Ed54's blog
Posted at 4:13pm on Apr. 24, 2008 Petraeus and Odierno
By Ed54
By now everyone knows that GEN Petraeus (aka P4) has been selected to lead Central Command. There's no shortage of reportage on P4's potential impact at CENTCOM, so I won't belabor that topic much. I will say that many CENTCOM staffers feel the command has stagnated under Fallon's autocratic style, so any intellectual rejuvenation that occurs under P4 will be a good thing.
The lesser reported aspect of this move, but potentially the more significant one, is the nomination of LTG Ray Odierno to command MNC(I) in Iraq. This is great news for anyone who wants to see the US successful in Iraq.
Posted in Military Roundtable — Comments (3) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 2:34pm on Mar. 3, 2008 Odierno and Crocker - unsung heroes of the Iraq War
By Ed54
Everyone knows who General David Petraeus is. He is the public face of victory in the Iraq war. However, many of you may not know who Lietentant General Ray Odierno or Ambassador Ryan Crocker are. Many of you may not even know that LTG Odierno gave up command of MNC(I) and left Iraq on Feb 18th. The lack of fanfare is a shame. These two leaders share equal credit for our remarkable turnaround in Iraq over the last 12 months. For the last 12 months we had a superb 3-way leadership team in Iraq, with Petraus designing strategy, Odierno running operations, and Crocker handling politics.
Posted in Military Roundtable — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 3:01pm on Jan. 18, 2008 McCain and Torture
By Ed54
Some McCain detractors cite his position on torture as one of the litany of reasons why they do not support him. They are wrong. There are many legitimate reasons why one might oppose McCain or favor someone else. His position on torture is not one of them. That argument is a manufactured red herring.
BLUF: McCain has it right on torture. His position is simple: the US does not and will not torture prisoners, and our laws and policies must reflect that principle with clear guidance and restrictions. His position is based on his best judgment of how to win this war, as informed by his own personal experience with torture. It is both a moral and a practical imperative to ensure we abide by the strictest standards of conduct in the treatment of prisoners, regardless of their legal status.
Posted in War — Comments (17) / Email this page » / Read More »
