupid, false, dangerous fallacies once and for all? This administration has taken advantage of REAL patriots long enough.

 

[smurphy]

Another respondent saying it is part of the pattern involving Sen Wellstone's "murder" and I smell a fine conspiracy theory on the horizon.

Hey man, I DO think Cheney had Wellstone killed. That was just way too convenient of a death for the Bush/Cheney agenda. WAY TOO convenient.

Just imagine how popular Wellstone would be today. Unlike Dean, he wasn't outcast as being lunatic. Everything he was saying would now be seen as true. He would have become the natural choice as some kind of leader for the Dems. He would have been popular and respected from both sides.

I'm not a conspiracy kinda guy, but this one quacks like a duck and looks like a duck.

 

[Jabberwocky]

"--now for Jabbers--how would you get money to him--drop it off in brown bag at designated area or maybe he'd have hooded carrier pick it up at my office"

wtf are you talking about DTB??

Quit polluting the forums with your non-sense.

 

[Terryray]

hangover....this one quacks like a duck and looks like a duck.

:mj07: