Somalia Incident/Deaths - (absent military backup, sense of personal responsibility) - The father of a Ranger awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor refused to accept President Clinton's hand and said among other things "You are not fit to command."

Washington Times John McCaslin "Does the name Gen. Paul W. Tibbets Jr. ring any bells? He's the man who piloted the B-29 Enola Gay over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945, effectively bringing an end to World War II. In recent days, the general, now 83, went to Kentucky to attend a state military society convention, where Andrea Tortora, a reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer, caught up with him to learn how much respect he has for his current commander in chief. "I don't think I could even salute the man," Gen. Tibbets replied. "If you're going to command troops, you have to have the respect of those troops, and respect is gained through leadership."."

Bill Clinton is the first and only President who has placed US troops under UN command.

June 26, 98 United Nations Commission on Global Governance: ".The exercise of sovereign power must be linked to the will of the people. Unless the abuse of sovereignty is stopped, it will be impossible to increase respect for the norms that flow from it. In an increasingly interdependent world, old notions of territoriality, independence, and non- intervention lose some of their meaning. National boundaries are increasingly permeable--and, in some important respects, less relevant. A global flood of money, threats, images, and ideas has overflowed the old system of national dikes that preserved state autonomy and control. .It is now more difficult to separate actions that solely affect a nation's internal affairs from those that have an impact on the internal affairs of other states, and hence to define the legitimate boundaries of sovereign authority. .For all these reasons, the principle of sovereignty and the norms that derive from it must be further adapted to recognize changing realities. States continue to perform important functions, and must have the powers to fulfill these functions effectively. But these must rest on the continuing consent and democratic representation of the people. They are also limited by the fundamental interests of humanity, which in certain severe circumstances must prevail over the ordinary rights of particular states. . The readiness of the Security Council to authorize UN action, including military action, in support of humanitarian purposes represents a proper and necessary evolution of the exercise of international responsibility.."

COMMAND ISSUES

Draft History of Clinton

Code of Conduct higher for subordinates (Helicopter Pilot)

Daryl L. Jones is a Florida state senator and President Clinton's nominee to be the next Air Force secretary. Jones was working for Douglas James Securities Inc. at the time of a $200 million Dade County aviation bond deal. He explained that the $90,000 he received to bring in the bond business was his commission and not a consulting fee. The SEC has probed the issue. If Jones were a consultant, it could potentially trigger violations on the firm's part of either the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board's Rule G-38, governing the disclosure of a firm's using consultants, or a similar state law. Prior to working for the firm, Jones made a contribution to a Dade County Commission candidate in 1996 that might be found unacceptable under G-37's  "lookback" provisions

Summarized from Xcoastie post: Not only has Clinton pledged support to Taiwan but in 1996, he put thousands of US service men and women in harms way to "protect the sovereignty of Taiwan." But now, June 1998, Clinton's foreign policy favors China to the exclusion of the sovereignty of Taiwan. Parallels to Clinton foreign policy and command decisions in Somalia, Haiti, Rwanda, Cuba and Bosnia noted.

Bill Clinton 12/3/69 to Col. Eugene Holmes, Director of the ROTC program at University of Arkansas ".I am writing too in the hope that my telling this one story will help you to understand more clearly how so many fine people have come to find themselves still loving their country but loathing the military, to which you and other good men have devoted years, lifetimes, of the best service you could give. To many of us, it is no longer clear what is service and what is disservice, or if it is clear, the conclusion is likely to be illegal. ."

7/6/98 BBC News "China says it is planning joint military exercises with the United States in an effort to reverse years of mistrust between the two countries. A report in the official China Daily newspaper said there could also be exchanges of military officers at junior and senior levels, as well as possible small- scale joint exercises in areas such as sea rescue and anti-piracy.."

Xihua News Agency 7/9/98 "Closer military-to-military contacts between the United States and China are "coming on line," said White House spokesman Michael McCurry on Tuesday. McCurry told a press briefing that this development is part of the efforts to establish a US-China strategic partnership. McCurry believed closer military-to-military contact "has the benefit of reducing tensions, and helping people understand better what the military strategies of both sides are."

MAJOR GENERAL R.H. BURRIS, USAF RETIRED Vietnam Wall Memorial July 16, 1993.

"Bud, your Mother and I are here, with our friends from the Air Force Gunners Association. We're here to pay our respect and to remember. WE'VE BEEN TOLD LATELY THAT WE SHOULD PUT ASIDE THE MEMORIES OF VIETNAM AND FORGET FOR THE SAKE OF HARMONY In behalf of all the Veterans of Vietnam that I have had the privilege to speak to and all those that cannot speak for themselves, I have a message. We came back from hell and you spit on us. You looked upon the face of treason and you turned your head. You brought us back in body bags. You assaulted us in the Colleges and Universities. You gave solace to the enemy and thereby put many more names on the Wall. You do high honor to those who would not serve and for all that, you ask us to forget. Well I'll tell you, here's my message: WE'LL FORGET, JUST AS SOON AS THE FALLING RAIN LIKE MOTHER'S TEARS WASH ALL THOSE NAMES OFF THE WALL."   Author's note: General Burris served as a Staff Sergeant Gunner Aboard B17 aircraft with the 8th Air Force, 486 Bomb Group, 833rd Squadron during WWII. General Burris lost his son in Vietnam and his beloved wife Jo to Cancer in December 1993.

Capitol Hill Blue 7/17/98 Doug Thompson "More agents assigned to protect President Bill Clinton have asked to be reassigned than in any Presidential detail in recent memory. Although agents who seek reassignment are not required to give specific reasons, several agents openly expressed their dislike for the President and his behavior."

Failure of US in ICC UN negotiations cause concern because with U.S. troops deployed in hot spots around the world, Washington fears they could become targets of politically motivated charges.

Investor's Business Daily 7/27/98 Editorial "The U.S. Marine Corps' motto is semper fidelis - ''always faithful.'' So it's no surprise that the Marines are resisting a Pentagon plan to change the military's punishment of adultery. America's armed forces must be held to a different - and higher - standard of conduct than civilians. Pentagon officials began looking at the military's rules on sexual conduct after some recent well- publicized cases brought the question to the fore. Adultery is a crime under military law if it hurts ''good order or discipline'' within the ranks or brings discredit to the armed services."

