Lt.General Gregory Newbold
It’s an odd thought, but a military coup in this country right now would probably have a moderating influence. Not that an actual coup is pending; still less is one desirable. But we are witnessing the rumblings of an officers’ revolt, and things could get ugly if it were to take hold and roar.
The revolt is a reluctant one, aimed specifically at the personage of Donald Rumsfeld and the way he is conducting the war in Iraq.
It is startling to hear, in private conversations, how widely and deeply the U.S. officer corps despises this secretary of defense. The joke in some Pentagon circles is that if Rumsfeld were meeting with the service chiefs and commanders and a group of terrorists barged into the room and kidnapped him, not a single general would lift a finger to help him.
Gen. Anthony Zinni, a Marine with a long record of command positions (his last was as head of U.S. Central Command, which runs military operations in the Persian Gulf and South Asia), called last month for Rumsfeld’s resignation. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, who ran the program to train the Iraqi military, followed with a New York Times op-ed piece lambasting Rumsfeld as “incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically,” and a man who “has put the Pentagon at the mercy of his ego, his Cold Warrior’s view of the world, and his unrealistic confidence in technology to replace manpower.”
While Zinni is a favorite among students of military history, strategy and tactics — the leading voice of dissent [this week] is Gregory Newbold. Even though he was in line to become Commandant of the Marine Corps, he retired 4 months before the invasion in part because of “opposition to those who had used 9/11’s tragedy to hijack our security policy”.
What we are living with now is the consequences of successive policy failures. Some of the missteps include: the distortion of intelligence in the buildup to the war, McNamara-like micromanagement that kept our forces from having enough resources to do the job, the failure to retain and reconstitute the Iraqi military in time to help quell civil disorder, the initial denial that an insurgency was the heart of the opposition to occupation, alienation of allies who could have helped in a more robust way to rebuild Iraq, and the continuing failure of the other agencies of our government to commit assets to the same degree as the Defense Department. My sincere view is that the commitment of our forces to this fight was done with a casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions–or bury the results.
No need to add anything to that last sentence.
Got this from an extremely reliable source: Bush is planning a nuclear attack on or around June 6, 2006 on American soil. He will declare martial law. World War III will start.
This is not meant to scare you. It is meant for you to start taking preparations.
Coup d’etat MUST happen before this date. You don’t understand the extreme danger we are in if it does not happen. 9/11 was nothing compared to what will happen.
Heed this. You will regret after it happens if you do not.
david: You’re telling me that there will be a nuclear attack on the date : 6-6-6?
So three of the what, 1500(?) generals disagree with Rumsfeld. That isn’t exactly a groundswell of opposition. You would expect at least that much disagreement in a group even an order of magnitude smaller.
David,
An extremely reliable source has informed us that your spaceship is scheduled to arrive on 06/06/06 to return you to your planet.
Have a nice trip.
“Sam Damon, a straight-arrow field commander, and Courtney Massengale, a scheming Pentagon careerist.” …”Pentagon’s upper ranks contain too many Courtney Massengales and not enough Sam Damons.”
If you would ask any of the upper ranks they would all say about themselves is they’re lile Sam Damons.
I know allot of Military Officers who left when Clinton was in office because they didn’t agree with him. Now you have one’s that don’t agree with Bush.
If you know anything about the Military you will know that anyone with the rank of Colonel and above is politicaly connected some way.
Any rank above silver oak leaves requires congressional approval and I believe (although I not 100% sure) has to be recomended by the prez.
agile, the U.S. dollar is going to collapse. Look at the price of gold it has doulbed in the last few years. Real estate is going to burst. America owes so much money and has nothing to pay it with. Instead of going bankrupt it is better to kill off our creditors. Or instigate a world war for another country to do it for us. The U.S. is bankrupt. You better buy gold. The dollar is going to be worthless. Bank accounts? Ha!
This story reads like more wishful thinking by big media.
In other words, nothing to see here, move along.
David, et. al. I always wondered what the lure of gold (and other not-essential-to-life extravagances) is when apocalyptic times come. Seems to me that cans of food would be worth more.
Gold (or whatever) is only the basis of currency (and thus the economy) if everybody agrees that there is some ‘value’ to it. If times get really rough again, I don’t think a gold standard will cut it anymore.
So, buy Tuna. At least you eat what you can’t trade.
I always wondered what the lure of gold (and other not-essential-to-life extravagances) is when apocalyptic times come.
Same here, Lou…
Reminds me of a co-worker in Idaho, years ago. When the subject of the local Mormon community’s storage of a year’s worth of food in each household was mentioned, he opined that he liked that they were doing that – because he would know where to go for supplies when the sh*t hits the fan… 🙂
“We need leadership up there that respects the military as they expect the military to respect them. And that leadership needs to understand teamwork.”
