PENTAGON: Hillary is helping the enemy

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PENTAGON: HILL IS HELPING FOE
By IAN BISHOP

July 20, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - The Pentagon yesterday launched a blistering attack on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for boosting "enemy propaganda" by demanding the U.S. military whip up plans for withdrawal from Iraq.

The forceful pummeling - in response to Clinton's request that the Defense Department "prepare plans for the phased redeployment" - came in a terse letter to the Democratic presidential front-runner from Defense Undersecretary Eric Edelman.

"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," Edelman wrote in the July 16 letter.

"Such talk understandably unnerves the very same Iraqi allies we are asking to assume enormous personal risks," he added.

Clinton, who voted in favor of the war in 2002, has been calling for the pullout of combat troops as she ratchets her anti-war rhetoric to woo liberal voters who make up the core of the Democratic Party.

In May, she called on Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace to design plans for an orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops and their equipment to avoid "the failure to adequately plan for the conflict."

In addition to the formal request, Clinton urged Pace in a private meeting to make a blueprint for the complex withdrawal - a plan she insisted was necessary, given congressional Democrats' increasing efforts to end the war.

"Any military operation requires contingency planning so that the military and our troops are prepared if the current plan is unsuccessful. It would be irresponsible not to engage in similar planning in Iraq," she said.

Edelman's stinging rebuke is surprising, given that Clinton is a rising member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which has oversight of the Pentagon.

Clinton's Senate spokesman Philippe Reines said Edelman's letter was "at once outrageous and dangerous," and added that Clinton planned to respond directly to his boss, Secretary of Defense Gates.

ian.bishop@nypost.com
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07202007/news/nationalnews/pentagon__hill_is_helping_foe_nationalnews_ian_bishop____post_correspondent.htm
 
Clinton punches back in Pentagon Iraq row
Jul 20 02:11 PM US/Eastern


Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton hit back Friday in a row with the Pentagon, after a top official accused her of emboldening US enemies by discussing troop withdrawals.

Senator Clinton wrote to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, accusing one of his civilian subordinates of making "spurious" comments and saying the official's priorities were backwards on planning for troop redeployments.

Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman had rebuked Clinton in unusually strong terms in a letter about her questions on how and if the US military was preparing contingency plans for an eventual withdrawal from Iraq.

"Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq," Edelman wrote, adding such talk "unnerves" US allies there.

Clinton told Gates that Edelman's response avoided the issues she had raised "and instead made spurious arguments to avoid addressing contingency planning for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq."

"Under Secretary Edelman has his priorities backward. Open and honest debate and congressional oversight strengthens our nation and supports our military. His suggestion to the contrary is outrageous and dangerous."

Clinton also pointed out that in March, Gates had told a congressional committee that open debate on Iraq could be a lever to put more pressure on the Iraqi government to act, a priority of the administration.

She also asked for the "courtesy of a prompt response directly" from Gates.

Ratcheting up the issue further, Clinton, the pace-setter for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 said she would Friday join the 2004 party nominee Senator John Kerry to unveil a new bill compelling Pentagon contingency planning for an Iraq withdrawal.

Clinton's public spat with the Pentagon came as recriminations and accusations fly in Washington over the war.

Senators on Thursday demanded the Pentagon work out how to conduct an eventual withdrawal of 160,000 US forces in Iraq, after US ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker told a hearing he knew of no such contingency planning.

Clinton first wrote to Gates in May to ask whether the Pentagon had any contingency plans for a US withdrawal from Iraq. If none existed, Clinton wanted to know why not.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070720181101.xs79903x&show_article=1&image=large
 
"Under Secretary Edelman has his priorities backward. Open and honest debate and congressional oversight strengthens our nation and supports our military. His suggestion to the contrary is outrageous and dangerous."

How is that 'dangerous?' What Hillary has said about the military is dangerous. But I don't see how what Edelman said is dangerous. Unless it's dangerous to HIM in a Vince Foster kind of way.

Clearly the Hillary Smear Machine is just grabbing at words, hurling them up into the air in the hopes that at worst they will distract from the issue. Typical Clinton.
 

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