The Washington Times Bill Gertz 7/31/98 ".Other instances of improperly filed or stored nuclear weapons data include: Navy blueprints showing the exact firing sequence of a nuclear weapon. A Navy document showing nuclear weapons fuel capsules. An Army paper detailing a gun-assembled nuclear weapon. An improperly declassified presidential library document showing British yield-to-weight ratios for nuclear weapons. An Air Force document containing nuclear weapon design information and another one on Soviet nuclear weapons information. President Clinton signed an executive order in 1995 calling for the automatic declassification of all records 25 years or older. .The problem for many agencies, however, is that nuclear weapons data is mixed with other 25-year-old national security documents set for release without individual review.. Efforts by Energy Department security officials to deal with the problem have been ignored by senior administration officials, including former Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary and former White House National Security Adviser Anthony Lake, according to DOE documents."

8/12/98 Washington Times Roawn Scarborough "President Clinton has rebuffed Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's appeal to increase defense spending, and in a letter defends the military's readiness against charges it is deteriorating. Mr. Lott, Mississippi Republican, sent a private letter to the president in June, urging him to consider a boost in the Pentagon budget to counter a "growing inability of our country to man the uniformed services." The senator said the 1.4-million-member force is undermanned when matched against overseas commitments such as South Korea, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Persian Gulf."

Washington Times 8/13/98 Rowan Scarborough "The military is kicking out more than one-third of its enlisted personnel for misbehavior, performance shortfalls, obesity, pregnancy and physical problems before they complete a first enlistment, a draft report says. Military experts say the rate is too high for an all-volunteer force, is a further sign of readiness woes and reflects society's more casual attitude toward traditional values.."

Conservative News Service 8/13/98 Ben Anderson "The status of America ' s missile defense capabilities is rising to the forefront of national debate following a growing list of developments which indicate U . S . citizens are more vulnerable to foreign attack than previously believed . Representative Curt Weldon last week lead the passage of a bipartisan bill which says, in it's entirety, "That it is the policy of the United States to deploy a national missile defense." The bill passed last Wednesday evening by a vote of 240-188. Simple in form, the bill effectively blocks "funding for the implementation of modifications that the Clinton Administration has made to the to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty," according to a statement released by Weldon's office ."

Washington Post 8/13/98 Bradley Graham and Eric Pianin "The Marine Corps is using retreads on its armored vehicles. Rising numbers of Air Force and Navy jet fighters are being grounded by spare- parts shortages and maintenance backlogs, and pilots fed up with repeated duty in the Persian Gulf are bailing out of military service in droves. At Army training facilities, commanders report that units arriving for exercises have shakier combat skills than in years past. Throughout the military, there is mounting evidence of erosion in America's combat strength and troop morale. A decade of downsizing and reduced post-Cold War defense spending has coincided with a sharp jump in the number of troop deployments to Bosnia, the Middle East and elsewhere, straining the armed forces in ways unseen since the last wave of defense budget cuts after the Vietnam War. ."

Washington Post 8/9/98 Michael O'Hanlon "Proponents of greater defense spending have been crying wolf for years about the fraying of the U.S. armed forces and the need to devote more money to our nation's security. They have been wrong--until now. There is finally something to their case. Conservatives will find it harder to develop a political consensus for national ballistic missile defenses--even though a highly expert independent commission has just determined that a missile threat to American territory could appear much more quickly than commonly believed. Liberals will find it harder to sustain support for U.S. participation in peace operations and humanitarian missions, and to keep funding activities to improve the security of fissile materials and nuclear weapons in Russia. ."

Sen. Dan Coats Washington Post 8/27/98 ". It is at this point that I begin to reflect on my service as chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on personnel, without a doubt the most difficult of all my Senate assignments. Difficult because I had to preside over and pass judgment on matters of personal character failures that terminated military careers, denied promotions and brought personal embarrassment to officers whose careers had otherwise been exemplary. .Conduct unbecoming an officer is grounds alone for discipline and discharge from the military. With that in mind, most officers concluded it was their duty to resign their positions as a matter of honor and respect for the institution whose trust they had violated. These officers recognized that their leadership depended upon the trust of those whom they led as well as the confidence of those who empowered them. It is this trust that is at the heart of our American system of government, particularly in the conduct of national security and foreign policy. The sharp contrast between the admission made by the president, the commander in chief, and the military men and women he commands is deeply disturbing.."

Florida Times/Union 9/1/98 "The American military is on the verge of a major crisis. U.S. Rep. Tillie Fowler, R. Jacksonville, notes that deployments have increased dramatically under the Clinton administration. The Army, she says, has been assigned 26 non-routine ''operational events'' since 1991. There had been only 10 in the preceding 31 years. The Air Force has undertaken 500 humanitarian missions to former Soviet states alone since 1992. But funding has not kept pace."

Washington Times 9/10/98 Rowan Scaraborough "The commander for all Army forces in the United States warns in an internal memo that "we can no longer train and sustain the force" under current defense spending and says "this threatens our ability to mobilize, deploy, fight and win." The three-page Aug. 20 memo from Gen. David Bramlett was sent to Gen. Dennis Reimer, Army chief of staff, outlining Army Forces Command's dire outlook for the fiscal year beginning in less than three weeks. ."

Defending America 9/23/98 Col. David Hackworth "Within our Armed Forces, Bill Clinton is as popular as a 25-mile hike in a snowstorm, a visit to the medics to retake all shots or a tour of desert duty in Saudi Arabia at Christmas time. Contrary to the majority of their civilian counterparts, many of those in uniform don't trust Clinton or think he's fit to be their commander in chief. It's a high career risk for a soldier to sound off about his or her ultimate boss. Fort Knox told its people to just give a "no comment" if cornered by the press. "Otherwise your comments may be actionable as criminal behavior." But warriors live by a higher code and aren't easily silenced. A Ranger leader: "He got a Monica while he was conning (Congressman H.L. "Sonny") Callahan on the phone about why our guys should be deployed to the killing fields of Bosnia! Gimme a break. He doesn't care about us. He's the same joker that got my unit shot up in Somalia and wrote it off by calling my dead pals "Unfortunate Casualties," ."

Wall Street Journal Ronald Shafer 9/25/98 ".Angry Reaction: James McDonough, a former Army colonel in Bosnia who is now in the White House drug czar's office, writes a newspaper letter blasting Clinton for allegedly having sex with Lewinsky while talking on the phone about Bosnia. McDonough calls that "callous indifference" and "reckless disregard" for American troops.."

