Continuation Of A Corrupting War

America and the world found out long ago that the war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist was an unnecessary war and that Iraq was no threat to the security of the U.S. or the middle east.  The public also found out after the fact that the Pentagon urged retired military officers to appear on the cable networks during the run up to war to promote the war and talk about the Iraqi threat.

 

Now the war, approaching its sixth year at a cost of over $600 billion and over 30,000 U.S. casualties including over 4000 deaths and who knows how many innocent Iraqi's, David Barstow of the New York Times reports the following:

 

Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey who has appeared over 1,000 times on NBC and its cable sisters since the 9-11 attack signed a consulting contract with Defense Solutions, a tiny military contractor with a slender track record.  Four days later he swung into action with a personal note and 15 page briefing packet to General David Petraeus strongly recommending Defense Solutions and its offer to supply Iraq with 5000 armored vehicles from Eastern Europe.  McCaffrey did not mention his new contract with Defense Solutions in his letter to Petraeus, nor did he disclose it when he went on CNBC that same week and praised the commander Defense Solutions was now counting on for help.  Mr. Barstow also reported in testimony with congress McCaffrey criticized a Pentagon plan to supply Iraq with several hundred armored vehicles made in the U.S.A. by a competitor of Defense Solutions.

 

Barstow also reported, on NBC and other public forums, McCaffrey has consistently advocated wartime policies and spending priorities in line with his corporate interests.  But those interests are not described to NBC's viewers.  He is held out as a dispassionate expert, not someone who helps companies win contracts related to the wars he discusses on television

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Our men and women in uniform have been betrayed by those retired Generals who promoted this war and then went on to profit from this unnecessary war.  The Iraq war has been a corrupting enterprise in so many ways and the American people will never be told the truth.  President Kennedy was right during the Cuban Missile crisis in 1962 when he refused to accept a military invasion of that island as the only option that was being pushed by the military.  President Kennedy had the wisdom to implement another military option which prevented a war and saved thousands of lives.  President elect Obama needs to keep his promise to the people and end this war in Iraq and all the corrupting influence associated with it.