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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. MAY 27. 2004
Book Review: Plan of Attack
Woodward’s book gives unbiased look at Iraq
In his latest book Plan of Attack, legendary
investigative journalist Bob Woodward with his
tight connections to the White House and both
sides of the aisle in Congress provides the defini
tive insider’s account of the events that led to the
decision to invade Iraq in March 2003.
Woodward relied on over 75 sources, including
the president, top cabinet members and high-level
Pentagon officers, in putting together a book
which clearly details the decision-making behind
the preemptive attack on Iraq.
Plan of Attack notes that war planning actually
began in November 2001, during
the Afghanistan war, when the
president pulled Rumsfeld aside
to tell him to start working on an
updated plan for full-scale war to
remove Saddam Hussein from
power.
For the next several months, in
total secrecy, Rumsfeld and Army
General Tommy Franks, with
their teams of advisers and
deputies, toiled through many
series of drafts and re-drafts of a
war plan to disable the regime of
Saddam Hussein, without hurting
too many civilians and without
American forces staying too long.
By October 2002 the planning
was so entrenched and had gotten
so deep that many top officials
realized the war was absolutely going to start by
March of the next year.
Members of the White House’s National Secu
rity Council (NSC), which is composed of many
of the top cabinet and military officials who pro
vide their knowledge and recommendations to the
president, had starkly contrasting opinions on an
invasion, when it should take place, who should
be involved and what means the U.S. should use
to remove Saddam.
Vice President Dick Cheney, for example, was
perhaps the most hard-line in the administration
on Iraq, and some said he had a “fever” to invade.
Within the first days of the administration,
Cheney became what Woodward called a “self-
appointed examiner of worst-case scenarios,”
determined that the Iraqi leader was going to
destroy the U.S. and its neighbors any day and the
U.S. must take overwhelming action immediately.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was Secre
tary of State Colin Powell, who is described as the
bitter rival, and ends up becoming a crucial coun
terweight, to Cheney.
The two had long debates in front of the NSC
on how much support the U. S. should ask from
the U. N., with Powell saying we should ask for
total support, weapons inspections, and a new res
olution, and Cheney suggesting not even telling
the U. N. we are about to attack, and then do so
unilaterally.
In the summer of 2002, Powell even spent one
evening in private with the president and national
security adviser Condoleeza Rice to try to explain
the dangers of a war in Iraq, that many things
could go wrong and that American credibility
around the world was on the line. “You break it,
you bought it,” Powell told the president.
In the end, of course, Powell’s side won out —
they did seek U.N. and international support, but
Cheney got his wish of war anyway.
Meaningful discussion of the “why” for going
to war was disturbingly absent from the early pre
war NSC meetings.
Only a handful of the president’s advisers,
Cheney among them, seemed to
think any convincing of either
the public or the president was
required. The rest generally did
n’t seem to consider it an issue,
and the most important criteria
for going to war was whether or
not the president decides to.
Even when Cheney or Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wol-
fowitz commented at these meet
ings about the “urgent threat” of
Iraq to the world, such statements
were never challenged by the rest
of the NSC members.
It was never mentioned that
none of Iraq’s neighbors thought
there was a threat, or that Iraq
was not even mentioned on the
Cl As list of dangers to the U.S. in
early 2001.
When the CIA put together a more extensive
report on Saddam’s weapons in 2002, it concluded
essentially that the dictator “might possibly one
day” have deadly weapons — a description that
could apply equally to Big Bird. However the
NSC and Bush used this as a justification for war
rather than a sign to hold off.
Especially considering much of the recent
news, another alarming aspect of the war planning
is the relative absence of discussion on how to
deal with a toppled Iraq. Even the hawk Cheney
said the post-war environment could be complete
chaos, with the American presence being less
acceptable to the Iraqis by the day — essentially
predicting the current situation.
But the most effort was focused on the initial
assault, which was designed to be quick and clean
with a relatively small force, so we could easily go
in and jump out, without leaving a trace we were
there. Obviously it wasn’t that easy.
At a time when many political books are being
written about the president, all of which seem to
hold views that are far to the left or equally far to
the right, Woodward gives us one of those rare,
truly objective accounts of a controversial process.
Strongly partisan readers (both pro and anti-
Iraq war) will no doubt grouse that it doesn’t tell it
their way. But Woodward’s wealth of contacts,
extensive research and access to the highest level
officials, provide the most unbiased account of the
Iraq situation available.