AP 9/29/98 "The nation's top general said today that without more pay, benefits and new equipment, America's undersupplied and overworked military will go into ``a nosedive'' and suffer irreparable damage. ``Our forces are showing increasing signs of serious wear,'' Gen. Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Senate Armed Services Committee. ``Our current readiness is fraying and the long- term health of the total force is in jeopardy.'' .``We need to put additional dollars into taking care of our most important resource, the uniformed members of the armed forces,'' Shelton said. ``The best tanks, planes and ships in the world are not what make our military the superb force that it is today. ... Our people are more important than hardware.'' ."

NY Times 9/30/98 Eric Schmitt "In a sharp exchange with senators, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that pet military projects sought by House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, and Congress' refusal to close unnecessary bases, are weakening the nation's defense.. In volley after volley, senators accused the Joint Chiefs of misleading Congress earlier this year about the seriousness of problems that are eroding the armed forces' fighting ability. Several Republicans and some Democrats on the committee accused the Chiefs of sugar-coating problems like pilot shortages and training cuts seven months ago, then reversing themselves Tuesday by saying that the same shortcomings endangered the combat readiness of American forces. "The fact is that you were not candid to this member in the problems and challenges that we faced," complained Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a decorated Navy pilot who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.."

WorldNetDaily 10/12/98 "Col. David Hackworth, the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War, has written a blistering open letter to President Clinton decrying the nation's military priorities. "In 52 years of hanging around soldiers, I have seldom seen the cutting edge of our fighting forces so dull, nor morale lower," Hackworth wrote. "The last time it fell so badly was during the Vietnam War. This gutting of American arms has happened on your watch and it's not because there's not enough money. Since Desert Storm, combat effectiveness has gone down hill like an out of control freight train even though we now spend 18 cents of every taxpayer dollar on defense... I suggest you assemble Shelton and your service chiefs and ask them the following questions:

Why are there more colonels than machine gunners in the US Army?

Why are there 150,000 military personnel hunkered down around Washington, DC, when infantry platoons, who close with the enemy, are uniformly 30 to 40 percent under strength?

Why does NATO have 44 U.S. Army Generals in Europe when we have but four fighting brigades there? This is roughly one general per rifle/tank company.

Why do the top generals and admirals in NATO have plush villas and fat staffs which require millions of dollars per year to support, while many of our warriors live in tin trailers and can't make it without food stamps?

Why do we have a national strategy which calls for our forces to be able to fight two Desert Storm-like wars simultaneously when we can't handle even one?

Why are we buying more high tech aircraft such as F-22 jet fighters, which alone will cost over 64 billion bucks and more missiles, helicopters, submarines, and ships, when the soldiers who fight on the ground are still packing essentially the same gear their dads toted in Vietnam?

Why is our warriors' chemical protection/detection gear totally inadequate? Didn't we learn from the Gulf War?

Why are pilots, young ground combat leaders and old salt NCOs quitting in unparalleled numbers?

.. I have a suggestion for you, Mr. President. Once you have heard your chiefs' replies, call in USMC General John Sheehan and bounce their answers off him. But stand by for the hard truth." The White House was unavailable for comment over the weekend.

 

Aviation Week 10/12/98 David Fulghum ".Senior military officials have been stripped of at least part of their informal but traditional oversight of target and weapons selection in recent attacks launched by the U.S. as well as those being planned against Yugoslavia, say distressed Pentagon-based staff members. One service chief, when asking for details of the raids on Afghanistan and Sudan, was told early in the process, "You don't have the need to know," according to a member of his staff. During the more recent planning for strikes against Yugoslavian targets, these same staff members have complained of a Pentagon atmosphere resembling that during the Vietnam War, when targets and weapons were picked more for political reasons than military effectiveness. They contend that decisions continue to be made without adequate representation by the service chiefs.."

WorldNetDaily 10/14/98 Col. David Hackworth ".Hurry, hurry, read all about it. Our once mighty military machine is sputtering like a 1940 Ford that's trying to climb a steep hill while hitting on only one cylinder. This must be true because just last week five four-star generals and admirals laid this message on the Senate Armed Services Committee's hearings on military readiness. The brass hats breathlessly delivered the word to the astonished senators as though they'd awakened that very morning and realized in a blinding flash that our $300 billion-a-year Armed Forces was suddenly broken.."

Washington Times 10/16/98 "The Marine Corps is considering whether to punish a major for publicly calling President Clinton an "adulterous liar" and "criminal" who should be impeached for trying to cover up his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Col. Stu Wagner, a Marine Corps spokesman, said senior Marine officers have examined an article written by Marine Maj. Shane Sellers but had not decided whether the statements in it merit administrative or legal action.."

US Army E-mail COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR, CLIFTON P. O'BRIEN II, 160TH SPECIAL OPERATIONS (COVERT HELICOPTER MISSIONS) Letter to Senator Warner Subject: Fwd: Why am I getting out? Dear Senator Warner, My name is Clifton P. O'Brien II and I serve as the Regimental Command Sergeant Major of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) based at FT Campbell, Ky. We are the only Special Operations Aviation Regiment in the US Army and we have played a major role in every conflict since Operation "Urgent Fury" in Grenada. I am very proud of the 160th and the soldiers that serve here. I am a career soldier with 25 years of service.. Last month I submitted my retirement paperwork and will end my career at 26 years instead of 30. I could easily stay to 30, but I choose not to do so as I will try to explain in this letter. I watched the hearings on C-Span yesterday and that is what has prompted me to write you. TRUST IN LEADERSHIP- This applies to our elected representatives. Many feel we are simply pawns with little value until we are needed. Promises are made, and quickly broken based on political climate. Unneeded programs are pushed and money not used to take care of the force... QUALITY OF LIFE- It's not where it should be. Too many deployments coupled with a shortage of personnel makes everyone work harder. MEDICAL AND DENTAL BENEFITS- What a farce this turned out to be.. PAY- "Being a soldier is more than about money". I've heard this a hundred times and it is true. If it wasn't I would not have stayed. I make a decent living, but not a great living. RETIREMENT- Another huge sore spot. The vast majority of kids coming in today will not make a career out of the Army for 35% of their base pay.."