“It speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out from retirement about the leadership climate in the Department of Defense,”
retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2004-2005
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/12/AR2006041201114_pf.html
That is the fourth General to come out against Rumsfeld.
Bush can’t start WWIII on June 6, 2006, that is the day Ann Coulter is releasing her new book! Or is that his plan? I’m so confused.
cjohnson, I was driving yesterday when I noticed when I got to a red light that my odometer digital reading was 7,777. I don’t know why but I felt that it was something significant– a sign from God. I looked at the crossing light post and it had attached a poster which read “Circle of Truth”. The light turned green and I pulled my van over and walked over to the corner crosswalk. The poster was for some Jewish show “for women and girls only”. I was going to attend but I figured I don’t look good in a wig and lipstick. Not discouraged I looked around for another signal from God. I crossed the small crosswalk and looked at that lightpost. There was a printed telephone number on a sticker: 777-7777. That kinda of got my attention. I looked around looking for another sign. I couldn’t get one. I asked God to tell me what he was trying to tell me. Couldn’t get any other signs so I went back to my van I drove back to the office where I got on the internet and googled 06/06/06. I don’t know why I did that. Just did. Got back a result about WW3 and an e-book download. Somehow I got the message about a nuke going off on June 6. I asked God if this is what he was trying to tell me. I looked outside my window to the bridge. The sun’s yellow disk was visible through thick clouds approaching sunset. As I walked home at around 11pm later I asked God for another sign to be sure that this is what He wanted me to know. I looked up at the sky when suddenly the clouds broke for a few second and the full moon shone at me. The sun, the moon were both full and able to be stared at. That along with the 7’s and the “Circle of Truth” put everything together.
Now I remember revolt from the military during Clinton’s administration, but how many deaths of american soldiers were involved during Clinton’s run? Not satire, a comparable question.
Second, I’ll make you a deal Dvorak — you let me make this blog work in Safari, and I’ll teach your boys how to make a script to put David’s comments straight to the bottom:)
For those that are saying that this is no big deal, that it is only a few generals speaking up, you really have to look at it from a different perspective. There is a buzz in the air, and undercurrent of discomfort with the leadership. Commanders on active duty, regardless of the publicly promulgated sayings that they should speak up, can not realistically do so. Only if they are issued a blatantly unlawful order is a military person able to express his qualms, and even then not publicly. But once you are out of the military you are no longer under that written and unwriiten obligation to shut-up and do what you are ordered. As long as you don’t divulge classified information, you can say whatever you want. And the generals that are speaking up after they get out are openly expressing that they are acting as spokespeople for those that can’t speak up.
Do you really expect the Joint Chief of Staff to say publicly that the military would rather have a different Secretary of Defense? He may say that to the President privately, but publicly he has to support those that command him.
What is being challenged is not moral behaviour, it is competence. And you can NEVER challenge competence publicly while in the active service without being charged with mutiny either formally or informally.
Just to back-up Awake’s response in #15, even three officers is a big deal. You have to understand that it is *illegal* for a military officer to bash his higher command, especially Rumsfeld, and something that isn’t done. Even if they hate their higher command, they will publicly support them. It’s what an officer does.
Now Gen. Anthony Zinni (semper-fi) and the rest of them may be retired, but you don’t just cast aside 30 years of training, and thinking overnight, and retired or not, you’re still expected to act like an officer until the damn day you die. 🙂
So for them to bash our upper leadership is a big deal, and many people in the military will not take it lightly.
David –
>> “Got this from an extremely reliable source: Bush is planning a nuclear attack on or around June 6, 2006 on American soil.”
Very interesting. I would love t read more about what you are posting, since if it is from a reliable source, we need to get prepared. So could you please provide us with some links to reliable information that supports your statement? And if we can’t see this directly, could you please tell us why your reliable source would tell YOU this incredibly sensitive information.
“Now I remember revolt from the military during Clinton’s administration, but how many deaths of american soldiers were involved during Clinton’s run? ”
A good point but don’t forget… How many deaths of American soldiers were in involved during the Johnson administration?
sorry people… david’s “thinking” is EXACTLY why I got out of the local major religion, and why I don’t trust ANY organized religion!
As for the Generals, BRAVO!
But it doesn’t go far enough….
Hang ANY Politico who’s been in office longer than 1 term!
shoot anybody who professes to be a “Professional Politician”, or relies ONLY on public money to make a living!
Running for office should ONLY be for helping the country, NOT “making a living”…..
