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Subscribe to RSSThe Pentagon has launched an investigation into an independent report written by an Army lieutenant colonel for possible security violations, military officials said Wednesday.
In an article published Sunday by the Armed Forces Journal titled "Truth, Lies and Afghanistan: How military leaders have let us down," Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, who spent a year in Afghanistan delivering equipment to U.S. forces, strongly suggests that military leaders are lying about progress in the war in Afghanistan.
“What I saw bore no resemblance to rosy official statements by U.S. military leaders about conditions on the ground,” he wrote in the article.
Davis wrote an 86-page report with the same title that he released to members of Congress. Pentagon officials said Davis released the report without informing Army officials.
Davis based his claim on 250 interviews with U.S. troops, Afghan security officials, Afghan civilians and several village elders who painted a bleaker picture about the mission.
Although senior military officials acknowledged that ground combat forces would likely have a different view on progress, they strongly denied claims that the military leadership is misleading the American public.
For example, Davis disputes congressional testimony by Gen. David Petraeus, the former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and now CIA director, that progress in Afghanistan was "significant though fragile."
Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparotti, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Afghanistan, conceded Wednesday that the war is far from over and there is a "tough fight ahead," but he said there has been "significant" and "steady progress" over the past 18 months.
At the same time, however, the Pentagon is investigating whether Davis improperly released classified information in the report that he released to members of Congress.
Additionally, Pentagon and military officials claim that two years ago while he was stationed in Germany, Davis wrote a letter to Petraeus, advising Petraeus on how to fight and win a war against Iran. The officials say Davis also asked Petraeus to help him skip a rank and get promoted to brigadier general so he could help shape the strategy for a war against Iran.
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Such a typical military response, so familiar to anyone who has ever served and paid attention. "What!" the senior officers say. "Someone is saying that what we are doing isn't perfect and everything that we are saying about it isn't true? Stop him -- HE'S A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY FOR G-D'S SAKE!"
We have been fighting there for a DECADE and now the only way to negotiate with the Taliban is to release their prisoners from Gitmo.
Yeah, things are going great...
First of all, if I read the article correctly LtCol Davis wrote to Gen Petraeus directly to provide his ideas on how to win a war against Iran. Also, in the same letter he asked Petraeus to help him skip right over to Col to BrigGen so he could participate in the strategic planning of this war. How is this LtCol still in the service?!?! It sounds like he has lost his marbles, going around the chain of command to offer unsolicited opinions and asking a Gen to help him skip over Col to become a BrigGen. Whether this guy is right or not about the situation in Afghanistan, I my guess is he is probably more right than wrong, he seems to have lost it in a major way. In addition, this LtCol goes releasing a report he has written about Afghanistan directly to members of Congress without going through the proper military channels. LtCol Davis needs to be removed from duty immediately since his ability to make sound decisions is extremely suspect. What he has done will end his military career and could land him in Leavenworth. He may be completely right about the situation in Afghanistan, but the way he has gone about trying to make those observations known to others is not acceptable behavior for a senior military officer.
JS is right; this guy is a nut case. Only an idiot could take him seriously. Which explains why Republicans want to take him seriously ... anything to try and show that Obama is a failure.
Obama has made plenty of mistakes, but the Republicans want to raise silly issues like a 'war on religion' rather than dealing with real issues like jobs.
Yes JD and Steve many times the truth tellers are prosecuted. Weather he did or did not follow his chain of command really isn't the point here idiots. The point is that we are being lied to by the Gov. about conditions on the ground in Afghanistan.
And the only person I see here bringing up silly issues is you two. Who cares if he wants to skip ranks, or republicans "war on religion".
The point is you're being lied to ,and sadly you seem ok with it.
anyone with real common sense just has to know that there will NEVER be a win or peace in ANY of these countries. don't just read one paper or watch one news station or just one internet news, read all of them as well as look back in time. it simply cannot be that hard to realize this will never change. life as we knew it is gone. yes i was for the iraq war but, how CAN YOU NOT KNOW that going in with 25 people will be okay against millions. most of these people seek peace but there is so so much of that old bull crap tribal thinking. yes that is their right as humans but come on move with the times. if they start preaching sharia law, living like the days of mohamed an such and do it with swords and bows an arrows like back then, then i will feel for them. there will be no settlement ever ever. the very day we pull out of afghanistan the killing will begin just like iraq and all those poor women working and girls going to school will be targeted period, we all know this, you simply cant be that nieve to believe otherwise. yes he overstepped his position but congress is nothing but a bunch of liars, our government sucks right now yet i love this country and would die for it even having been born in cuba. this is still the best country in the world. i have yet to hear a single person say "i want to live the mexican or pakistani or russian or any other dream" its always the american dream. we slipped in these wars and are simply doing what we can from now on. now look at egypt, those asses are holding OUR people with weapons we supply? now syria are asking for america to help or at least i just read that before i did this. why is no one REALLY REALLY condeming russia or china? why dont the other middle east so called"BROTHERHOOD" go in and help. it is sickening and sad all these poor people in all those countries dieing for nothing. i thank EVERY service member for doing what most of us wont or cant. you people are my true heros. however it will not make a difference the middle east no longer exists as we knew it, they will never have peace. like i like to say......
hey god? any god, if in fact you are up there you can come back now this world is ready for you.......
be safe people. oh and hey those few of you out there that are sick, stop killing your wives and kids
The truth hurts. The farther along I get in, "The Operators," the more credence this report has in my mind. The Pentagon and their generals want to fight. They don't care if they aren't doing any good, it's just a rush for them.
Yeah. Go to some other country and kill their wives and kids. Everyone knows only American wives and kids are human.
Yes, the US government does not want the American People to know that both Iraq and Afghanistan wars were a TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY AND LIVES, accomplishing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. We could have negotiated peace with Taliban 9 years ago on much better terms.
Ah,....nothing like a good smear campaign to try and change the subject. Anyone who believes that we're making progress in Afghanistan or achieving any kind of goals is out of their mind and completely out of touch with reality.
Luckily, Obama sent more troops to Afghanistan after accepting a Nobel Peace Prize and I'm sure that will fix everything.
I do not understand how you can be so happy to jump on this incomplete article.
He is being investigated for releasing information. In fact he also is in violation of other rules that as a Field Grade officer, he is well aware of. That you like what he says does not make that right and DOES merit investigation.
If you join the military you agree to their rules. I should know I stayed for 20 years and wasn't happy the last 10 but wanted to make a real difference.
Sounds like parenting to me.....see if you can relate now......You start something and KNOW from the start that the rules have changed so you abide the new life and rules to do your best for the duration...or you lose your kids.
The article does NOT say he resigned from the Army (removing himself from many of those rules) and THEN submit the report.
A shallow report at that, "[he conducted]250 interviews"over a 12 month period....he couldn't do more?? He did only 12 months in Afghanistan and knows how it was when we went in? I did 4 tours in Iraq from 2003 to 2009, ands the shortest was 8 months. I talked to over 250 Iraqis and found they were not happy but they knew it was better than Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
Also I spent more time in Iraq than this guy did in Afghanistan. He DELIVERED Supplies. So he spoke to people who probably wanted more than they got and soldiers will always bitch, that doesn't make it news.
Just a guy being investigated for breaking rules and he isn't even serious because he did not resign.
Sounds like a guy who knew he had no future career and is counting on the press coverage to argue why he is being unjustly treated when he did not get promoted (You must continue to improve on a set table of requirements or get removed for not being promoted...cuts people who stagnate the military) He also is hoping , more than likely, to get some press when he is removed and to accuse it for being strictly a political issue and not about his personal choices.
This is about truth and not impressing the press? Now WHO is lying to the people.....or do we need to investigate him after the fact to see what we already know.You already mentioned smear campaign.
