Relationship Between Ambassador, Top US Commander In Iraq Deteriorating Rapidly

Foreign Policy:

American insiders in Baghdad say the relationship between the top U.S. commander there, Gen. Raymond Odierno, and the top civilian official there, Amb. Christopher Hill, is deteriorating rapidly. Old hands say the chill between the two brings to the bad old days of Sanchez vs. Bremer, when those two unfortunates barely would speak to each other as the American position fell apart in early 2004, along with Iraq itself.

Read the whole story: Foreign Policy

Comments

[henryberry]

A second observation on this report: What is notable about the reported growing split between General Odierno and Ambassador Hill is not that there is such a split. Differences among high-level officials with large responsibilities and high visibility are not uncommon. What is notable is the public notice this has now taken on.

Except for rare cases (e. g., MacArthur and Truman in the early 1950s), military persons in a democracy stoically follow orders in recognition of the time-honored and in fact fundamental principle of civilian control of the military. Odierno making his differences known even in the relatively mild and controlled way he is is a straying from this principle. Other recent examples of how this principle is being broken down are the former Reserve Colonel Joe Wilson's outburst against Obama during his speech on health care to Congress and the leaking of General McChrystals's report on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan with the advice more troops are needed. High-level military people are clearly playing politics.

Another recent example I noticed is the snatching of the protester at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh by a group of beefy men in combat fatigues and whisking him into an unmarked car which sped off. As I said in other comments, this resembled an incident of rendition. The military mentality is diversely, but unmistakably and undisguised finding its way into the mainstream.

[henryberry]

The schism between General Odierno and Ambassador Hill is more than a personality clash. While differences among top officials are inevitable in a complex situation such as the U.S. in Iraq, these differences now coming to the surface are symptoms of the deceptive origins of the interminable U.S. presence in Iraq.

The differences now coming to a head with fundamental decisions concerning Iraq and Afghanistan of the Obama administration expected soon are rooted in the secrecy by which the Bush administration led the U.S. into the war. With such secrecy and dissembling from the top, no one--neither generals nor diplomats on down--knew why they were in Iraq from the beginnings. Mainly, Iraq was meant to teach foes of the U.S. throughout the Middle East a lesson. It taught a good lesson alright--and we now know who it was that was being taught a lesson.

Colin Powell tried to put the best, most honorable face on the U.S. involvement in Iraq with the statement, "You broke it, you own it." But the germane statement on this involvement would be, "You broke it, it's broken." Iraq is Humpty Dumpty. All the president's generals and all the presidents ambassadors can't put it together again.

[mcmchugh99]

One thing the military doesn't want is to be stuck with another quagmire like Vietnam.

What were General William Westmoreland's political ambitions after Vietnam?

[Richard729]

It is no surprise to me that the Bush-installed generals like Odierno in Iraq and McChrystal in Afghanistan are driving deeper wedges between the Obama administration's ambassadors and envoys. Keep in mind that the U.S. military has become infused with right-wing, fundamenta­list-breat­hing ideologues who have no tolerance for civilian rule, but especially by a Democratic president and U.S. Congress. One blatant example of proselytizing and religiosity comes to mind, General William Boykin.

Many of the junior officers fifteen years ago are now senior officers today. Admiral Mullen, David Petraeus, Raymond Odierno and others were subordinate officers under Colin Powell when Powell was National Security Advisor, Commander-in-Chief, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Secretary. Though he was the first and only African-American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he was resented by many officers today because they were passed up in favor of Powell.

G. W. Bush also deferred to the military, but he did not have the open criticism that Obama is experiencing. Bush wanted to be perceived as the "great war presiden." but he and his defense chief, Donald Rumsfeld, thought Iraq would be a cakewalk. Of course, they were all wrong.

Now, the military high brass are enraged that their dominion is in danger of being seriously challenged by an interloper like Barack Obama. The latest schisms between the military and Obama's policies are finally coming to a boiling point.

[Ping]

Odierno's been there too long.

[nirek]

He is trying to further his career, maybe go into politics next.

[Ping]

He needs a new assignment.

[research]

A Corrupt plutocracy CANNOT BRING DEMOCRACY to ANYONE.

The USA tortures, goes to war for profit, and openly allows the bribing of politicians.

Time to come home and clean up our act.

[ScienceFTW]

nice to meet you too, mr bumpersticker.

[research]

See my profile for longer comments.

[barksalot]

What are the interests of the president that's the question? I'm sure Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is wondering and this filters down to the command Odierno and McChrystal. The AWOL Commander and Chief is busy running around the world smilen and high fiven while everyone else waits for decisions that are his to make. If you haven't discerned from this that the president is in over his head and is waiting for the winds of politics to make his decisions then you must have just awoken from a long sleep.

[noneIn2008]

Without Bush, media lose interest in war caskets
On Sept. 2, when the casket bearing the body of Marine Lance Cpl. David Hall, of Elyria, Ohio, arrived at Dover, there was just one news outlet -- the Associated Press -- there to record it. The situation was pretty much the same when caskets arrived on Sept. 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 22, 23 and 26. There has been no television coverage at all in September.
So far this month, 38 American troops have been killed in Afghanistan. For all of 2009, the number is 220 -- more than any other single year and more than died in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 combined

[Douglas90723]

We can WIN in Afghanistan? Sure! Just like we 'won' in Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, etc,etc, etc.

It just goes on and on and on....forever, until the USA is bled dry of trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives....all for nothing.

The USA has been involved in foreign wars when we needed to be. When are we going to learn that there are foreign wars that the USA does not need to be directly involved with.

Marine General Shoup was correct when he stated that South East Asia is not worth one American soldier's life.

[jennylynn]

Hope and Change.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/iran/51_say_obama_not_tough_enough_on_iran

[globality]

We broke it, we tried as hard as can be expected to fix it.

Now it's time to go. It is not our responsibility if shia, kurds, and sunnies want to kill each other.

I always thought Biden was right. A 3 state solution (with Sunnis having no oil) is the only thing that would work

[lynettema]

We need a whole new objective in Iraq. The first one should be to get the heck out of there. Certainly we can still give them foreign aid and it would cost us a whole lot less in blood and money.

[globality]

Why should we give them a penny. They have already diverted billions

[CaptainHowdy2]

We have money to give them? Where?

[lynettema]

Our country's government under the Bush administration attacked Iraq - unwarranted - unless you think taking their oil is a good reason to attack and occupy. It's probably my bleeding heart that says we owe the people of Iraq (not the government) something for taking so much from them.

[lightningbolt]

It's sitting right next to Bernanke's printing press.

[Nyland8]

Perhaps all they need to bridge the divide is having a few beers together in a teachable moment.

[jennylynn]

I think the latest polls say it.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/iran/51_say_obama_not_tough_enough_on_iran

[EpicureanNutrients]

Good. I hope things deteriorate to the point of chaos! Anything to end it.

[lightningbolt]

The more chaos there is, the more excuses they will have to stay and send more troops. That is exactly what is happening in Afghanistan.

[grumbles]

This is all so easy. Relieve Odierno. Happens all the time. He is a throwback to George Bush and does not have the interests of the president or current administration at heart. Just relieve him. Obama should have done this ages ago. Same goes for McChrystal.

[lynettema]

Agree.

[hbhawaii]

But, but ..... Obama just appointed McChrystal a few months ago.

Need to work on the attention span there, bud.