US Generals Blast Bush for Iraq Failures 9/25/06 October 2, 2006

This morning, upon checking one of my posters on Youtube, I found a selection of videos from last week’s Senate Democratic Policy Committee. Here is a description written by the person who posted this:

Today the Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a hearing on the conduct and planning failures of the Iraq War. This minority panel, which has no subpoena power, has conducted more oversight of the Iraq War in three short meetings than the GOP-Controlled Congress has in 3 1/2 years. Whether it be manipulation of pre-war intelligence, Halliburton defrauding the American taxpayers or the egregious leadership failures they examined today, the DPC is the only government body that seems to give a damn about the myriad failures that have gotten us where we are today.

Testifying before the panel were: Major General John R.S. Batiste who was the senior military assistant to then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz; Major General Paul D. Eaton, who was responsible for training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004, and for rebuilding the Iraqi police force in 2004; and Colonel Thomas X. Hammes, who was responsible for establishing bases for the newly reconstituted Iraqi armed forces in 2004. These men — some of whom retired early out of principle — exemplify the moral clarity and integrity that is so desperately lacking in our civilian Pentagon leadership.

With the exception of Congressman Walter Jones from North Carolina, no Republican has joined the Committee in any of it’s hearings. Yet, they’ve somehow convinced the American people — by margin of 10% — that they’ll be safer under Republican leadership. Does allowing the Bush administration to operate without scrutiny really make us safer? Shouldn’t we be holding them accountable for the monumental policy blunders that have played right into the enemies hands? It’s a sad day in America.

In this particular clip, Major General John R.S. Batiste gives his opening statement and talks about Donald Rumsfeld (and you can see more if you want once you see this one):

Major General John Batiste Call Rumsfeld a Failure

At around 7 minutes into the statement, he gives a list of what “we” must do. Every one of our votes counts!