This is going to be my only comment, so don’t bother with a reply to what I say, I won’t see it anyway…
“Any rank above silver oak leaves requires congressional approval and I believe (although I not 100% sure) has to be recomended by the prez.”
Technically, all the ranks, enlisted, warranted and commissioned in the US military are appointed by the sitting president. And, technicall, all of the commissioned are approved by congress.
In practical terms, the subordinates of the president handle all of the enlisted and the warrented in toto. The same is true for the commissioned to a point, but now the civilian control of the Department of defense, therefore, the service secretaries, and SecDef also get involved.
The thing is that from 2nd Lieuy up through Light Colonel (Ensign through Full Commander in the Navy) the names just get passed through the secretaries, to the president to the congress in a big list and some friendly house member and senator of the president’s party introduce the bills which then pass through the correct congressional committees to the floor without much hassle and are voted on AND PASSED again with no hassle, so that the president can sign the bill, without ceremony.
But, from Full Colonel (Captain in the Navy) and up into the Flag ranks, it quits being an exercise in courtesy, starting with the secretaries of the services who will never let the list go on to SecDef with “controversial” names on it, who will never let the list go to the president with “controversial” names on it, who will never let the list go to the friendly Representative or Senator with “controversial” names on it.
The opposition party will usually not make the same kind of stink over these commissions as they do over say the justices of the Supreme Court (well with maybe the one exception of George Scott Patton, pere’s third star), but in those ranks the congress critters are definately aware of who they vote for and the president is definately aware of whose commissions get signed into law.
Once again, an article is posted here that I have just finished reading something about elsewhere.
It seems, according to William Kristle(well known neo-con) and head of The Weekly Standard(VERY neo-con), that Rummy may be very close to being asked to resign and that Bush has been waiting for the right time to force it. He got his info from someone in the inner circle, he is after all one of them.
Bush has been very unhappy with many things that dear old Rummy has done or not done. So these Generals speaking up may be what he needs or it may cause him to wait so as not to look like he is caving.
But I wouldn’t expect to see Rummy as Sec of Defense past November.
It is VERY unusual to see high ranking military go public this soon after their retirements. The Gen. in this article has been gone a few years, but the others have barely waited until the ink was dry on their retirement papers before dropping their bombs.
I would bet the only thing keeping Rummy is Cheney….they are like siamese twins. Someone needs to run a strong microwave near Cheney’s pacemaker, so Bush can do his job. He can’t be any worse alone.
oh…and agile….great comment to david……david….you have one hellava stash dude.
16. “…teach your boys how to make a script to put David’s comments straight to the bottom:)”
ROFL… Brandy, I forgot to tell you that I am legitimately crazy.
17. Sean, the military takes an oath FIRST to the U.S. Constitution, and only second to the Commander in Chief. I think they are starting to see the writing on the wall: Bush has no regard for the Constitution. He took an oath before taking office to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” as is stated in Article 2. Rather, Bush has deteriorated, desecrated and attacked the Constitution. Our politicians have no integrity. They just want to keep their jobs. They are spineless worms. Finally, military personnel are starting to see how they are being taken in by the leader in the White House.
18. Awake, the illuminati who run the world use numerology and symbols to communicate with eachother and mock the individuals of the world. They figure that we are so stupid that even a direct in-your-face symbol would go over our heads. And it has for the most part. I know how they think. I am an illuminated one that won’t take part in their desire for world domination. It is a sickness of the Mind. It is the Mind without God. Without God, people just become serial numbers, objects, disposable. When you understand something which is this: there is NO consequence to killing. Only a man can stop man. Just like the Universe continues to expand where at the edge of the Universe what is it expanding into? Man expands his consciousness into unknown space. Remember this if you remember only one thing I ever said: Man is alone in the Universe. God only appears when man is in union with man (harmony). When man forces man to lose his individuality to take on another man’s image (personality) then their is no union, therefore no God. Man is FREE. A man’s Freedom can only be taken away by another man. If someone tries to take away your freedom (doing whatever you want to do. WHATEVER–without hurting others or taking another one’s freedom away) you MUST do whatever it takes to RETAIN it.
Only you can grant you freedom. NOBODY ELSE. Not the Constitution, not God, Not America. ONLY YOU. AND ONLY MAN CAN TAKE IT AWAY.
Here is a link: (READ the e-book Fresh Wisdom. I am halfway through it. I agree 100% with it by my OWN experience as a FREE MAN)
http://www.threeworldwars.com/june06-2006.htm
23. joshua, there will be a day when you see.
