There has been a furious rearranging of the deck chairs on the Ship of State of late, but you're not being given the whole story. Nosiree.Not to worry. Your Faithful Correspondent is here to tell you what's getting lost in the translation:
What You're Being Told: General George Casey is losing his job as the top military commander in Iraq because President Bush thinks he was more focused on troop withdrawals than victory.
Translation: Casey opposed the forthcoming "surge."What You're Being Told: General John Abizaid is leaving his job as commander of the U.S. Central Command to spend more time with his family.
Translation: When Bush recently called Abizaid "a great thinker," it actually was the kiss of death.What You're Being Told: John Negroponte is leaving his job as the national director of intelligence because he wants to return to a policy-making role.
Translation of Translation: Abizaid had the backbone to stand up to the White House.
Translation: Negroponte had all of the responsibility for reforming the U.S.'s long dysfunctional spy agencies but none of the power.What You're Being Told: Mike McConnell is taking Negroponte's job because he is an intelligence community veteran.
Translation: Daddy Bush recommended him.What You're Being Told: Zalmay Khalizad, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, is being named U.N. ambassador to replace John Bolton and is in turn being replaced in Baghdad by Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, because both promotions are well deserved.
Translation: Khalizad, a Sunni, was too soft on the Iraqi Sunnis. Crocker will be tougher on them even though his main job in Pakistan was to kiss Prime Minister Musharaff's ass.What You're Being Told: White House Counsel and failed Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers is heading back to Texas because she's all tuckered out after six years at the president's side.
Translation: Miers, who is a lightweight of astonishing proportions, is being jettisoned because she will be in the line of fire when Democrats begin their myriad investigations of the Bush administration's misdeeds.
You would have more credibilit if you understood how the military worked. They do rotate their generals every few years and Casey is being named the Chief of Staff of the Army. That would be considered a promotion.
ReplyDeleteNegroponte was a career diplomat. Why wouldn't he want to get back to the State Department instead of stuck is a pointless job.
You're right. It's all a big coincidence.
ReplyDeleteIf Casey was in disfavor then he would be retiring. Instead he is coming back to DC and becoming the most senior person in the Army. Abizaid is in disfavor and thus he will be retiring.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should do some reading about Goldwater-Nichols to understand the moving around. Being commander of CENTCOM or PACOM is not a permanent job. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater-Nichols_Act
Good points all. Of course senior positions are held on a rotating basis. And Abizaid taking a powder does indeed indicate that this "great thinker" is in disfavor. The larger point remains: This is so much shuffling of deck chairs.
ReplyDeleteThe assignments are not as much of a rotating basis as on an "up-or-out" basis. Abizaid had been CENTCOM commander for 3 1/2 years which is six months longer than normal. A combatant commander is usually the last job before retirement.
ReplyDeleteThe more interesting in ADM Fallon being moved laterally after only two years at PACOM to CENTCOM.
I could not find anything on the net of who would be the new PACOM Commander, normally a navy Adm.