USA Journal Online Jon E. Dougherty ".since Bill Clinton came to Washington and inherited the role of Commander-in-Chief, many men and women who don a uniform and pledge their lives to protect this country have just about had it with Clinton's PC military experiments. Trying to mainstream gays in the military, the increase in feminization of military regimens, double standards for men and women, and placing women in some combat and combat support roles have led to so much friction that some of our military leaders are breaking tradition and speaking out publicly against their leader...back in 1993, shortly after Clinton took office, some of the highest-ranking service generals began to speak their mind openly about the ignorance of the Clinton administration's most "political" decisions. The debacles in Somalia and Haiti, the never-ending missions in Bosnia, the irresponsible handling of Saddam Hussein, and - most recently - the purely political decision to bomb Afghanistan and Sudan without even consulting military personnel have all led to widespread dissent and a loss of confidence. Besides this foolish adventurism, toss in the equation of increased missions and decreased military budgets and you have a recipe for a military disaster. I hate it that this level of discontent has become so widespread within our military that now even Marines are disobeying their oaths of office to speak out. Even though I disagree with Maj. Sellers' methods, I hear his message and so should the rest of the country. The current state of affairs [no pun intended] in our military forces are a lot more serious than our politically correct military leaders are allowed to tell you."

Provo Herald / King Features Syndicate Inc. 10/22/98 David H. Hackworth "You would have to be a hermit snowbound in a cave in Montana not to know that America's armed forces are held together with duct tape, bailing wire and gallons of sweat. The kids that daily put their lives on the line all over this messed-up world have tanks without engines, planes without parts, ships without gear and a military infrastructure - hangers, barracks, ranges - that looks more like that of a Third World military force, not the one you and I support to the tune of 300 billion bucks a year. But there's a bigger problem than the material side of things turning to rust and dust. People, some of our best and brightest, are walking in big numbers. And wars are won by fighting men, not hardware - men who are willing to make the sacrifice that frequently includes their lives.."

WSJ 10/27/98 William Moore ".The U.S. military is having a hard time finding and keeping good men. Despite retention bonuses of $60,000 and more, this year the Air Force will again suffer an excessive loss of trained pilots. Naval aviation faces a similar situation. The Army has failed to meet its recruiting goals for many occupational specialties, including some in the combat arms, even with offers of extremely generous incentives. More graduates of our service academies and military colleges are choosing not to pursue a military career. The mainstream media and professional military journals are filled with stories about pervasive low morale affecting the readiness and capabilities of our forces. Part of the problem, in fact, is that many of the current military leaders do not see the real problem. You can't fool the troops; they know that the military as an institution is being eroded. The American military culture, established through two centuries of tradition, is under attack like it has never been before.. The word war has become almost unspeakable. Now it is heard most often in the context of "operations other than war." .. Military leaders, it seems, have been co-opted by social engineers whose agenda is to promote "equality" rather than to prepare forces for the next war. Anyone can be a warrior if standards are lowered enough, and silver-bullet technology turns warfare into just another video game anyone can "play." This attitude toward the warrior ethos is pervasive and dangerous. There is no question that training standards have been lowered. The Army has discontinued Basic Combat Training for all new soldiers, replacing it with Initial Entry Training, with less-demanding physical standards so as to accommodate women.. No longer do the best-qualified officers necessarily get promoted. The Army's new Officer Personnel Management System, known as OPMS 21, probably removed the last vestige of that "discriminator.".. And graduation from a service academy no longer affords officers an advantage in appointment to the regular force.. The ethos of being a warrior is disappearing--unit esprit built around "bonding" between warriors is now disparaged as an irrelevant concept and one that only serves to rationalize politically incorrect behavior and policies. Toughness and courage are born out of esprit, but that doesn't count for much anymore. Our noble military institutions, culture and life have become the targets of cultural warriors. There is an aura of self- righteousness about their activities--they are afraid that there is a broadening gap between "society" and the military, that some of us are "extremists" and flaunt it by wearing fancy uniforms, and that if we get "out of touch" we will not be able to serve our country's objectives. Such arrogance. We need soldiers of courage to stand up for the institution and prevent it from becoming another laboratory for all the "correct" causes that are consuming our society. We need warriors with the strength to say no to those who don't understand the military."

Seattle Post-Intelligencer 10/26/98 Ed Offle ".When one of its carrier-based electronic warfare squadrons returned from six months overseas a year ago, the first thing headquarters did was hold a homecoming party with families, champagne and balloons. Its second action, hours later, was to take away half the squadron's EA-6B Prowler aircraft and give them to other units, leaving the squadron unable to meet training requirements. The Electronic Attack Wing has 57 aircraft to divide among a training unit and 14 operational squadrons- 19 aircraft less than the authorized inventory of four aircraft per squadron and 20 for the training unit. Squadrons in training that have to borrow other units' aircraft have to spend extra hours conducting the detailed maintenance to certify the aircraft. This overworks experienced technicians while cutting into the training time for junior sailors, officials said. Squadron commanders at Whidbey say there has been a recent exodus of experienced technicians from the service, partly because of these added pressures. Even when operating with a full load of aircraft, Prowler squadrons are frequently short of spare parts and must cannibalize planes to keep the maximum number flying. For budgetary and political reasons, the Navy this year severely cut back on low-level training flights and high G-force flight maneuvers that Prowler aviators say is essential to survive in combat.."

Investor's Business Daily 10/28/98 Brian Mitchell ".Since then, however, the rift between America's cultural and governmental elites on the one hand and the military rank and file on the other only deepened. Many of  Flinn's supporters continue to criticize the military's moral standards as dangerously out of step with current American values. Last November, an assistant secretary of the Army, Sara Lister, was forced to resign after calling the Marines ''extremists.'' .A nonveteran, Ricks writes admiringly of the corps' training but says that graduates of boot camp come away with a jaundiced view of American society. At a recent seminar at the U.S. Naval Academy, Ricks was critical of the military, especially the Marine Corps. ''Every other Marine captain I meet seems to believe that American society is troubled, even collapsing,'' he said. Ricks complained of a ''puritanical swing'' in parts of the military and ''an open religiosity'' of those in uniform. He questioned the professionalism of today's officers, who have become politicized and partisan, in his view."

USA Journal Online 10/29/98 Jon E. Dougherty ". The Clinton administration has never - not once - demonstrated that it has any clue what the military is really all about and what it's proper role should be. From the early years - when White House staff were caught stealing towels and personal effects from a U.S. aircraft carrier during an official visit - to the bungling of various military operations ranging from Bosnia to Haiti to Sudan to Afghanistan, Bill Clinton and his State Department have given the military far too much to do with the resources Congress has allocated. The result of all this over-deployment has been the mass exodus of experienced personnel, a degradation of overall force readiness in all branches of service, recruiting shortfalls, and worsening economic conditions for our soldiers, sailors and airmen. Clinton seems oblivious to these problems and I say that because he's done nothing to address the issues that created them.."

