Redstate

By haystack Posted in Gen. Batiste | Pete Hegseth | Success in Iraq | Vets For Freedom | War — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

[note: Moe beat me to the front pages with this story so I'll relegate myself to the diaries...I need to get up PRETTY early in the morning to scoop Mr. Lane!]

Via The Corner we learn that Maj. Gen. Batiste (Ret.) has co-authored a piece in the Washington Post along with Lt. Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom. They speak very highly of Gen. Petraeus' efforts in Iraq, and the undeniable progress being made there by the US Military and the now-infamous "surge"...and I say it's a sure sign we really ARE getting the job done when a former anti-war Vet steps up and admits it himself. Well Done Maj. Gen. Batiste!

From the Corner:

As a board member of VoteVets.org, Maj. Gen. Batiste (Ret.) has been one of the most authoritative voices in the anti-war movement.

But in the Washington Post on Saturday he has an op-ed (flagged on the NRO Web Briefing), under a shared byline with Lt. Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom, a group that strongly supports the Petraeus mission of defeating al-Qaeda and the Iranian backed militias in Iraq.

Does this suggest a shift in Batiste’s thinking? In the I.D. beneath the piece, there is no mention of Batiste’s affiliation with VoteVets.org – and I notice his name has been removed from the VoteVets.org website as well.

If Batiste has indeed broken with VoteVets.org that is news – but perhaps no surprise. VoteVets.org is an extremist group – a MoveOn.org clone – that favors America’s defeat and humiliation in Iraq, seeking both ideological and partisan benefits. If Batiste has recognized this and was repelled by it, bully for him.

Let's see what they have to say in the WaPo piece below the fold...

Congress is singled out, up front, as being "entangled in a war-funding debate" and they rightly point out that our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines deserve better:

Congress has been entangled in a war-funding debate that pits war "supporters" against antiwar "defeatists." With all sides seemingly entrenched, a stalemate looms. The Pentagon, meanwhile, will soon begin stripping money from its training budget to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our military men and women deserve better than partisan politics; they deserve honest assessments of our nation's performance in fighting the Long War.

We are veterans of the Iraq war with vastly different experiences. Both of us commanded troops in Iraq. We, too, held seemingly entrenched, and incompatible, views upon our return. One of us spoke out against mismanagement of the war -- failed leadership, lack of strategy and misdirection. The other championed the cause of successfully completing our mission.

Our perspectives were different, yet not as stark as the "outspoken general" and "stay-the-course supporter" labels we received. Such labels are oversimplified and inaccurate, and we are united behind a greater purpose.

I am encouraged by their collective acknowledgment of the stereotyping the media overlaid on these men. It is important that we all recognize how differently they looked at their personal experiences and the ways in which they felt things had gone so badly. For Hegseth, I know personally how frustrated he has been with the lack of support or commitment on the part of Congress (and subsequently the American people) for the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I know, too, of Batiste's frustration with the chain of command and the policies (many times failed) from the Commander in Chief. I have written negatively about Batiste in the past, but am encouraged by his willingness to recalculate his position in light of positive gains via intelligent changes in White House policy...for whatever reason. His willingness to get behind the efforts NOW are what matters most.

More from Hegseth and Batiste:

It's time to discuss the way forward rather than prosecute the past. Congress must do the same, for our nation and the troops.

Overall, this will require learning from our strategic blunders, acknowledging successes achieved by our courageous military and forging a bold path. We believe America can and must rally around five fundamental tenets:

I encourage you all to read the details of the 5 point plan Batiste and Hegseth offer, but I list them here to consider:

1-[T]he United States must be successful in the fight against worldwide Islamic extremism.

2-Whether or not we like it, Iraq is central to that fight. We cannot walk away from our strategic interests in the region.

3-[T]he counterinsurgency campaign led by Gen. David Petraeus is the correct approach in Iraq. It is showing promise of success and, if continued, will provide the Iraqi government the opportunities it desperately needs to stabilize its country.

4-[O]ur strategy in fighting the Long War must address Iran.

5-[O]ur military capabilities need to match our national strategy. Our military is stretched thin and will be hard-pressed to maintain its current cycle of deployments.

I'm going to let these men have the last word in this piece...their close. Godspeed Lt. Hegseth and Maj. Gen. Batiste...and welcome back to the "winning side" of the debate Maj. Gen.:

The day after his famous Pearl Harbor speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt again addressed the nation. "I was about to add that ahead there lies sacrifice for all of us," he said. "But it is not correct to use that word. The United States does not consider it a sacrifice to do all one can, to give one's best to our nation, when the nation is fighting for its existence and its future life." His words inspired the "Greatest Generation," and they should inspire us again today.

Americans must mobilize for the Long War -- bolster our strained military, galvanize industry to supply troops with what they need right now and fund the strategy with long-term solutions. We have no doubt that Americans will rally behind a call to arms.

America's veterans -- young and old -- are resolved to support and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. This commitment, and nothing less, should compel us to stand together, in and out of uniform. Would that Congress finds the courage to bury its pride and do the same.