Last, direct.....this is not about the making of satisfied people. This is about making progress. Nothing great happens overnight unless it is catastrophe. Hiroshima, Pearl Harbor, 9/11, Titanic, Hindenburgh, Earthquakes, Hurricanes.....these things unify the people to make things change.The rest of the progress in the world is longterm changes by short steps. Real Changes, not perfect.
He does not deserve defense for breaking rules. He should have resigned first instead of expecting to be served more applause for violating known laws (UCMJ). Those are the rules pentagon will punish for and not civilian judicial code. Research what you need to know not what you want to know.
2nd note to the gullible.....the last paragraph about making Brigadier general was probably written as a joke since it would have required a real world act of Congress to make the guy a general officer. Since that is not realistic it is not relevant, although it may have been viewed by peers and superiors as arrogant and in poor taste.
The explanation of this LtCol behavior is very simple. While in Germany we was still thinking that he's part of the "clan" or the "elite" within the top US military gang. He surely thought he would be able to jump ranks (like probably others do as well) once he recognized the "dynamics" at the top.
But I assume he didn't get what he thought he would deserve, thus he turned against them and published THE REALITY about the US troops in Afghanistan.
So, he first wanted to be part of the "oiled mechanism" but turned against it when he got dropped. Same like Hitler.
Another nutcase in the military, why am I not shocked. I'm surprised this guy has lasted as long as he did. As a Lt. Col. this guy has some limited command authority. You have to wonder how he got to that level when he obviously wants to go around the command structure.
Just because the Pentagon Brass says that there is a letter from Davis to Petraeus that says the things that they allege does not mean that there is one. What an excellent "reporter" Miklaszewski is to repeat this allegation without the slightest attribution or evidence.
Assuming that Lt. Col. Davis actually wrote a letter to Petraeus, let Mik or the Brass produce it if they want to smear the guy. If and when they produce such a letter, my guess is that the "official" interpretation will be completely skewed from what the actual letter says.
Having been a whistleblower at another Federal Agency, I can assure all the readers that management authorities are also capable of producing false documentation, forgeries and just about anything they need to crush a whistleblower. This investigation will cost Lt. Col. Davis a ton of personal money to defend and in the end the Congressional People won't be able to help him.
Good luck Lt. Col. Davis. You will need it and do not stand too closely to the Metro Platform.
How do we justify fighting the Taliban whose country we invaded, and not Pakistan?. The Taliban couldn't have given us the Al-Quida terrorists even if they wanted to, at least not without a whole lot of spilt blood.
Lt. Colonel Davis may just be stating and trying to support his own opinions, but one thing for sure is when you get to be a member of the top brass in DC, your decisions and policies become more like a politician than a leader of the troops. In order to stay in good favor of the politicians you must answer to, they become less of a soldier and more like yes men. If our politicians want to put on the look of improving conditions in Afghanistan, none of the top brass will buck that. They are afraid of having our politicians ruin their careers.
Just curious; what information could this man have gleaned from interviewing 250 ground forces that we are afraid to share with congress?
His actions over time (did you read the rest of the story? asking a general to let him skip a grade to general so he can plan a war against Iran) do not show him to be rational. Any mental case can talk to people, but that does not qualify them to present findings to Congress. This is not about fear of some 'great conspiracy' being found out; this is a matter of wasting time and making something out of the ravings of a lunatic.
Should Congress need to hear every mental asylum inmate? Should the military need to waste their time defending themselves against baseless garbage? Please do not put me in the place of defending the military execs. As a tax payer, this is a waste of my tax dollars.
Obviously the smear campaign worked on YOU - the problem I have with this story is, what proof do they have that he ever asked Petraeus for something that NO ONE can get? And IF it's true, then WHY didn't Petraeus do something about it??? And WHY IS THIS ONLY NOW COMING TO LIGHT??? Sorry, not buying it.
Somehow the words "Pentagon," "Army lieutenant colonel," and "independent" don't seem to go together.