Army Times 10/27/98 ". "Terrorism is escalating to the point that Americans soon may have to choose between civil liberties and more intrusive means of protection," says Defense Secretary William S. Cohen The nation's defense chief told the Army Times he once considered the chilling specter of armored vehicles surrounding civilian hotels or government buildings to block out terrorists as strictly an overseas phenomenon. But no longer. "It could happen here," Cohen said he concluded after 8 months of studying threats under the Pentagon microscope. Free-lance terrorists with access to deadly chemical and biological bombs are "going to change the way in which the American people view security in our own country," he predicted in a Sept 10 interview. Cohen is calling for the government to step up its efforts to penetrate wildcard terrorist organizations. "It's going to require greater intelligence on our part -- much greater emphasis on intelligence gathering capability - more human intelligence, and it's going to take more technical intelligence," he said. But using the U.S. military in a domestic law enforcement role would require revisions to laws in force for more than a century, cautions Shreveport attorney John Odom, Jr. "You can't do it from the Defense Department side unless Congress dramatically revises the Posse Comitatus laws." said Odom, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and a reserve Judge Advocate. "The 1878 law specifically prohibits the use of the military in domestic law enforcement unless authorized by Congress or the Constitution and does not allow for military intervention through action by the Secretary of Defense of even an Executive Order from the President," Odom said. We're trained from the first day of Judge Advocate school to think of Posse Comitatus !!! said Odom. "If Secretary Cohen is suggesting that the Department of Defense be involved, it may be part of a legislative package, but it will not happen unilaterally without a lot of folks thinking long and hard about it."."

Wall Street Journal 11/02/98 Thomas E. Ricks Freeper report ".The story describes an incident last week in which the crew of a Blackhawk helicopter was accidentally exposed to lasers from US ground troops. The exposure may have caused permanent damage to the eyesight of two crew members. The article also cites another possible laser incident. The article says, "Some U.S. soldiers in Bosnia were disturbed by the lack of timely disclosure". A military spokesman in Bosnia says "no information was released because there had been no media inquiries about the incident". The commander of U.S. forces in Bosnia said: "We didn't see this as newsworthy". "Also (the article says), the Pentagon may not have wanted to call attention to the continuing U. S. mission in Bosnia on the eve of national elections in the U. S."

Wall Street Journal 11/6/98 ".Back when Bill Clinton was not inhaling at Oxford, the future commander in chief wrote a letter to an ROTC officer in Arkansas making clear his "loathing" for the U.S. military. A generation later the situation has apparently reversed itself, if we are to go by an article in last month's Navy Times by Marine Corps Maj. Shane Sellers referring to Mr. Clinton as "an adulterous liar" and "criminal.".. Marine brass have had to crack down on e-mail from officers calling for Mr. Clinton's impeachment. Even more notorious was the comment about a year ago from Mr. Clinton's assistant secretary for the army, Sara Lister, who was forced to resign after accusing the Corps of being "extremists."..With respect to Maj. Sellers, it is always worth reminding our officers that, however much they may dislike the person of the president, he remains their commander in chief and as such deserving of the respect that goes with the office. But it is no contradiction for the rest of us to note that while Mr. Clinton outranks all those who take the oath of service to their nation, even the lowest buck private who remains faithful to that oath will always outclass him."

11/10/98 Daniel J. Rabil ".The American military is subject to civilian control, and we deeply believe in that principle. We also believe, as affirmed in the Nuremberg Trials, that servicemen are not bound to obey illegal orders. But what about orders given by a known criminal? Should we trust in the integrity of directives given by a president who violates the same basic oath we take? Should we be asked to follow a morally defective leader with a demonstrated disregard for his troops? The answer is no, for implicit in the voluntary oath that all servicemen take is the promise that they will receive honorable civilian leadership. Bill Clinton has violated that covenant. It is therefore Congress' duty to remove him from office."

Jewish World Review 10/26/98 Mona Charen ".IN A LARGE ROOM in the basement of the United States Capitol Building, a group of dissidents met last week. They do not fear for their lives, but they are anxious and frustrated nonetheless. It was a gathering sponsored by the Center for Military Readiness to discuss the utter folly of pretending that women are men. Madeline Morris suggested that the Army had failed to encourage an "incest taboo" between male and female soldiers who should have been trained to see themselves as brothers and sisters. And Sara Lister, the Army's former personnel chief, said the Marine Corps was an "extremist" organization that "frightened" her. If you think this reflects a twisted worldview, you will like the Center for Military Readiness (1-734-464-9430). One hopes that the warnings of Elaine Donnelly, the indefatigable president of CMR, will prove unnecessary. But consider these facts: 1) According to The Washington Times, 16 percent of the female contingent on any warship are airlifted out during the course of a year as pregnancies become advanced. 2) In Bosnia, reports The Wall Street Journal, there was one new pregnancy every three days. 3) At basic training centers around the nation, Aberdeen, Fort Jackson, Fort Leonard Wood and the Great Lakes Training Center, extreme instances of sexual harassment have been reported.. 4) Adm. Jay Johnson, chief of naval operations, told the Senate last winter that the Navy needs 65 percent of F- 18 Hornet pilots to stay in the service, but only 43 percent are doing so (despite a 12 percent raise)..5) The San Antonio Express-News reports that the Air Force now has 800 fewer fliers than it needs, and it may take a decade to correct the shortage. Air Force Col. Jim Green told the Express-News, "I'd say we're going into a situation that is four times worse than we've ever seen in the history of our modern Air Force." What has sapped the spirit of the military? Could it be unfair promotion of women at men's expense? Could it be a climate of political correctness in which a male officer risks his career for even noticing that women are consistently under-performing? Could it be resentment that men pick up the slack when women cannot do the "heavy lifting" of military life and then watch in frustration as women are promoted for public relations?."

The Washington Times 11/11/98 Rowan Scarborough ".A reserve Marine Corps officer is under investigation for advocating the impeachment of President Clinton in an article in The Washington Times on Monday. Maj. Gen. David Mize, commander of Marine Forces Reserve in New Orleans, has appointed a colonel to conduct a preliminary inquiry into reserve Maj. Daniel J. Rabil. In a Times op-ed column, Maj. Rabil called for the president's removal. He labeled Mr. Clinton a "lying draft dodger" and "moral coward" who has "always had contempt for the American military." Maj. Paula Buckley, Gen. Mize's spokeswoman, said the investigating officer will determine whether Maj. Rabil violated Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The code prohibits officers from making disparaging remarks about certain public officials, including their commander in chief."

