08-07-2003 02:50									#1
	Tommie Franks is history. Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

The BBC is reporting that the General Tommie Franks the commander who lead U.S. forces in the last Gulf War is stepping down and retiring. Apparently, Franks was supposed to retire last year but stayed on in order to lead the Iraq war when he was personally asked by Donald Rumiesfield to do so. Franks is being replaced by General John Abizaid, an Arabic speaker, with a Lebanonese Christian background.

It is expected that General Abizaid will now be in charge of all US forces in the middle east. Here is the full BBc article.

Does this shack up mean anything or do you believe Franks really has been planning on retiring for the last year? Have I just been reading to many conspericy theories?

	08-07-2003 02:51									#2
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I thought he retired a month ago?

	08-07-2003 02:54									#3
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BBC is reporting it today.

Also the his replacement has the nick name of "The Mad Arab" which he earned at west point 30 years ago and has stuck ever since.

	08-07-2003 02:55									#4
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Always people looking for dirt.
He's retiring. Big whoop.

Good job, General Franks.

	08-07-2003 03:00									#5
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http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/05/22/fr...ires/index.html

From May 22nd. Great scoop by the BBC!

	08-07-2003 03:01									#6
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Maybe they meant that it took effect today while CNN was reported in May that it would occur.

	08-07-2003 03:01									#7
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hopefully he won't be wasting any more tax dollars on extravagant jets for his wife...

	08-07-2003 03:02									#8
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Who else thinks he was asked to go by Sgt Rummie?

	08-07-2003 03:03									#9
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"Earlier this month, Rumsfeld offered Franks, 57, the post of Army chief of staff -- the highest job in the Army. But Franks turned it down.

While many senior officers are anxious to make more money in the private sector after a lifetime of military pay, sources said Franks' decision was less about money than a lack of enthusiasm for the internecine battles in the Pentagon bureaucracy."

Not Rummy, but the bureaucrats were wearing him down.

	08-07-2003 03:20									#10
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Does this shack up mean anything or do you believe Franks really has been planning on retiring for the last year?

I think he probably just wanted to retire. Years of high pressure in Afghanistan and then Iraq would make anybody feel like it's time for a break.

If you wanted a conspiracy theory, the best would be that Franks was investigated for improper conduct with regards to his wife--the deal was that he would retire at a good time, but the investigated would be suppressed. But I don't buy that.

	08-07-2003 03:24									#11
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As for Abizaid, he seems very well qualified. It probably wouldn't be smart to overplay his Lebanese Christian background, though.

	08-07-2003 03:35									#12
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I imagine most muslim Iraqis are still going to feel that a Lebanese christian is still a foreigner even if he his an Arab.

	08-07-2003 03:42									#13
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57 so he's at 35 years, which is normal mandatory retirement for O-7's up, unless there's a waiver from Congress, unless that rule has been changed fairly recently.

Schwarzkopf also turned down ACS - it's generally a **** job after a theater command, all Chairborne Rangering and babysitting Congress.

Sava, nice being a whiner, but Franks was cleared.

Abizaid is a fairly no-**** soldiering type, as much as we have those any more.

	08-07-2003 03:45									#14
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quote: Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat Schwarzkopf also turned down ACS

Shame, he would have made a great OT mod.

	08-07-2003 03:47									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin I imagine most muslim Iraqis are still going to feel that a Lebanese christian is still a foreigner even if he his an Arab.

It won't make much difference, since they'll primarily be dealing with McKiernan and his subordinates.

	08-07-2003 05:07									#16
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quote: Originally posted by FrustratedPoet Shame, he would have made a great OT mod.

	08-07-2003 05:32									#17
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quote: Sava, nice being a whiner, but Franks was cleared.

oh please.. are you the president of The Tommy Franks Ass-licking club?

	08-07-2003 05:39									#18
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No, Ass-licking seems to be your specialty. And anyone you don't like is guilty by allegation, regardless of these inconvenient little details like "facts."