24. My opinion: David is crazy. (Sorry David. No nuclear attack. No martial law. Ain’t gonna happen.) BUT he does have one thing absolutely correct: every officer in the U.S. Armed Forces takes an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. The oath enlisted personnel take includes a line that reads “I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me” but there is no similar line in the officer’s oath; it says “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same”. The idea of a coup is absolute anathema to officers in the U.S. military, and regulations we work under make it nearly impossible for serving officers to defend the Constitution from domestic enemies. But while retirement may release us from requirements to not be involved in the political process, every career officer considers him or herself bound by their oath for life. This is why many retired officers speak up like the ones quoted here: it is our sworn duty to defend the Constitution. Release from active duty allows us to participate in the political process and switch gears from defending against “enemies foreign” to “enemies domestic”.
6. Jetfire states: “If you know anything about the Military you will know that anyone with the rank of Colonel and above is politically connected some way.” As a retired career Naval officer I can safely and honestly say that this is an untrue statement. It is true that general and flag promotions come under political scrutiny, and politicians may block some promotions, but it certainly does not take “political connections” to advance to O-6 or general/flag rank. This is a serious and false slur against many of my classmates and shipmates, who are either Captains or flag officers, and are some of the finest men and women in our nation. The general public has no grasp at all of what it takes to advance in a career as an officer in the service. Just as an example, most folks do not realize that it is virtually impossible to rise above the rank of Major/Lieutenant Commander without a graduate degree. Many of my friends who are now Captains or Rear Admirals have two and sometimes three Master’s degrees. We have a highly educated, politically astute officer corps who have little tolerance for those who would hazard our troops carelessly and recklessly.
But oh, BTW: there will be no coup. Ever. The commitment of serving U.S. military officers to the principle of civilian control of the military is unshakeable and unswervable.
#24
“the military takes an oath FIRST to the U.S. Constitution, and only second to the Commander in Chief”
Good point, I hadn’t thought of it that way. My company’s XO was opening democratic during the last election, but I couldn’t prod him for the life of me to say something nasty about Bush. He simply told me it was illegal (*wink* *wink*, I won’t say it, but you know it), and could land him in a lot of trouble.
– Sean
26. “He simply told me it was illegal”. That is the Matrix at work. He can’t say what he wants because a BELIEF is stopping him. A BELIEF. Show me a belief. I can show you an apple, a star in the night sky and even a virus under a microscope BUT I cannot show you a belief. Who planted that belief in your friend that is preventing his freedom from emerging (i.e., vocalizing (manifesting) his thoughts)? That is your sole purpose in life: to manifest your thoughts. YOUR OWN THOUGHTS. NOT anybody elses. When you manifest someone else’s thoughts you are not you. You are a puppet and the strings are held by Satan. ANYONE who stops his fellow man from self-expression is doing SATAN’S work. Who stops YOU? I said before that only a man can stop man. Who is stopping you? Answer: YOU. That “YOU” is not You. It is fabricated by society. It is a plastic you that obeys a Master. That Master SHOULD only be You. When you hesitate to say something you really want to, the Matrix Master is holding you back. Hahahah… the Master is not physically there! YOU PUT HIM THERE! I know this is somewhat deep… deeper is you who lives a fabricated self, called an ego with your name on it. You has no name. You don’t need one unless someone is trying to call out to you. You are not what you were taught you were. Now, you serve a Master. He is imaginary. And when he is physically there, he is man–your friend perhaps who is obeying the Matrix to STOP YOU.
26. “But oh, BTW: there will be no coup. Ever. The commitment of serving U.S. military officers to the principle of civilian control of the military is unshakeable and unswervable.”
Ray, they got you good. You believe in absolutes. Absolutes went out one hundred years ago with Einstein’s Relativity. There ARE no absolutes. It has been scientifically PROVEN.
Ray, they got you good.
Also see this link:
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/flag.htm
27. david, you want to be Master? This is the danger of speaking. *Someone* has to say something. BUT, the difference is I REMAIN HIDDEN. You CANNOT see my physically. EVER. Because to do so is to be so. Only ever trust yourSelf. There is where I reside.
What I said yesterday …well….that was then…this is now……seems all the Generals speaking up have pushed Bush to have to back Rummy with a strong statement. All the harping may have backfired, because Bush dosen’t like to look like he’s been pushed into something.
If I was a tin foil hat kind of guy, I would say Rummy got these Generals to take swipes at him, knowing that would cause Bush to back him up.
25, Ray
Very well written piece. I learned from it and gained some deeper understanding. Thank you and please write us again.
30 joshua,
I thought that when your boss was defending you in public was the kiss of death. But then again, Bush can be unpredictable. Good comment though.