Investors Business Daily 11/12/98 Brian Mitchell ".It isn't every day that military officers risk their pensions to declare publicly that their commander in chief is a loser. But two Marine Corps majors have dared to do just that. In a recent issue of Navy Times, Maj. Shane Sellers called President Clinton an ''adulterous liar,'' prompting the Defense Department to remind all service members that they are forbidden from using ''contemptuous words'' about the president. That warning didn't stop Marine Corps Reserve Maj. Daniel Rabil, however. In a guest column in the Nov. 9 Washington Times, Rabil called Clinton a ''lying draft dodger'' and ''hypocrite- in-chief.'' ''I therefore risk my commission, as our generals will not, to urge'' Clinton's impeachment, he wrote. Rabil's column is the tip of an iceberg of discontent. Many more service members are fed up with the dishonesty they see not just in their commander in chief, but also in their civilian and military superiors in the Pentagon. As U.S. military activity in Iraq and the Balkans picks up, this discontent in the ranks is particularly worrisome. The credibility of the top brass has taken several beatings in recent months. The worst occurred when the Joint Chiefs of Staff finally admitted to the Senate on Sept. 29 what press reports had indicated for months: The services are facing severe readiness problems caused by overwork and under funding. In February, the Joint Chiefs had told Congress there was no cause for alarm. The services were ''fundamentally healthy'' and ''fully capable'' of accomplishing all their missions. They could even fight two wars at once, as required by the National Military Strategy. Seven months later, after the discovery of an unexpected budget surplus, the chiefs' concern for readiness compelled them to asked the president and Congress for more money. The sudden turnaround irked Republican legislators who have pushed for higher defense funding against administration resistance. Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H., pronounced the chiefs ''AWOL from the debate.'' ''We were always accused of giving more or providing more to the Pentagon than the generals and admirals asked for,'' Smith said. ''That's tough to defend out there politically.'' Defense Secretary William Cohen later tried to take the heat off the chiefs by claiming they were just following his orders. That's just the problem, say the administration's critics. ''They're following orders, and their orders are to come here and lie to Congress,'' said Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., at a recent conference in Washington on the Pentagon's problems, sponsored by the Center for Military Readiness.."

The Review @ www.freeper.com 11/12/98 Jon Dougherty ".I believe in keeping civilian politicians in charge of our armed forces but I also think the criteria to become Commander-in-Chief could stand some tuning up. Having said that, any day that Bill Clinton remains president of the United States is not a good day for the military. And yesterday was a particularly bad one for the services because several things happened at once which illustrated the irony, folly, and disgust of having Clinton as the titular head of our nation's military forces. First of all it was Veteran's Day, which is usually a sad day for our nation's war heroes and veterans anyway.. President Clinton just had to show up [again] at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, place his ceremonial wreath, and then wax patriotic about how these brave souls really are the true heroes of this country. He doesn't for one minute believe what he's saying [he didn't even write it] nor does he have any idea what the concepts he's explaining really mean. He tells us what most thinking people already know - that our Veterans are pretty swell folks -- but considering Clinton's own "military record," it is an outright insult to have him show up at any military remembrance or celebration because he has no moral right to be there. Granted, other presidents never served either, but he is the only one who went out of his way to lie like a coward to keep from having to go - only to end up in charge of the military some 30 years later. If that isn't depressing irony.."

U.S. News & World Report 11/23/98 Richard Newman ".When Navy leaders realized earlier this year they would miss their annual recruiting goal, they considered a risky bailout: signing up applicants who scored near the bottom on mental-aptitude tests. After a mini revolt by several admirals, the Navy decided instead to leave unfilled about 7,000 seagoing slots in the recruiting year that ended in September. But they may have only been delaying the inevitable. Pentagon officials tell U.S. News that within six months or so, the Navy will have no choice but to start accepting some "Category IV" enlistees-- those with below-average IQs who score between the l0th and 30th percentile on the military's SAT-style tests. The Army is also preparing to make concessions to fill its ranks. In October, it granted home-schooled teenagers the same status as high school graduates, making them eligible to enlist. And Army officials are considering ways to sign up more holders of general equivalency diplomas (GEDs), who typically don't perform as well as high school graduates. "The only way to solve this," says an Army official, "is to lower quality."."

AP 11/17/98 Laura Myers ".Frequent military buildups in the Persian Gulf since the 1991 war have cost the nation about $7 billion, in addition to the tens of billions of dollars some budget analysts estimate is spent annually on maintaining a strong U.S. military in the region. The Pentagon does not release figures on the spending for day-to-day Gulf duties, though officials said that if that force weren't deployed in the Gulf region, it would be operating elsewhere. But by private budget analysts' estimates, roughly $50 billion of the annual $270 billion in U.S. defense spending goes toward maintaining the Gulf deployment and keeping the Iraqi president in line.. The extra cost of military buildups in the Gulf since the war has ranged from $100 million in 1992 to $1.4 billion for the two U.S. confrontations with Iraq during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The total is about $7 billion, the Pentagon said. In comparison, the Gulf War -- with a U.S. military buildup that began in 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait -- cost $61 billion, but U.S. coalition allies picked up all but $7.4 billion, the Pentagon said. ."

Freeper spiker 11/19/98 reports ".Who ever thought the Viet Cong battle flag would ever fly in the United States? It is proudly flying at equal height along side Old Glory at the Ford Motor Company World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. The reason for this insult on American soil is two fold. First the Ford Motor Company will be opening a plant in Vietnam next year so they want to reward the current Vietnam leadership for allowing them to do business in that communist country. Secondly, the Ford Motor Company is currently being managed by someone other than an American citizen. The Ford Motor Company has changed from the days of supporting the war effort during WW II. This company is only interested in profit. Vietnam veterans employed by the Ford Motor Company have been threatened with their jobs if the flag is touched. The Ford Motor Company has obviously forgotten about the employees who were on military leave to protect democracy during the conflict in Vietnam. They have also forgotten about the children of Ford Motor Company employees who are still missing in action. The Ford Motor company in its desire to please a communist country, does not care about the American citizens who drive by the FMC Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. The company does not care about anyone or any ideal.."

