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Return to Article: Forward Observer: General Garner's Lament

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  I served under Gen. Garner in Germany until he left for his assignment with the Kurds in 1991. I knew then if anyone could succeed in such a crucial assignment it would be him. He was the best team builder I ever encountered in my 25-year career.

  I agree with his ideas to save Iraq. However, they may be too late to implement. I think our nation has lost its commitment to forge ahead in this crucial war. It breaks my heart he was not left in charge instead of being replaced by Ambassador Bremer.

  Gen. Garner's suggestion on modern equipment for the Iraqi Army is correct. If you trace what was actually paid under Bremer for old Soviet weapons, I think you will find the actual cost far exceeded the cost of modern weapons because of the bribes involved.

  His ideas about creating three regional governments within a united Iraq are correct as well. The alternative is a civil with the winner trying to subdue the other two factions. If this happens, the country will end up with a dictator worse than the one who was deposed.

  Should this happen, our only chance at salvaging anything from Iraq is to support the Kurds. They have been our only true allies in this whole mess, and we owe this friendship and support to Gen. Garner who cultivated their loyalty.

  Thank you for covering this great American in your article. Believe me, he could be King of Kurdistan if he so chose, but he is an American through and through.

  MAJ Ronald C. Winkles, US Army (RET) Posted January 17, 2007 7:58 PM
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  I generally agree with JD but think he has omitted a significant group. The group he ignores is the management of the military! The joint chiefs are just as bad as those JD lists and they should all go as well.

  Taxpayer Posted December 8, 2006 7:15 AM
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  I love the cover my rear mentality right now going in Washington. Plain and simple, people failed to plan for what happens after we take the country over. No one could screw up a war as badly as this unless they failed U.S. history on Vietnam.

  Somewhere in the pacific Posted December 7, 2006 3:10 PM
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  Neocons held enough sway with the president to convince him that Iraq would welcome us with flowers and pay for the war with oil. For that to happen, Garner had to go, or so they said. Except for Cheney (so far), all the president's neocon friends have quietly slinked off leaving him to hold an empty bag of hope and promises. The Iraq study group's plan holds some promise but lacks any credible military direction. Garner's plan is credible. Write your congressman.

  GovExec.com reader Posted December 7, 2006 11:11 AM
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  How about this for a simple plan to get out of Iraq? Simply tell the resistance fighters that they are doing the wrong thing if they want us to leave. If they stopped fighting against U.S. and Coalition and Iraqi government troops, we will leave. If they want us to stay, then they can go on fighting us and the elected government. This has nothing to do with getting Shiites and Sunnis to stop killing each other, but would eliminate the reason that most Iraqis are shooting at us.

  Dan Strasser Posted December 5, 2006 1:16 PM
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  "You couldn't have gotten the 10 most brilliant men and women in America to design a way for us to fail in Iraq that would have been any better than what we have done on our own." If George Bush will be remembered for anything, how he totally screwed up our efforts in Iraq will certainly be his legacy. Maybe not the 10 most brilliant, but certainly five of the most incompetent led us to where we currently stand in this terrible debacle. Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condi Rice, Paul Bremer and last but not least, George Bush himself. None have proven their competence, with the exception of the blind leading and/or following the blind. I see no way for the United States to get out of this with any semblance of honor or respect, but a step in the right direction was taken this past November, by rebuking the leadership (if you want to call it such) that brought this country to such disarray. Each night I say a prayer that there is a 22nd Amendment, and this incompetent and his cronies will soon be gone from public service.

  JD Posted December 5, 2006 6:22 AM