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Thread: Doug Feith's Work of Fiction

  1. #1
    Small Wars Journal SWJED's Avatar
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    Default Doug Feith's Work of Fiction

    Tom Ricks and Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post have the scoop on Feith's soon to be released book - having read a copy of the nearly 900-page manuscript - midway through the editing process - that was obtained by The Post.

    In the first insider account of Pentagon decision-making on Iraq, one of the key architects of the war blasts former secretary of state Colin Powell, the CIA, retired Gen. Tommy R. Franks and former Iraq occupation chief L. Paul Bremer for mishandling the run-up to the invasion and the subsequent occupation of the country.

    Douglas J. Feith, in a massive score-settling work, portrays an intelligence community and a State Department that repeatedly undermined plans he developed as undersecretary of defense for policy and conspired to undercut President Bush's policies.

    Among the disclosures made by Feith in "War and Decision," scheduled for release next month by HarperCollins, is Bush's declaration, at a Dec. 18, 2002, National Security Council meeting, that "war is inevitable." The statement came weeks before U.N. weapons inspectors reported their initial findings on Iraq and months before Bush delivered an ultimatum to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Feith, who says he took notes at the meeting, registered it as a "momentous comment."...
    Some blamed deserve the blame, Feith deserves more than most...

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    Council Member Tom Odom's Avatar
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    Others have criticized Feith's plan as relying too heavily on Iraqi exile politicians, including Ahmed Chalabi. Feith says that he considered Chalabi one of the most astute and democratically minded Iraqis but that he had no special brief for him. Instead, he charges that the State Department, the CIA and the military's Central Command were pathologically opposed to the exiles and to Chalabi in particular.
    And if you wanted Feith to say, "Yes I am an egocentric idiot," his comments on Chalabi serve quite well.

    Stalinist solutions for incompetence are sometimes very appealing...

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    Default A friend of mine

    worked in ISA (subset of USD-P) when Feith was USD. He said that Feith could not get through his paperwork to make a decision. Another friend, responding to my comment that Tommy Franks had called Feith the dumbest *&^% on earth noted that Franks knows dumb!

    Cheers

    JohnT

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    Council Member J Wolfsberger's Avatar
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    "Feith depicts former defense secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld with almost complete admiration, questioning only his rough handling of subordinates."
    That tells me everything I need to know about Feith.

    This will be a good book to avoid.
    John Wolfsberger, Jr.

    An unruffled person with some useful skills.

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    Council Member Tom Odom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by J Wolfsberger View Post
    That tells me everything I need to know about Feith.

    This will be a good book to avoid.
    Just go to Wikipedia on Douglas J. Feith

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    Council Member marct's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Odom View Post
    Just go to Wikipedia on Douglas J. Feith
    All I can say is "Would you buy a used policy from this man?"


    There is just something - a small voice in the back of my mind - that keeps whispering "But it WAS a good thing!". Luckily, I have a per spirit that drives away used car salesmen.

    Sic Bisquitus Disintegrat...
    Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D.
    Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies,
    Senior Research Fellow,
    The Canadian Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, NPSIA
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    Council Member Tom Odom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
    All I can say is "Would you buy a used policy from this man?"


    There is just something - a small voice in the back of my mind - that keeps whispering "But it WAS a good thing!". Luckily, I have a per spirit that drives away used car salesmen.

    Unfortunately, he will remain on the greater DC commodity market, and yes, someone will listen to him because he will give them what they want to hear. I mean he is teaching is he not along with Tenet?

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    Council Member zenpundit's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Odom View Post
    Unfortunately, he will remain on the greater DC commodity market, and yes, someone will listen to him because he will give them what they want to hear. I mean he is teaching is he not along with Tenet?
    I believe Feith's official title is "Associate Professor and Distinguished Practitioner".

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    Council Member marct's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zenpundit View Post
    I believe Feith's official title is "Associate Professor and Distinguished Practitioner".
    ...of?????????
    Sic Bisquitus Disintegrat...
    Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D.
    Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies,
    Senior Research Fellow,
    The Canadian Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, NPSIA
    Carleton University
    http://marctyrrell.com/

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    Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
    ...of?????????
    National Security Policy!

    Georgetown will hire anyone, it seems....

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    Default The University of Oklahoma

    is letting me teach National Security Policy. I guess we couldn't afford Doug!

    Cheers

    JohnT

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    Georgetown will hire a talking monkey it seems. Fascinating. I thought Jesuits had stricter standards.
    "Speak English! said the Eaglet. "I don't know the meaning of half those long words, and what's more, I don't believe you do either!"

    The Eaglet from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland

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    Council Member J Wolfsberger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ski View Post
    Georgetown will hire a talking monkey it seems. Fascinating. I thought Jesuits had stricter standards.
    They used to. Jeane Kirkpatrick was a professor there. But the standards seem to have slipped since she got tenure.
    John Wolfsberger, Jr.

    An unruffled person with some useful skills.

  14. #14
    Council Member marct's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Entropy View Post
    ...of?????????
    National Security Policy!
    Georgetown will hire anyone, it seems....
    Well, there were alternatives - mythology and bureaucratic studies come to mind .

    Quote Originally Posted by Ski View Post
    Georgetown will hire a talking monkey it seems. Fascinating. I thought Jesuits had stricter standards.
    I suspect that Loyola's little book isn't used as much any more . From the sounds of it, Feith's little book seems to have more in common with some of the Dominican writings than with the Jesuits .
    Sic Bisquitus Disintegrat...
    Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D.
    Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies,
    Senior Research Fellow,
    The Canadian Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, NPSIA
    Carleton University
    http://marctyrrell.com/

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    Council Member J Wolfsberger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
    From the sounds of it, Feith's little book seems to have more in common with some of the Dominican writings than with the Jesuits .
    OUCH!!
    John Wolfsberger, Jr.

    An unruffled person with some useful skills.

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