Boston Globe 11/27/98 Louise Palmer ".The House Judiciary Committee plans to call retired military officers to testify about the potentially damaging effect of President Clinton's behavior on the military code of conduct and the Pentagon's ability to prosecute soldiers. The hearing Tuesday, which will include testimony from judges as well as people convicted of perjury, is intended to explore the issue of ''double standards'' as the panel tries to make the case that failure to punish the president for his actions in attempting to cover up an affair with former intern Monica S. Lewinsky could subvert the legal system, according to spokesmen for Republicans on the committee. Interviews with high-ranking former military officers indicate that while a united front may be presented by the panel's witnesses Tuesday, opinion is deeply divided about whether the impeachment inquiry against Clinton has affected his standing as commander in chief or the morale of the troops. Former officers are also divided about whether the case has had any impact on the military's ability to enforce a code of conduct. Members of the military are bound by a rigid code of conduct and a system of courts-martial that is separate from civilian law. Defenders of the system say its rigidity is designed to keep and maintain a high level of trust and order in the context of life-and-death decisions."

Freeper newsman 11/30/98 report on Rush Limbaugh Show Call-in to Tony Snow ".A few minutes ago, Tony Snow talked to a Marine who voiced some misgivings about president Clinton. Toward the end of their conversation, the caller asked Snow if he had heard about the long list of questions that the commander-in-chief had his underlings ask the young Marines at his base (which he named but I didn't get). But I became much more alert when the Marine, at the close of the interview, asked and got Tony's permission to read to him the last question. This is the gist of that question: Under certain circumstances, would you be willing to fire upon American citizens? (Note: This is not a direct, verbatim quote.)."

Follow-up on above from 7/26/98 Freeper Bob Evans from The Resister Combat Arms Survey ". This questionnaire is to gather data concerning the attitudes of combat trained personnel with regards to nontraditional missions. All of your responses are confidential.. Part II. Attitudes Do you feel that U.S. Combat troops should be used within the United States for any of the following missions? 8. Drug enforcement.15. National emergency police force.16. Advisors to S.W.A.T. units, the FBI or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (B.A.T.F.). Do you feel that U.S. combat troops under U.S. command should be used in other countries for and of the following United Nations missions? Do you feel that U.S. combat troops should be used in other countries, under command of non-U.S. officers appointed by the United Nations for any of the following missions?.30. Police action (e.g. Korea, Vietnam, but serving under non-U.S. officers).. 35. U.S. combat troops should participate in U.N. missions under United Nations command and control.39. I feel the President of the United States has the authority to pass his responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief to the U.N. Secretary General..40. I feel there is no conflict between my oath of office and serving as a U.N. soldier...45. I would swear to the following code:" I am a United Nations fighting person. I serve in the forces which maintain world peace and every nation's way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.". 46. The U.S. government declares a ban on the possession, sale, transportation, and transfer of all non-sporting firearms. A thirty (30) day amnesty period is permitted for these firearms to be turned over the local authorities. At the end of this period, a number of citizen groups refuse to turn over their firearms. Consider the following statement: I would fire upon U.S. citizens who refuse or resist confiscation of firearms banned by the U.S. government. Our civilian readers maybe wondering why the Combat Arms Survey was circulated so heavily within the Department of the Navy. The reason is simple; the Navy is not subject to USC Title 10 Posse Comitatus prohibitions against using federal military forces for domestic law enforcement. This includes the US Marine Corps. Just thought you would like to know."

Washington Times 12/3/98 ". A blue-ribbon Pentagon panel is urging the Clinton administration to improve U.S. nuclear forces for decades to come in the face of Russia's large arsenal and a growing Chinese strategic force. The report by the Defense Science Board Task Force on Nuclear Deterrence warns the direction of nuclear-weapons programs at the Pentagon and Department of Energy is weak and should be strengthened to maintain the balance of power in the years ahead. "While the declarations of senior Department of Defense leaders are very positive, the management attention to planning to sustain the nuclear deterrent does not match the declaratory policy," the task force report concludes. A copy of the report was released Thursday to The Washington Times. It states that U.S. nuclear forces are declining, while those of major strategic adversaries are improving. "There is a near certainty that, wherever arms control efforts take us, Russia will continue to be a nuclear superpower and China will continue to evolve to more capable nuclear forces," the report stated. Russia and China are both building new nuclear missiles. The task force findings represent an unprecedented public review of normally secret U.S. strategic forces and needs. They were presented to Defense Secretary William S. Cohen and Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre in October by the task force chairman, retired Air Force Gen. Larry Welch. The panel's findings challenge many of the arms-control plans and policies of the Clinton administration, such as its ban on nuclear testing, its reliance on arms-reduction agreements, and the effort to monitor nuclear-warhead reliability dubbed the Stockpile Stewardship Program. The report states that nuclear testing "could be a hedge" to maintain deterrence if the non-testing program suffers a "substantial failure." The report is likely to fuel Republican opposition to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, now pending before the Senate."

Providence Journal 12/4/98 Theodore Gatchel ".DURING the 30 years I spent on active duty, I served on numerous courts-martial and investigative boards. None of those proceedings ever involved Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the provision in military law that prohibits commissioned officers from using "contemptuous language" toward specific government officials, most notably the president of the United States. Thinking back, I would have been astounded if any of my contemporaries would have felt driven to put such language in print, as have several officers recently. That is not to say that the officers I served with had a high regard for most politicians. They didn't.."

Investors Business Daily 12/7/98 Brian Mitchell ".A reporter recently asked Adm. Harold Gehman, commander of the U.S. Atlantic Command, about the Navy's mission and how the Navy planned to accomplish it with just 330 ships afloat. Gehman answered, ''It all depends on what the definition of 'it' is.'' During the Reagan administration's buildup in the '80s, the fleet had more than 550 ships. The Navy can't get any smaller with all that it's doing now, Gehman said. ''On the other hand, if the world turns into a peaceful place, we can afford a smaller Navy,'' he said. Today's U.S. military strategy is unclear.."

New York Times 12/1/98 Steven Lee Meyers ".Gen. Charles Krulak, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, had just finished a long speech on "moral courage" at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., when the inevitable question arose. What are the nation's military officers supposed to think, a young officer in the audience asked, when the commander in chief has acknowledged behavior -- an "inappropriate relationship" with a subordinate -- that would in all likelihood ruin their careers? Krulak's answer boiled down to this: The same Uniform Code of Military Justice that prohibits adultery, fraternization and lying about either also prohibits officers from using "contemptuous words" against the president. And every man and woman in uniform swears an oath to that effect, even if it means giving up the right to speak freely. "You either obey your oath," he said, "or you have the courage to resign."."