I would believe the Army Colonel before I would believe these lieing politicians of our's. All our men and women Killed for Absolutely NOTHING. And Billion's down the drain or in some case's in Swiss bank Account's. Simply Unbelievable..
Somehow a report that they believe is wrong is suddenly also a security threat?????? I don't get it. If it is wrong then how can it be a threat to National security.......
.......OH... wait I think I get it..It is true and no one really wants truth to be known to the peons in the US who are always told the "war" will be over in a few months.
Judging by the reaction from the Pentagon, it looks like the Colonel's report must have been pretty spot on
Remember the first casualty in war is TRUTH. I think the colonel's report is probably accurate; after all this is a country/area that has virtually never known peace. Even the Russians abandoned this god-forsaken territory but it has taken us a longer period of time to find out what the Russians did--it isn't worth anything. Let the warring tribes have 'at it, and bring our troops into a civilized area. What would all these generals and military contractors do if there is no war?
I agree, Annie. In fact, if you remember, the War in Afghanistan is one of the reasons the Soviet
Union went bankrupt, and had to, "abandon their empire," and it led to the
East/West wall falling in Germany.
And we helped by handing the Afghan fighters our Stinger missiles, which took out Russian helicopters. I've always wondered if some country had developed a STINGER-TYPE missile to counteract our drones, and if so, has it been deployed in Afghanistan, as we did to the Russians? It
won't be long before anti-drone missiles will be killing our drones which fly overhead, I think.
Anyway, it's ten years of us in Afghanistan, and Iraq, and now our country is broke, and
admittedly, it's part of a world wide recession. And what has been accomplished
but a lot of death and destruction?
If only there was a way, we could have just given them the money and let them fix up their country as they wished, but perhaps human need to fight and war is something we can't overcome?
Well, a lot of what's happening reminds me of Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, and
former 101st ABN DIV, (formerly slated for a corporate spot as a General)
Colonel David H. Hackworth, and his famous anti-war interview on ABC News in
1971. Life seems to be a giant wheel, turning around, over and over again, much
like the prayer wheels the Buddhists often use?
The difference is that now if you launch on our drones, you give away your position, and we can react and target back upon you within seconds. You can run, but you won't be able to hide from what will be hunting you down and detonating on you sixty seconds after you fired on our drone.
We only lose a replaceable drone; you and those around you lose their irreplaceable lives. And the MIC just makes more money and profit off of our temporary "loss". It's not the drone you see and shoot that will be the one that does you in. We always have redundant overlap, whether we admit it or not.
I read a portion of the report, it wasn't written recently. How things stand in Afghanistan today, compared to what he reported then is anybody's guess. I would err on the side of the Lt. col. The war propaganda machine doesn't really want the citizens to know all the facts, might make the citizens wonder where the money and lives of the soldiers killed in the conflict went.
Good post Paul, I was thinking the same thing. We shouldn't give away to much info though, else they come for us next?
Your assessment is dead on...when they aren't fighting against an external occupier they are at war among themslves over who will be the top dog. Afghanistan is a hopeless cause. Get out! We succeded in driving Al Qaida to ground, we have killed off most of their leadership, there is no reason to remain there, it is costing us a billion dollars a week to be there. Bring our troops home for some well-deserved R&R. As for planning for a war with Iran...N-O-O-O! He doesn't need locking up in Levinworth. St Elizabeth's will do just fine. The US already has a contengency war plan for Iran. It has been around since before President Carter. Literally tens of thousands of military leaders have given input over those years. I don't think this LTC needs to rewrite it with his own storyline.
So who said the situation in Afghanistan was ever supposed to be rosy? The solution Afghanistan is the one that has not been tried. Syria is close to peace than Afghanistan.
As an officer he's must toe the line. He's not allowed to speak out or it is dissent. God forbid you don't sing the same tune. If you don't you are a traitor. WIKI LEAKS.. Negotiate after 10 plus years. That smells.. They must have someone important. The way this "news" is reported is so slanted one can only begin to wonder what is really going on.. I think my phone is tapped to.
