Army Times Editorial: "A Failure of Leadership at the Highest Levels"

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.armytimes.com/print.php?f=1-292925-2903288.php

Published: May 17, 2004

Around the halls of the Pentagon, a term of caustic derision has emerged for the enlisted soldiers at the heart of the furor over the Abu Ghraib prison scandal: the six morons who lost the war.

Indeed, the damage done to the U.S. military and the nation as a whole by the horrifying photographs of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi detainees at the notorious prison is incalculable.

But the folks in the Pentagon are talking about the wrong morons.

There is no excuse for the behavior displayed by soldiers in the now-infamous pictures and an even more damning report by Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba. Every soldier involved should be ashamed.

But while responsibility begins with the six soldiers facing criminal charges, it extends all the way up the chain of command to the highest reaches of the military hierarchy and its civilian leadership.

The entire affair is a failure of leadership from start to finish. From the moment they are captured, prisoners are hooded, shackled and isolated. The message to the troops: Anything goes.

more...

[lovedems]

1. I posted earlier...

My husband was listening to Hannity today while running errands and said that a soldier from Iraq called in and stated they were all in support of Rummy's resignation. It was because he is a bad leader. He said that they lost 40 troops in Fallujah and then backed off. They lost 40 troops for nothing. His leadership sucks. The abuse scandal is just one more reason.

This is as reported to me by my husband. He said Hannity didn't have a good response.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Thanks for your post, lovedems.

This is the most inept, corrupt administration in our lifetimes, and they need to go in November. They use our troops for photo ops and their neocon designs in the Middle East. It is unforgiveable.

[lovedems]

3. It just makes it apparent that Rummy has lost the support of those he

is suppose to lead. He CANNOT be a good leader. He said himself if he could not be an effective leader, he would resign. I highly doubt he will be a man of his word.

[No Mandate Here.]

4. I would take Rummy out of your post and replace it with * <nt>

[zbdent]

5. I'm surprised that Hannity didn't try to write the call off as

Cap'n Janx.

[RafterMan]

6. I read that

I noticed how they danced around the president -- "highest levels", "straight to the top" -- but didn't quite point the finger at him.

We're *this* close.