Discussion for article #230499
Drumbeats of war are starting. Hagel was to be the drawdown guy.
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*** “as a recognition that the threat from the Islamic State would require a different kind of skills than those that Mr. Hagel was brought on to employ.”***
wow. that’s a pretty fucked up comment to make.
looks like obama’s getting rolled again… watch out for who replaces him.
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It sounds like administration critics are trying to take credit for Hagel’s removal. Too bad nobody does real reporting these days.
I didn’t know the DOD was responsible for Ebola and the early threat posed by ISIL was more of a problem for State than Defense.
I wonder if this has something to do with some contractor who needs to see Hagel removed to insure a contract award?
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Linsday McCain is smiling…
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- Obama increases ground troops in Iraq at Generals’ request.
- Obama secretly changes Afghan mission at Generals’ request.
- Obama removes Hagel at Generals’ request.
- ?
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More war.
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Gates was the drawdown guy.
Hagel was the DoD budget cuts guy.
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True. But Gates didn’t finish the job.
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This is actually worrying. Obama’s been a vast improvement over his predecessor in this area, but he (or his administration) is still frighteningly militaristic. This is precisely why I want a non-interventionist to take the reins in '17. We need someone committed to cutting defense spending, someone who realizes that we’re not an empire.
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Lindsay Graham or McCain should be appointed to replace him based on their “qualifications.”
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That would require a complete re-assessment of the American role in the world, which is not going to happen for any number of reasons.
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Remember at Sec’y Hegel’s confirmation, when Canadian lawyer Ted Cruz impugned the patriotism of this combat veteran by suggesting he could be abetting North Korea?
Good times.
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This story doesn’t make sense to me. On the one hand, as Josh points out at the other link, the administration is letting the information leak out that they didn’t think he was up to the job, instead of letting him have a dignified resignation. But you don’t do that someone just because you don’t think he’s up to the job. You do that to someone you’re angry with.
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Maybe he didn’t really bump into an open kitchen cabinet.
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Who’s next for secretary of defense? Oh me oh my. Could it
be a pearl clutching drama queen? Tune in for the next exciting
episode of “As the Stomach Turns!”.
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Hagel was and is no favorite of the Military-Industrial money machine. He was also no big supporter of frivolous war. And another bomb-bullets blood “war” is headed our way. The Brass Hats have President No Drama convinced that they can go to war and whip an idea, if not the people who believe in it.
Sun Tsu knew the folly of this sort of nonsense. You cannot take the capitol of an idea, nor defeat and parole the army of an idea.
This is all neatly tied up with the “war” on the “T word” that seems to be remedial practice for a bloated military.
Now Hagel can tell his grand kids, and the parents of a lot of other kids that he left before it started.
I believe the SECDEF ought to be a vet, one that served up thru the ranks. Too bad an individual like that doesn’t enjoy more “gravitas” in the somber, cutthroat wars that go on inside the White House for the ear of the President. “No Drama” is going to wish he had a guy like Hagel around before the next couple of years are over. So will we all.
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Yeah, and I’m the Tooth Fairy.
Gates and Hagel were probably out two best Defense Secretaries ever. Anti-war and looking to cut the Budget, but also savvy and would not compromise our security. I am definitely not pleased with this move, and if Obama nominates some pro-war clown, or some inexperienced puppet, I will be very pissed off.
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They couldn’t square the circle between Obama calling ISIS the junior varsity team and Hagel calling them an existential threat to America.
Obama’s foreign policy with regards to ISIS goes against every management class ever given and can be summed up with the phrase “Don’t Own The Problem”.
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