The Republicans love to say that Obama is wrong and we would listen to our officers on the ground. Well here is one and they will do their best to now listen to what everyone with half a wit already knows and that is this has been one of the biggest boondoggles in the history of the US.
This Davis seems to be a plant for the GOP to discredit Obama. Wonder how much the Koch brothers are paying him to say these things?
Who cares. The country is a *%#$hole and has been since Islam was introduced. Why even bother? People selling these little calendars about building schools for the girls. What, so some Jihadist can pour acid on them or light them on fire for trying to learn something. Or so their uncle can cut their nose off because they talked to a neighbor boy. Until they drop the "religion of death" any attempt of improvement is a waste of time.
Hey sh1thole, you're a waste of time and oxygen. You should stay off the acid and try to learn something. @!$%#hole.
You are right. With one caveat: it is not religion. Islam is not the problem, it is the tool of a culture that subjugates women. If they became atheists tomorrow, they would still abuse women.
You can find hundreds of Christians among your neighbors, but few if any who subjugate women. Yet the Bible--both old and new testament--commands the subjugation of women even more than does the Qur'an.
Our culture doesn't tolerate it. Their culture embraces it. It would be helpful to identify the real enemy before engaging in battle. The question isn't how to eradicate Islam. The problem is how to influence a culture.
One thing the answer most certainly is not: to make war on them.
Unless, of course, our real agenda has nothing to do with improving Afghanistan and establishing peace in the region. Could that be the case?
Crusades based on Faith are still just war.
People with influence and Power encourage war when they have too small a way to influence too large a human base. That has applications regarding religion, government philosophy and economics.
If you have a Faith in ANYTHING that you will not question or are discouraged to question then you open yourself to living by the interpretation by those powerful who want to remain powerful.
I think this Lt. Col. has lost his head. He was in charge of supplies and now wants to tell Gen. Petraeus how to run a war. If he was knowledgeable in this field, he would not be in supplies.
He sounds like another Ollie North glory hound to me. Asking for himself to skip a rank because HE and ONLY HE could help win the fight. Yep another Ollie the fake. Time to rid the military of these glory seekers but then there would be no one left. LMAO!
This sounds like a redux of the last gasps of the failed war in South Vietnam when Daniel Ellsberg photocopied the Pentagon Papers. Lt Col Daniel Davis is to be commended for his patriotism in revealing formally what most of already knew informally which is that the Emperor has no clothes once again. We need more brave men and women who are willing to pull back the curtain, and have the establishment credentials to make their claims stick as 'incovenient truths.'
So, the Lt. Col. told Petraeus how to attack Iran?
That does it, another right wing moron disgracing his uniform
Sadly, the brass says things are going well because they are pressured to by the government. If they give any hint of negativity, they are shut down. I hope someday we will have a government that wants to hear the real truth rather than the "truth" they manufacture. With our current batch of democrats and republicans, I don't see that happening any time soon.
Real truth? The Lt. Col. was out of line. They have enough already to ruin his career & throw him out.. If he's got PTSD, which is possible, he can get help.
Nobody tells a General how to run a war, let alone jump a rank or attack Iran --- That is signs of serious psychological troubles & you don't have to be in the military very long to learn that
anyone with real common sense just has to know that there will NEVER be a win or peace in ANY of these countries. don't just read one paper or watch one news station or just one internet news, read all of them as well as look back in time. it simply cannot be that hard to realize this will never change. life as we knew it is gone. yes i was for the iraq war but, how CAN YOU NOT KNOW that going in with 25 people will be okay against millions. most of these people seek peace but there is so so much of that old bull crap tribal thinking. yes that is their right as humans but come on move with the times. if they start preaching sharia law, living like the days of mohamed an such and do it with swords and bows an arrows like back then, then i will feel for them. there will be no settlement ever ever. the very day we pull out of afghanistan the killing will begin just like iraq and all those poor women working and girls going to school will be targeted period, we all know this, you simply cant be that nieve to believe otherwise. yes he overstepped his position but congress is nothing but a bunch of liars, our government sucks right now yet i love this country and would die for it even having been born in cuba. this is still the best country in the world. i have yet to hear a single person say "i want to live the mexican or pakistani or russian or any other dream" its always the american dream. we slipped in these wars and are simply doing what we can from now on. now look at egypt, those asses are holding OUR people with weapons we supply? now syria are asking for america to help or at least i just read that before i did this. why is no one REALLY REALLY condeming russia or china? why dont the other middle east so called"BROTHERHOOD" go in and help. it is sickening and sad all these poor people in all those countries dieing for nothing. i thank EVERY service member for doing what most of us wont or cant. you people are my true heros. however it will not make a difference the middle east no longer exists as we knew it, they will never have peace. like i like to say......