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Reflections
By Elaine Jordan
Remember
This year, more than ever,
Memorial Day has a special signifi
cance. Not only are we actively
engaged in a war with Iraq, but on
June 6 we will mark the 60th
anniversary of the WW II D-Day
invasion of Normandy, France. As
Our Heroes
proud Americans, paying tribute
next Monday, May 31 to all the
heroic men and women of both gen
erations is the very least we can do.
Memorial Day in recent years
has been less a day for remember
ing than a day for doing and antici-
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pating — going on picnics, shop
ping, thinking ahead to the various
pleasures of summer vacation. It’s
the tail end of a three-day weekend
and, as Americans, we know how
to enjoy these weekends.
Now there’s nothing wrong with
that. But in the middle of all the
fun, we need to pause a minute and
reflect on those who have, and are
now, facing our enemies in war.
Lives were, and will be again, lost
doing service to this country. It
would be gross ingratitude not to
remember the sacrifices made for
us and such uncaring would belittle
both them — and us.
There are many ways we can
honor and observe Memorial Day.
Some communities have a parade,
others have ceremonies and lay
wreaths on veterans’ graves. This
year the White House Commission
on Remembrance wants all Ameri
cans to pause at 3 p.m. local time
on May 31 to remember all who
have fought and died in past wars
and pray for those who are
engaged in battle now.
Even if you plan on staying
home, you can take a look at
America’s heritage by renting and
viewing movies such as “Saving
Private Ryan,” “Band of Brothers,”
“The Great Escape” and movies of
actual WW II footage.
This Memorial Day you don’t
have to look too far to find heroes -
- both from the past and from our
present too. And whether or not
you believe we should be fighting
a war in Iraq, we should support
our troops who are there. After all,
they volunteered to place them
selves in harm’s way to uphold our
Democratic ideal of freedom for
all. And right or wrong, that should
make them heroes in anyone’s
book.
"I understand, son ... Memorial Days are never the same
when they're about someone you know."
State veterans cemetery
honors sacrifice to country
The VA expects to open the new
Georgia National Cemetery (near
Canton in Cherokee County) for
burials in late 2005, operating out
of temporary facilities. Construc
tion is not projected to be complete
until mid to late 2007.
Georgia veterans and their
spouses can find comfort in know
ing the state provides at no cost to
them a final resting place at the
Georgia Veterans Memorial Ceme
tery near Milledgeville.
“This state cemetery is more
than a place to lay loved ones to
rest,” Commissioner Wheeler
noted. “This is a shrine, a place of
honor, in recognition to all Georgia
veterans who have served in our
US Armed Forces.”
Interments have taken place at
Georgia’s first state veteran’s ceme
tery since the fall of 2001. Some
275 veterans and 35 spouses of vet
erans have been laid to rest there.
The cemetery, located five miles
south of downtown Milledgeville
along Ga. Highway 112, presently
has a capacity for over 1,800 burial
sites and 1,000 cremation spaces.
Veterans discharged or separated
from military service under condi
tions other than dishonorable and
meeting state residency require
ments are eligible for burial at
GVMC. Along with the veteran’s
spouse, dependent children under
the age of 21 and unmarried or cer
tified as a life-long dependent of
the veteran are also eligible.
“Burial at the Georgia Veterans
Memorial Cemetery near
Milledgeville can not only comfort,
but also ease the survivors’ finan
cial burden that comes with laying
a loved one to rest,” says Commis
sioner Wheeler.
According to GVMC Director
Ernie Simons, burial cost in a pri
vate cemetery can vary, depending
not only on the geographic area but
also on the age and accessibility of
the cemetery within that local area.
“The cost savings can range
from two to four thousand dollars,”
Simons points out. “This includes
the cost of the plot, vault, opening
and closing burial site, the head
stone and perpetual care.”
Commissioner Wheeler encour
ages all veterans to visit or call any
one of the state’s 47 Veterans Ser
vice field offices (check the local
phone book for the nearest loca
tion) to find out the details of all
the burial benefits to which they are
entitled.
“Veterans and their families
should acquaint themselves before
hand with the burial benefits one
might be entitled to upon his or her
death,” Commissioner Wheeler rec
ommended. “They should not wait
until the benefit is needed because
something could easily be over
looked during such a traumatic
time.”
Veterans interested in more
information about burial at the
Georgia Veterans Memorial Ceme
tery can call Ernie Simons or Rus
sell Feagin at 478-445-3363 or
email them at:
gdvscemdir @ alltel .net
t-
The Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery, located some five
miles south of Milledgeville, can eventually be a final resting
place for more than 10,000 veterans and their spouses.
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