Seymour Hersh: Military Is Waging War Against The White House

In addition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States military is also fighting a war against the Obama administration at the White House, Seymour Hersh said in a little-noted speech at Duke University on October 13. The military is "in a war against the White House -- and they feel they have Obama boxed in," he said.

Hersh, a Pulitzer-prize winning investigative journalist who exposed the My Lai massacre in Vietnam and the Abu Ghraib scandal in Iraq, sees an undercurrent of racism in the Pentagon's dealings with the White House. "They think he's weak and the wrong color. Yes, there's racism in the Pentagon. We may not like to think that, but it's true and we all know it."

As Neil Offen writes in the Durham Herald Sun:

"A lot of people in the Pentagon would like to see him get into trouble," he said. By leaking information that the commanding officer in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, says the war would be lost without an additional 40,000 American troops, top brass have put Obama in a no-win situation, Hersh contended.

"If he gives them the extra troops they're asking for, he loses politically," Hersh said. "And if he doesn't give them the troops, he also loses politically."

Hersh considers the worsening situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan as the principal test of the Obama presidency, which will require the cooperation of the top military brass. Obama must face up to the military, Hersh said. "He's either going to let the Pentagon run him or he has to run the Pentagon." If he doesn't, according to Hersh, "this stuff is going to be the ruin of his presidency."

Comments

[Eris23Skidoo]

General's who work against their CIC should be warned that their behavior is treasonous and unbecoming of an officer of the US military. If they are that ticked about his "wrong color" they should resign their commissions. They ought to be worried about cleaning up some corruption. They still pay $2000 for a toilet seat and $5000 for a hammer. Who gets the kickbacks and which generals have sold out their country?

[robeson]

The defense industry is the largest welfare recipient in the nation, more than SS, medicare, and all the others combined. Unlike SS, it brings in no money for the USA, and in every study returns the smallest economic benefit for dollar spent. President Eisenhower warned of its growing power that could one day destroy our democracy. But who can take it down? They have an army much more powerful than the healthcare industry or the seniors. The battle over privatization came very close to an internal revolt among the generals. If it can't heal itself, congress must starve it.

[texfly]

If you want to fight a war on terror ... Do it cheaply.

If you want to build a nation in Afghanistan ... Think SMALL.

You can ONLY do A P!th-Poor Job if you think "EVERYWHERE". You can do an excellent job if you think small.

Cordon off a 20 x 20 mile sector ... man the perimeter with boo-koo's of surveilance and manned patrols. Build a small 21st century city inside complete with hospitals, airport, edcucation faciliies, etc. Admit any woman . children or elderly Afghan who want sanctuary. Vet all others. Build an economy on that scale ON:Y!

Use it to launch drones and bots to seach for the bad guys and send sudden attack troops to do the rest.

[Chopin]

Thast's a perfect fun wargame to practice in your own backyard with your own radio guided mini-drones on your own lucky neighbors with paintball guided missiles. Why involve 300million fellow Americans to act out your own personal fantasy games, huh, mister?

[texfly]

WHY? Because it would work. It would be far less expensive in terms of life and treasure. And our eye would be on the stated objective and be humanitarian at the same time.

I dare say that my 300 million fellow citizens are already in a war game run by idiots. To do it their way we would need more than 500,000 tropus to slog there way all over Afghanistan building a nation.

Open your eyes mister look at HOW our troops in Afghanistan are trudging around from village to village seeking and destroying ghosts who blend into the background.

[Comyndoc]

FIrst of all relieve Petraeus and McKrystal of command. Close Gitmo, get our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Dnietz]

if dems do well in the 2010 elections, you will see all of you just listed

[DreamerWeaver]

I think Petraeus thinks he's got a shot at becoming the next president. (It just came out that way...) Bush administration built him up something fierce. Why? (Other generals and retired generals didn't respect him.)

[bigkay]

If only the U.S. media would pay as much attention to Seymour Hersch as they do to "balloon boy" the American public might have a clue to what is going on with the military/industrial complex!
McChrystal should have been fired when he covered up the friendly fire killing of Pat Tillman. The news media is silent on the subject, they are silent on the Imperial Embassy we built in Iraq, they are silent on the Embassy we are building in Pakistan billions of American dollars for what?????
We need a draft THAT will get Americans to pay attention to current events.

[Eris23Skidoo]

McCrystal should be fired. The precedent was set in Korea.

[BambooHarvester]

Batta Bing Batta Boom !
~

[perk]

Thanks for that contribution.
And thanks to the Internet, your children and grandchildren will remember you as a thoughtless and ignorant boob.

[Don Quixote]

Even if he's being hyperbolic, I feel a sense of dread reading his words. Think about what happened in Honduras.

Makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

[Chopin]

If you like Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March and Ava Gardner,
you would appreciate this movie scenario of "Seven Days in May":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33x-vZZxwGI&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXCHPZyJC-4

Banana republics are not restricted to small Latin American republics beset with military juntas.

[RockyMtns]

Chalmers Johnson, formerly of the CIA: "When war is more profitable, you'll see more of it."

[Chopin]

Chilling truth. President Eisenhower, the reluctant warrior and prescient philosopher president had warned of the same truth as far back as in 1961. It has taken Americans almost 50 years, 3 major military misadventures, and one assa zenated president to slowly awaken to this inevitable peril.

When Kucinich advocated establishment of a small DoP (Department of Peace) in his luckless presidential campaign, to begin an effort to reverse this perilous trend, most people scoffed and laughed at his proposal, and didn't give him a second thought or a chance to explain.

. . . When the empire finally disintegrates from a bloated DoW (Department of War), euphemistically labelled DoD Pampergon, and come tumbling down, much like the Soviet Empire did at its demise, when its nuclear fleet sailors went without pay for well over 6months (?), people would wake up shocked one day, and wonder how it all happened.

[supertim]

faux noise has created a myth that the pentagon is the ultimate authority in deciding troop levels, etc...so it is their myths that are boxing in the obama admn, not necessarily the pentagon, although i am sure they dont object

[KindOne]

Both the pentagon and faux noise have questions to answer about the use of uranium. The FOX folks need to tell us why soldiers are dying and their children are being born deformed and diseased.

Why do they cover that up for the pentagon?

[scottbalogh]

Carlosgriffin, Regarding your observation about my mind being closed, I agree, my mind is closed to the common belief that our military expansion around the world is benevolent hegemony as real neo-cons have been advancing since the 1950's. It's all about expanding capitalism with no restraints. In other words, financial gluttony. Examine PNAC philosophy and the neo-con agenda. In addition, if we "stop loss" military recruits, it is slavery. Re-instate the draft and these ugly military operations in the middle east will end, as all young americans lives will be on the line, like it or not. Furthermore, we can save a lot of taxpayer money by requiring the recruits to do such things as K.P., their own laundry etc etc like they used to do. Once again, the call is to privatize and inflate the costs.

[rivrgrrl]

Well said, especially concerning the use of private contractors, who get higher pay than our troops do and costing us more in the long run as well as not having to abide by the same laws as our troops and are more and more giving the US a black eye with their immoral behaviors.

There are now more private contractors in Iraq than US troops.

[rivrgrrl]

carlosgriffen - I appreciate the military perspective you bring to the discussion.

That being said, I find it puzzling that you insinuate the military is not cooperating with Obama because they fear he is not following the Constitution, and they would take matters into their own hands if need be.

Because they sure as heck did not protect us when a shrub disregarded the Constitution in numerous ways. Are you saying they agreed with the former CiC, didn't see him as playing politics with war? Yet they already are accusing this new CiC of it?

If that is what you are saying, I have mush less faith and respect in our military leadership.

[KOSMOCITIZEN]

i can not say here what i have heard about military people talk to each other
about the President
but what Hersh is talking about racism , he is wright on the spot.

[carlosgriffin]

Then you get bad information from Crystal Ball.

[KOSMOCITIZEN]

i give you one ...
'''i missed the 60's when we had political and other assassinations''

from a high up military guy, you happy now

[Carolab]

So if he just buckles under and does what McChrystal says he should do, it he then the Pentagon's "N" word?

[Carolab]

*is*

[bobfeld]

He already is. Most(but not all) members of military are Southern Rednecks. Need I say more??

[perk]

Frankly, my experience with the military was quite the opposite. The proportion of minorities in the services is higher than in the general population. For example., 18% of the Marines are hispanic, and speaking also as the father of a serving Marine officer, they are more devoted to the American way than ... the others.

Reference? sure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanics_in_the_United_States_Marine_Corps

To a fault, the military is trained to follow their leader. They are pretty highly motivated because the penalty not to do so... is death without much of a trial. A pretty strong motivator, no?

When an officer goes out of the chain of command, he is risking more than you know to say it, so listen, because it is pretty frickening important.

[DonRoberto]

I think there has been a "conservative" streak in the military at all levels for thirty years or so, but I think that has been changing; the rank and file are now much more politically heterogenous than the top brass are.

Bottom line, the President has valid reason to regard the top brass with great care, but the rank and file are more divided.

[WilliamL]

true, from what I hear. def. wd. be split between brass and stripes as well as race.

I have heard things first hand that are not pretty.

some folks fail to understand, like it or not, "civilians" in political office who have no military background are "civilians."

