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Letter: Civilians at Pentagon led us the wrong way

Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2007 | 7:21 a.m.

James Jonas' Aug. 1 letter stated that we should let the generals run the war. I agree, but this is exactly what President Bush failed to do at the beginning of the war when he listened to the Pentagon civilians instead of our very competent generals.

In testimony before the Senate a day or two ago, Adm. Michael Mullen, nominated to be the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the so-called surge cannot be sustained "past April 2008 under the military's current force structure." (Italics mine.)

This is a very polite, very discreet, very indirect way of saying that we didn't have enough troops there to begin with.

Apparently the White House realized this a year ago when it hinted that the war could last longer than its "Mission Accomplished" posture indicated. The White House's dilemma: how to change course without appearing to flip-flop. Answer: talk about an ersatz "surge," a stalling tactic to unload responsibility for the disaster on the next president, and blame it all on the war critics.

What a sleazy way to run a government, especially when the war wasn't even necessary in the first place.

Rolf Goeth, Las Vegas

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