The Fine Humor of Sec.Def. Gates

July 28, 2007

Defense Undersecretary Eric Edelman responded (pdf) to Senator Clinton’s request for the Defense Department to draw up proposals for a retreat from Iraq:

Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia.

Clinton was pissed and demanded that Secretary of Defense Gates punishes Edelman.

Gates responded with a love letter to Clinton to calm the issue down. He also punished Edelman:

Via War and Peace the announcement of a hearing at the Senate Armed Service Committee:

From the office of SASC chairman Carl Levin:

ARMED SERVICES
Room S-407, The Capitol
Thursday, August 2, 2007 – 9:30 a.m.
CLOSED

To receive a briefing on drawdown planning for U.S. forces in Iraq.

Briefers:

Honorable Eric S. Edelman
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

Lieutenant General John F. Sattler, USMC
Director
Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J-5)
The Joint Chiefs of Staff

Sec.-Def. Gates is quite a humorous man.

Posted by b on July 28, 2007 at 10:29 UTC | Permalink

Comments

It’s not the hysterical laughter that bothers me, it’s my inability to stop. The frayed nerves of being two deep breaths away from psychosis?
Hahahahahahaha….

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jul 28 2007 12:19 utc | 1

He can’t punish him B, since the original letter was certainly initiated by Cheney (the real SecDef). I think Gates spends most of his time reporting to his master Poppy, who’s new hobby is sobbing. Only explanation I have for not kicking Edelman out the door, other than the obvious one that Gates privately agrees with him.

Posted by: MGene | Jul 28 2007 17:53 utc | 2

Speaking of humor, K street goes to Mecca:
Rice, Gates team to lobby Arabs on Iraq
Bad Arabs don’t you know occupation is good.

Posted by: Sam | Jul 28 2007 19:47 utc | 3

And in a final push over the top for Cheney’s plan to become the world’s first billionaire war profiteer, BushCo announces the sales of $20B of sophisticated weapons systems to our 9/11 terrorist financier Saudi Arabia, the profits of which will go to Cheney et al, the principal of which paid by you the US tax payer for DoD white lab coat welfare research and development, and the buy-in already paid for in higher gasoline profits.
That’s nothing compared to Bushco’s announcement to GIFT the fundamentalist religious state of Israel $30B of sophisticated weapons systems, pushing Cheney well over the top into the billionaire category on a civil servant’s salary, all paid for, lock, stock and barrel, by you the US taxpayer.
Thus, the greatest diversion of public monies into private coffers since Armour invented the meat packing industry.

Posted by: Rmor Hots | Jul 29 2007 6:01 utc | 4

[Tante Aime off-topic “sophistry” deleted – b.]

Posted by: So Long | Jul 29 2007 7:08 utc | 5

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