The Night of the Generals
April 2007 edition of Vanity Fair - The Night of the Generals by David Margolick.
Quote:
The six retired generals who stepped forward last spring to publicly attack Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's handling of the Iraq war had to overcome a culture of reticence based on civilian control of the military. But while each man acted separately, all shared one experience: a growing outrage over the administration's incompetence, leading some of the nation's finest soldiers to risk their reputations and cross a time-honored line.
By late 2001, briefing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was familiar territory for Lieutenant General Greg Newbold. As director of operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Newbold, a three-star in the Marines, had done it many times since Rumsfeld had arrived at the Pentagon earlier in the year, and had come to know the routine: the constant interruptions, the theatrics, the condescension. But, according to Newbold, there was something different, and alarming, about one particular briefing around that time: the topic. It was about going to war with Iraq...
Long article at the link...
violating civilian control?
There seems to me a fine line between civilian control and not wanting to hear opinions that do not match your predetermined plan. The Marine Corps Command and Control book has a fair amount to say about that issue and is quite helpful. A more "civilian-oriented" book along the same lines that is quite good too, Corps Business.
It is, I think, dangerous ground to tread when we start using "civilian control" as a club to silence opinions we do not want to hear...as is often the case with politicians. I sometimes think they (political leaders) prefer yes-men rather than independent critical thinking.
Some familiar names popping up here...
http://www.votevets.org/
Features ads with Gens Batitste and Eaton sprinkled throughout the first couple of items, as of this writing.
Oh, and Clark too.:o