And the IG office is staffed with little pencil-necked, pencil-dicked Cheneys who make their careers out of stuffing and mounting whoever they investigate. If you think they wouldn't want an O-10 theater commander for a trophy, you're more clueless than usual.

What you had was some backbiting and *****-and-moan allegations by ex-low level staff pukes who probably didn't like their efficiency reviews.

	08-07-2003 05:39									#19
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can he be tried for war crimes now?

	08-07-2003 05:41									#20
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident can he be tried for war crimes now?

Only if the Belgians come and get him.

	08-07-2003 05:45									#21
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quote: And anyone you don't like is guilty by allegation, regardless of these inconvenient little details like "facts."

bah, I don't have anything against Franks. I just read a Newsweek article about government waste that cited many "facts" about Franks and how he's quite fond of spending taxpayer money on extravagance. The story probably didn't surface in the mainstream media because he has friends in high places. Other than that, I'm just trolling. A lot of conservatives seem to like this guy so much, so it's only natural I attack him.

	08-07-2003 05:46									#22
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Sava, only you would think that Newsweek isn't "mainstream".

	08-07-2003 05:52									#23
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quote: Sava, only you would think that Newsweek isn't "mainstream".

bah, I meant to say "mainstream TV media..." my bad...

	08-07-2003 06:24									#24
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quote: Originally posted by Sava I just read a Newsweek article about government waste that cited many "facts" about Franks and how he's quite fond of spending taxpayer money on extravagance.

And the "facts" turned out to be essentially a bunch of baseless *****ing by malcontents who used the Army's IG complaint system.

quote: The story probably didn't surface in the mainstream media because he has friends in high places. Other than that, I'm just trolling. A lot of conservatives seem to like this guy so much, so it's only natural I attack him.

Where the hell have you been? It was in the news months ago that the Inspector General's office had started an inquiry on multiple allegations of personal and financial misconduct.

They investigated and cleared him, and Franks has very few friends on the political side of the Army, or in political circles in general.

	08-07-2003 07:05									#25
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do you have any sources or anything MtG? if my info is bad I'd like to find out some more accurate information...

	08-07-2003 07:56									#26
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin BBC is reporting it today. Also the his replacement has the nick name of "The Mad Arab" which he earned at west point 30 years ago and has stuck ever since.

Its better than "Cheating Arab" or "Smelly Arab" I guess.

	08-07-2003 09:56									#27
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quote: Originally posted by Sava do you have any sources or anything MtG? if my info is bad I'd like to find out some more accurate information...

Here's one off the top of my head - and the bit about a general's wife being present at a briefing is a friggin' joke. Spouses know all sorts of stuff.

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/03/05/pentagon.franks/

	08-07-2003 09:58									#28
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quote: "Tom Franks is doing a superb job for this country, and we are lucky to have him [in his command]," Rumsfeld told reporters in February. "He has my complete confidence and the complete confidence of the president of the United States."

Rummy loves him... he must be really evil!

	08-07-2003 10:10									#29
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Naah, he just does what he's told.

Rummy would have had a lot tougher time with Powell, Vuono and Schwarzkopf than he did with Myers, Shinseki and Franks.

	09-07-2003 07:59									#30
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quote: Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat 57 so he's at 35 years, which is normal mandatory retirement for O-7's up, unless there's a waiver from Congress, unless that rule has been changed fairly recently. Schwarzkopf also turned down ACS - it's generally a **** job after a theater command, all Chairborne Rangering and babysitting Congress. Sava, nice being a whiner, but Franks was cleared. Abizaid is a fairly no-**** soldiering type, as much as we have those any more.

What the vetspy/aribaser-on-hills types here don't realize is what a huge fricking deal being a CINC is. It is way more power and operations and diplomacy and stuff than being a service cheif. (And the service cheif is not in the chain of command.) I'd rather be the DCINC at EUCOM (for some NATO reasons it's almost like being a full CINC) than the CJCS. Powell liked CJCS, but he is more of a policy guy.