hey god? any god, if in fact you are up there you can come back now this world is ready for you.......
be safe people. oh and hey those few of you out there that are sick, stop killing your wives and kids
anyone with real common sense just has to know that there will NEVER be a win or peace in ANY of these countries. don't just read one paper or watch one news station or just one internet news, read all of them as well as look back in time. it simply cannot be that hard to realize this will never change. life as we knew it is gone. yes i was for the iraq war but, how CAN YOU NOT KNOW that going in with 25 people will be okay against millions. most of these people seek peace but there is so so much of that old bull crap tribal thinking. yes that is their right as humans but come on move with the times. if they start preaching sharia law, living like the days of mohamed an such and do it with swords and bows an arrows like back then, then i will feel for them. there will be no settlement ever ever. the very day we pull out of afghanistan the killing will begin just like iraq and all those poor women working and girls going to school will be targeted period, we all know this, you simply cant be that nieve to believe otherwise. yes he overstepped his position but congress is nothing but a bunch of liars, our government sucks right now yet i love this country and would die for it even having been born in cuba. this is still the best country in the world. i have yet to hear a single person say "i want to live the mexican or pakistani or russian or any other dream" its always the american dream. we slipped in these wars and are simply doing what we can from now on. now look at egypt, those asses are holding OUR people with weapons we supply? now syria are asking for america to help or at least i just read that before i did this. why is no one REALLY REALLY condeming russia or china? why dont the other middle east so called"BROTHERHOOD" go in and help. it is sickening and sad all these poor people in all those countries dieing for nothing. i thank EVERY service member for doing what most of us wont or cant. you people are my true heros. however it will not make a difference the middle east no longer exists as we knew it, they will never have peace. like i like to say......
hey god? any god, if in fact you are up there you can come back now this world is ready for you.......
be safe people. oh and hey those few of you out there that are sick, stop killing your wives and kids
All this war is doing is preventing the Islamic radicals from coalescing, taking over Afghanistan and Pakistan and them moving against their "Greatest Satan" that is within reach...Russia.
So, let the galivanting Russians worry about this. They popped the "pustule" a ways back and have shown the world they deserve their comeuppance....
Not one more drop of NATO blood for Russia...
This just proves how America is where Soviets were in their Afghan war. America is not winning this war not now not in the next 100 years. It is only going to ruin our armed forces.
How typical! Republicans think Lt. Col. Davis is a hero and Bradley Manning is a traitor. If we really want to empower whistleblowers, we can't limit that empowerment to whistleblowers who agree with us!
A Lt Col. who is in supply, who wants to advise Gen Peterus how to win the war. This sounds more like a delusional officer who wants to attract attention by saying look at me Im a whistle blower on the corrupt Generals. Sounds more like a officer who was promoted beyond his ability but cant recognize that.
Square-
That was my thought. Sounds like an armchair general. Probably reads too many online comments. I wasn't aware of a war with Iran. I highly doubt it would go smoothly, but this guy obviously knows how to fight one. I'm sure with all his intel he knows exactly what is going on /rollseyes. While in the end I believe he is probably accurate in his assessment, Joe Blow off the street could probably tell you the same thing.