Civilian(s) in military culture is about the lowest form of life.

Some might not like to hear it, believe it, might like to reference the whole relationship of civil-military relations and the rest of civilian control over the military but over the course of eighteen years living on military bases, "civilians" for the most part are considered, ummm, of little use, don't know the real deal, and are looked down upon.

And yes, there is racism in the military and that "racsim" includes a disdain towards the majority of the civilian population­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­.......

[DreamerWeaver]

Some of the generals have promoted right wing religious fervor at all levels of the military which contributes to their sense of "righteousness." A dangerous combination: guns and righteousness.

[pterack5]

all branches of our military have a command problem. . .they are all the caliber of privileged frat boys, telling lies just like college, look how far John McCain made it on his family ties, if you ain't a vet you just don't know. . .

[carlosgriffin]

I hear ya, but what does that have to do with this article?

[perk]

You aint a vet and you don't know.

[WilliamL]

b.s.

perhaps amonst the officer's rank to an extent but as a blanket statment, not true.

The enlisted ranks, the majority, were not frat boys.

I spent 18 years living on bases as the oldest/only son of a career enlisted-NCO.

The disdain by many in the military has a direct relation to sorry comments such as these towards the entire military.

[Carolab]

How can he lose politically by refusing to send more troops? The American people want us out of there and he said he would do that.

Look what happened to Johnson when he decided to escalate Vietnam.

[perk]

Here is what the President said during the campaign:
"... would immediately withdraw thousands of ground troops from Iraq and send them to Afghanistan to help undermanned US forces defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

"It's time to refocus our attention on the war we have to win in Afghanistan," Obama said in a speech last week. "It is time to go after the Al Qaeda leadership where it actually exists."
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/07/06/obama_mccain_split_over_afghan_strategy/

[Carolab]

Yes, but meantime, it has been established we aren't fighting AQ there. We are fighting the Taliban.

[carlosgriffin]

perk,

Now we know that was another... untruth.

[Carolab]

And it doesn't actually exist in Afghanistan. We are fighting the T-aliban.

[bobfeld]

Never got your answer about tax hikes and you and your kids. Still waiting.

[carlosgriffin]

There is a slight flaw in your plan. If Obama does not send what the general is asking for, then he needs to bring home all of our troops immediately.

[Carolab]

Then he needs to bring home the troops. I think we'd all cheer that. The UN says they will participate in keeping Afghanistan under control.

[opines]

To the Pentagon and the entire Military-industrial complex, the election of Obama did not significantly change our 'endless war' policy. Having spent more than the rest of the world combined on weaponry over two decades, and with our economy drowning in debt, muscular military imperialism (invasion/­occupation­s) are what we are reduced to.

If you think Wall Street owns Congress, the thought of a majority of Congress shrinking the bucks for the military/i­ndustriali­sts is in the realm of fantasy. The Pentagon dictates to Congress. And rare indeed are those that dare oppose their dictates.

Absent Vietnam style "Out Now" street demonstrations, Obama lacks the power to confront the Bush/Chene­y/Rumsfeld­/ Secy. Gates, 'endless war', Pentagon gang.

[scottbalogh]

My eyes were opened on 9/11. I was angered that Afghanistan was invaded to hunt down Osama. My heart was deeply saddened on 3/19/2003 was it, when Iraq was invaded to "protect our liberties". I lost my sense of eagerness to face new days as the vicious slaughter continued in our name with so many of my countrymen cheering it on. I was at times heartened when evidence came to light that indicated that very powerful people in our country were waving a false flag. The Downing Street memos for example. As the years have gone by, the evidence is clear to me now that there are truly soulless, evil people with way too much power and will stop at nothing to use and destroy thousands and millions of truly innocent people for what....power, wealth that is what it is all about, isn't it. The US , I believe,missed a golden opportunity to make a stand for peace by REFUSING to get revenge, refusing to kill more truly innocent people and to work with, to lead, possibly, the world toward peaceful solutions to problems. There are times when a nation must fight, what happened on 9/11 was not one of them. It was a set-up!

[carlosgriffin]

Scott,

With no animosity towards you, I must say that on 9/11 your eyes may have been opened, but your mind most certainly closed.

[Carolab]

The supposed hijackers were from SA and Egypt. Bin Laden was in Afghanistan with the U.S. fighting the Russians. We only have the corporate media's word for it that he was/is hiding there. And it's established that Al Qaeda in Afghanistan isn't the problem; we are fighting the Taliban.

[scottbalogh]

Thank you Carlos, Please tell me what my mind closed to or closed out. Is it that peace can be achieved through violence? I can barely wait to hear what a fool I am.

[Carolab]

I think he sees clearly now.