U.S. ‘will prevail’ in war, Pace says

[unhappycamper]

Outgoing Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace points towards the sounds of demonstrators that could be heard during Armed Forces Farewell Tribute for Pace on Oct. 1 at Fort Myer in Arlington, Va.


U.S. ‘will prevail’ in war, Pace says
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Oct 1, 2007 18:08:25 EDT

As protestors on distant bullhorns shouted anti-war slogans, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that different points of view strengthen America but that the national debate over the war on terror should be about the most effective way to fight it, win it and recover from it — not how fast to get out of it.

“I just want everyone to understand that this dialogue is not about, ‘Can we vote our way out of a war?’ ” said Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace during his sun-splashed retirement ceremony Monday on the parade field at Fort Myer, Va. “We have an enemy who has declared war on us. We are in a war. They want to stop us from living the way we want to live our lives.

“So the dialogue is not about, ‘Are we in a war?,’ but how and where and when to best fight that war to preserve our freedom and to preserve our way of life and to do so with the least damage to our own society and the least damage to those we’re fighting against so we can put the pieces back together on the end of this,” Pace said.

“We will prevail,” he said “There’s no doubt about that.”

Pace, ending a 40-year career that began as a rifle platoon leader in the Vietnam War, addressed a standing-room-only crowd that included President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Gates’s predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, the service secretaries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and dozens of other dignitaries.

Pace seemed to deliberately blur the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, although it is the Iraq war that appears to provoke the most national anger and most of the calls for the withdrawal of troops. His comments seemed aimed at acknowledging both that anger and what officials have said is the fragile depth of the nation’s ground forces, which are wearing thin from the strain of fighting the two wars — a situation that some critics say has significantly weakened the military’s ability to respond elsewhere around the world if called upon.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/10/military_pacemullen_071001w/

[MiniMe]

1. Not on the topic of Pace, but *

The Pentagon is maybe a mile away from the WH. * had to fly to the ceremony and back by helicopter, I know because I saw the copter coming back to the WH to drop him off. In fact, it seems that is now the preferred method of travel around the area. I know that Presidents use the helicopter as transportation, for example, back and forth from Andrews AFB when they are going or coming back from travel. But to use one to go for a mile?

[JohnyCanuck]

4. Dubya is a big bike fan and exercise fanatic we are told

Too bad he couldn't set an example of energy conservation and environmental awareness and commute on his mountain bike from the White House to all nearby events. Of course he would have to be fitted out for the ride with a bullet proof vest and a bike helmet designed to take a sniper round instead of just protecting his noggin (mostly empty anyway) from a bump on the sidewalk. :D

[liberal renegade]

2. good riddance!

[JohnyCanuck]

3. News flash for Pace,

This War on Terrorism is BOGUS! and more and more people are realizing it every day.