Commentary
by Lt. Colonel John Lewis Cook, USA (ret.)
I have often wondered, over the past few
years, what has happened to our senior military commanders. They all appear to be petty bureaucrats, more
suited to the Department of State than the Department of Defense. While serving in Afghanistan during the past
four and a half years, I watched in amazement at President Hamid Karzai pushed
them around like so many sissies on the playground. When Karzai complained about civilian
casualties there, they apologized and said they would be more careful, which meant
they would transfer more risk to our troops on the ground. This led to the infamous “rules of
engagement,” which placed a higher premium of the lives of Afghan civilians
than our forces. Our commanders refused
to point out to Karzai that in war, civilians die and far more were killed by
the Taliban deliberately than the few we killed accidently. Yet, they failed to confront him, claiming
that would be a “breach of diplomacy.”
When Karzai threatened to join the Taliban unless we stopped accusing him
of corruption, not a peep was heard from our military leaders.
Later, when the Obama
administration decided that “don’t ask don’t tell” needed to end in 2011, our
military leaders quickly fell in line and said it was a great idea, and gays
were welcomed in with open arms. Never
mind that the military had good reason to oppose it for decades. When the administration caved in to feminists
demands from Washington to allow females to serve in combat recently, the brass
replied with a hearty “Yes Sir!” No one
even bothered to consult the thousands of women who were making great
contributions within the armed forces if they wanted to go into actual combat
because they knew what the answer would be.
Instead of looking out for the welfare of those under their command,
their most sacred duty, the military leadership simply folded under political
pressure.
Personally, I thought
it was about as bad as it could get.
Finally, the magnificent armed forces of America had hit rock bottom and
the only way left was to go up, because
we could not possibly sink any lower.
Political correctness had taken an enormous toll but there was still a
glimmer of hope. Perhaps, with a
miracle, we could still recover and find the courage to somehow pull out of
this spiraling death dive.
Unfortunately, I’m
afraid that’s not going to happen. This
past Friday, Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III, Commander of all U.S. forces in
the Pacific, was interviewed at a conference at Harvard University. He was asked to name the most serious national
security threat to the U.S. in the Pacific.
The question was appropriate, serious, and required a serious,
thoughtful response. After all, his area
of responsibility stretches from San Diego to India and he could have listed a lot of real threats, such as
China. Or he could have addressed the
very real threat of North Korea’s long range missiles capable of reaching
California, or the threat this regime poses to out ally, South Korea.
Either of these topics
could have earned the top spot, but neither did. Instead, the good Admiral chose global
warming as the greatest threat to us in the Pacific. That’s right.
And you read it right. Our senior
military commander in the Pacific is on record as listing global warming as a
clear and present danger there, greater that, China, greater than North Korea,
greater than anything.
In a different era, not
so long ago, such a statement would have served as the basis to quietly remove
this officer from his post and replace him.
The U.S. Navy does this routinely when a commander proves to be unable
to command. That’s how the system is
supposed to work and it has worked extremely well for over two hundred
years. However, we are in a far
different era now, and outrageous claims such as this will be accepted as fact,
regardless of the facts. This is what
happens when political correctness overwhelms common sense.
How could it possibly
come to this? That’s a very good
question and it deserves a serious answer.
Is it possible that this man spent too much time with Al Gore? Did he think such a claim would endear him to
the highest levels of the administration?
Or does he honestly believe he is right when he says such things? I have no idea because I do not know this man
and I do not know what’s in his heart.
However, I do know that he is not paid to wage war on global warming, no
matter how real or unreal he may think it to be. His job is to fight and win the nation’s wars
against real enemies, not the environment.
As a private citizen, I defend his right to believe whatever appears in
his mind. As a senior military commander
with a serious mission, I have a right to expect a bit more. Unfortunately, I’m not going to get it and I
truly grieve for the nation. This should
serve as a shot across the bow for all of us.
About the Author
Lieutenant Colonel John
Lewis Cook, United States Army (Retired), “served as the Senior Advisor to the
Ministry of Interior in Kabul, Afghanistan, with responsibility for developing
the force structure for the entire Afghan National Police. As of 2012, this force totals 157,000. From March 2008 until August 2012, his access
and intimate associations with all levels of the Afghan government and
coalition forces have provided him with an unprecedented insight into the
policies which will determine the outcome of the war. It is this insight, coupled with his contacts
and associations throughout Afghanistan that form the basis of Afghanistan: The
Perfect Failure.
Click to read more
about Lt. Colonel John Lewis Cook
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