Asking The Generals

by digby

In case anyone ever had the mistaken impression that the network “military analysts,” are any more neutral or non-partisan than the retired generals who have stepped forward to ask for Rumsefeld’s resignation, think again:

BLITZER: And this is just coming in to CNN right now. The Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has just wrapped up his meeting with retired U.S. generals who now serve as military analysts for the news media. Our own military analyst, retired U.S. Air Force Major General Don Shepperd, is fresh out of the meeting. He’s joining us now live from the Pentagon.

General Shepperd, thanks very much. How did it go? Tell our viewers how the defense secretary specifically responded to all these suggestions from other retired military generals that he stepped down?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Yes, very little, Wolf. Everybody expected the headlines out of this to be that the secretary says the following things and the focus of the meeting was very little on that. It came up from time to time, mainly from our own questions, but basically the focus was on how the war in Iraq is going, how it would have been different in the past if, and that type of thing. It was not about the retired generals’ controversy although the secretary is clearly distracted by and it worried about and it concerned about it. And he listened to a lot of things from the group.

BLITZER: Well, did anyone — any of the retired generals and admirals who were there, did any of them step up and offer criticism of the secretary of defense?

SHEPPERD: No, it wasn’t criticism of the secretary of defense. We basically offered our ideas about the fact of, look, the message is not getting out. If you say that we’re doing well in the war, what is the message for the American people? What is the next thing the American people are going to see in the way of an event they can see some progress?

And the answer was unanimous from both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and also the secretary. It’s the formation of the Iraqi government. That’s the next important event and from there, the continuing training of the Iraqi forces. That’s the message, Wolf.

BLITZER: When you say that it was clear these calls from these retired generals for him to step down, including the commander of — the former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, former commander of the First Infantry Division, both of whom served in Iraq, it’s weighing heavily on him, what does that mean? How could you tell?

SHEPPERD: Look, he has got to be concerned about this. His words — evidence concern, no question about that. But, basically, General Pace kind of picked up the ball on this and said, look, I don’t know where these guys are coming from. We had regular sessions.

The big generals, the combatant commanders, General Franks and the others, two chiefs of staff of the Air Force, two commandants of the Marine Corps, two chiefs of staff of the Army, two chairmen of the Joint Chiefs — all of these people made their inputs, voiced their concerns, we talked it out.

Then we all agreed on General Franks plan, that it was a good one. We all had a hand in this. The fact that people say they weren’t consulted was simply not true. They may not have had their own ideas accepted but they definitely were consulted and a lot of people had a voice on this.

BLITZER: How many general did he invite to this session today?

SHEPPERD: They weren’t all generals by any means. It’s the normal — the usual suspects you see on TV as analysts and read in the print media, as well, and hear on radio. There were 15 of us there. I think probably a group of 30 or 40 was invited. Just about the same size group we usually had. It’s been as low as 15 and as high as 30.

BLITZER: Was there any moment that really was a poignant or dramatic moment that stands out in your mind, General Shepherd? A moment of some tension or some humor, if you will?

SHEPPERD: Well, you know the secretary was really in a good mood, so was the chairman. These people are not troubled people. They are concerned people and they are concerned about what is going on. But our message to them as analysts was, look, you have got to get the importance of this war out to the American people.

The importance message is that this is a forward strategy. It’s better to fight the war in Iraq than it is the war on American soil. And further, the message needs to be imagine an Iraq, imagine Iraq under the control of Zarqawi with another conveyor belt combined for tourists, combined with oil, water and land and resources, imagine the effect of that. That’s a message that has to get out to the American people because the American people do not feel they are at war.

Both General Pace and also Secretary Rumsfeld basically said we have got to improve our message and improve our communication. We want to do that. This is a tough war. It’s going to be a long war in many places. It’s not going to be something that’s going to come out with a bow in the next year or two years.

I’m awfully glad the network “analysts” told the Secretary what he needs to do to “get the message out.” He certainly needs some professional advice. It just seems kind of funny that the analysts were retired Generals — who we are told ad nauseeum are not supposed to have opinions.

I’m actually surprised CNN was invited. Usually this administration just checks in with Roger Ailes and he passes the word to the relevant people.

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