Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey openly disavowed President Obama’s recent speech claiming mission accomplished in Afghanistan, saying he didn’t see how Obama could say Afghanistan would never be a terrorist safe haven again.
Gen. Dempsey said he sees “pockets inside of Afghanistan that change hands from time to time,” and that the only way the US has a “chance to do exactly what the president said” is continuing the war.
Dempsey’s comments, like other Pentagon officials, centered around the idea that the wars need to be continued in the long run to really assure “success,” and lowering expectations for an actual victory.
Dempsey downplayed complaints about President Obama “micromanaging” the wars, insisting that the advice of top Pentagon leaders continues to drive policy decisions.
i thought in the us the military leaders could not openly contradict their civilian commander in chief
Used to be the case. But that presupposes that the civilian "commander-in-chief" is actually in charge.
see yes minister (and yes prime minister)
If you disagree with your commander should you not resign?
Terrorism — Acts of violence toward NATO nations
Comes now the President and his military to tell us that the root cause of terrorism can be nothing but terrorism and that the only solution to such vengeance driven violence is greater and more deadly violence.
Problem is, the only solution to violence is to undue the root cause, for not until the NATO nations stop bombing the Middle-East to maximize profit in trading war materials for oil, not until then will their vengeance go away, and until then terrorism is forever here to stay.