International Herald Tribune Editorial - Good choice for the Chiefs
International Herald Tribune Editorial - Good choice for the Chiefs
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: June 13, 2007
A strong, independent chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military can help protect the United States against badly conceived and managed military operations - like the disastrous misconduct of the war in Iraq. Regrettably, the last two chairmen proved neither strong nor independent, refusing to stand up to the bullying and ideological blindness of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
There is good reason to hope that the man nominated to take charge in September, Admiral Michael Mullen, will do a better job and get a fuller hearing from the man who announced his nomination, Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
In his current job as the Navy's top officer, Mullen has demonstrated intellectual creativity and independence as he has tried to reshape maritime strategies for a new era of unconventional threats and challenges. He has particularly pressed the idea of multiplying America's strategic reach by cooperating with other navies against common threats like weapons proliferation and smuggling.
By law, the chairman is the principal military adviser to the president and the secretary of defense. His responsibility is to ensure that civilian decision-makers hear the best professional advice from top commanders in the Pentagon and around the world.
Both the current chairman, General Peter Pace, and his predecessor, General Richard Myers, failed in that essential responsibility. When Rumsfeld decided he could fight the war in Iraq with too few men and too little planning - ignoring the advice of experienced military professionals and outside experts - both men saluted and mouthed the same disastrous nonsense.
By choosing Admiral Mullen, Gates seems to be saying that he wants to hear the truth about Iraq and what can now be done to extract American troops and contain the disaster. We hope that the admiral will deliver the truth and that together they can finally get President George W. Bush to listen.
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: June 13, 2007
A strong, independent chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military can help protect the United States against badly conceived and managed military operations - like the disastrous misconduct of the war in Iraq. Regrettably, the last two chairmen proved neither strong nor independent, refusing to stand up to the bullying and ideological blindness of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
There is good reason to hope that the man nominated to take charge in September, Admiral Michael Mullen, will do a better job and get a fuller hearing from the man who announced his nomination, Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
In his current job as the Navy's top officer, Mullen has demonstrated intellectual creativity and independence as he has tried to reshape maritime strategies for a new era of unconventional threats and challenges. He has particularly pressed the idea of multiplying America's strategic reach by cooperating with other navies against common threats like weapons proliferation and smuggling.
By law, the chairman is the principal military adviser to the president and the secretary of defense. His responsibility is to ensure that civilian decision-makers hear the best professional advice from top commanders in the Pentagon and around the world.
Both the current chairman, General Peter Pace, and his predecessor, General Richard Myers, failed in that essential responsibility. When Rumsfeld decided he could fight the war in Iraq with too few men and too little planning - ignoring the advice of experienced military professionals and outside experts - both men saluted and mouthed the same disastrous nonsense.
By choosing Admiral Mullen, Gates seems to be saying that he wants to hear the truth about Iraq and what can now be done to extract American troops and contain the disaster. We hope that the admiral will deliver the truth and that together they can finally get President George W. Bush to listen.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 10:49 AM
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