Washington Times 12/7/98 Rowan Scarborough ".The Marine Corps effectively has ended the career of a reserve officer for strongly criticizing President Clinton's sexual misconduct and calling for his removal from office in a Nov. 9 op-ed article in The Washington Times. Maj. Daniel Rabil on Saturday evening appeared before his commanding general for disciplinary action. He was told he is being transferred to non-drill reserve status and is having a letter of caution put in his personnel file. The actions by Maj. Gen. David Mize, commander of Marine Forces Reserve in New Orleans, effectively end the officer's 11-year career because he has no chance of promotion. Maj. Rabil, 34, who wrote the article while a civilian, said in an interview he is considering resignation. "The only regret is it was perceived by the Marine Corps leadership as damaging to the Marine Corps. That wasn't my intent," he said. "I don't think it was perceived by mainstream Americans as extreme based on the letters and phone calls for support I received." ."

Hack Notes 12/98 Bill Seagraves in a letter to Senator McCain ".As I am sure you are aware Senator, this all started on February 3, 1998, when a Marine Prowler jet struck a gondola cable just north of the Aviano Airbase killing 20 people. An Aircraft Mishap Board ("AMB") was immediately convened by the Squadron (VMAQ-2) in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures ("SOP") and statements were taken from each of the aircrew. The AMB was ordered stopped by direction of President Clinton and a Command Investigation Board convened instead. Before the Command Investigation Board could even be put together, Clinton had ordered a Judge Advocate General ("JAG") Criminal Investigation Board be convened and sent immediately to Aviano Airbase, (Colonel Blickensderfer sworn statement in the second Article 32). The incident occurred on Tuesday and no one from the Marine Corps bothered to contact us until late the following Friday. By then we had already seen all of the bad news the Marine Corps had spun to the media to include the Hard Copy video of a low level flight that had occurred one year prior. Our sons were being chastised by the Commanding Officer, Ltcol. Muegge, for family members contacting the Commandant of the Marine Corps ("CMC") and Congressional Representatives on their behalf. Then, when the JAG Board did arrive in Aviano it was clear that the whole process was a witch hunt and guilty until proven innocent was the focus of their investigation. Colonel Carver, the Staff Judge Advocate ("SJA"), made it clear to the aircrews defense attorneys that the aircrew would receive Court Martials. This occurred on arrival and before the investigation had ever gotten underway.."

Joe L. Jordan, Executive Director National Vietnam P.O.W. Strike Force 12/8/98 ".NETWORK EVENING NEWS last night showed a classroom full of Hanoi gooks at the FBI Academy at Langley, Virginia.. The secret police agents now at Langley and living in luxury digs AT US TAXPAYER EXPENSE include former prison guards at the notorious "Hanoi Hilton" who participated in the beatings and torture of US POW/MIAs during interrogation. Can you imagine what the Jews would say if in the aftermath of WWII, the FBI was training SS and Gestapo agents at taxpayer expense? How can this be any different? Why is congress fixated only on the Lewinsky angle of impeachment hearings when Clinton is doing this treason behind everybody's back? ."

www.talkers.com 12/8/98 G Gordon Liddy ".When the veterans were coming back, these people felt sufficiently emboldened that they would actually spit on these veterans. Well, with the exception of Bill Clinton, most of these people are now ashamed of themselves for the way that they behaved. Bill Clinton, of course, isn't. He loathes, absolutely hates the military. There was an incident in the White House not long ago where two military guys, they were EOD specialists, who were in civilian clothes because the White House hates it when anyone wears a uniform in there, but they are there because the Secret Service needs them. If the Secret Service thinks they've got a problem, these guys are there to risk their lives for the President. The President was coming out of a bathroom one time and he spotted them. (You can spot them by their haircut. The military always have a neat hair cut.) He walked over and he said `My God, I hate you people.' And then he walked by. I mean this is how he still feels about the military.."

Federal Computer Week 12/7/98 Daniel Verton ".The Marine Corps is gearing up for a high-tech military experiment designed to prepare Marines to fight in what some experts are calling the battlefields of the future -- the world's urban areas. Dubbed Urban Warrior, the Marine Corps' advanced war fighting experiment will take place in March throughout the streets, sewers and buildings of San Francisco. Marine Corps officials met in San Diego last month with their Navy counterparts to iron out details of the experiment, which will focus on developing technology to help Marines fight battles in a dense urban landscape."

CNN 12/8/98 ".The U.S. Army proceeded with charges Thursday stemming from a sex scandal that could lead to the first-ever court-martial of a retired Army general. Maj. Gen. David Hale faces 17 charges of lying, conduct unbecoming an officer and obstruction of justice. He is accused of making false statements to Army officials and investigators and conducting improper relationships with the wives of several subordinate officers. The charges are being forwarded to the military equivalent of a civilian grand jury. An Article 32 hearing will be held to determine if the evidence against Hale is strong enough to warrant a criminal prosecution, or whether he should be punished administratively. The charges against Hale include six counts of "making false official statements," nine counts of "conduct unbecoming an officer" and two counts of obstruction of justice. If the case goes to a military trial, Hale would become the first retired Army general to be court-martialed. If convicted, Hale could face a prison term. If punished administratively, he could lose pension benefits.."

China Post Newsday Patrick Sloyan 12/7/98 ".U.S. President Clinton is considering unilateral cuts in U.S. nuclear warheads that would match reductions in Russian arsenal disintegrating from a lack of money and manpower, senior administration officials said. A final administrative decision could come in time for Clinton's State of the Union speech next month to Congress in which he would outline cuts in U.S. strategic systems and resulting savings in defense spending. "We could save billions" a senior Pentagon official said. Support for strategic weapons reductions has grown among cash strapped generals on the Joint Chiefs of Staff who want to pay for new ships, planes and weapons while improving the quality of life for a shrinking military. One possibility would permit a halt in production of the D5 rocket for Trident submarines, a missile program costing U.S. $3.3 billion over the next four years. The warhead reduction program would allow scrapping four of the oldest Trident boats as well as 200 of the remaining 500 Minuteman III land based rockets.."

Desert News 12/15/98 John Robinson ".One drama was being played out in front of TV cameras to a worldwide audience with the White House serving as a backdrop. The other was going along mostly unnoticed in Chandler, Ariz. The president, with a somber look, stood in front of the cameras in the Rose Garden on Friday and again, in carefully crafted terms, said he was sorry for misleading the American people about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky and would be willing to accept a rebuke and censure from Congress. Then he walked away. How that played in Peoria and elsewhere became evident by two questions shouted at his quickly departing back: "Did you lie under oath?" and "Will you resign if impeached?" The media, not to mention the nation, have heard and seen this song and dance too many times from a man who will apparently go to any length - with the possible exception of telling the truth - to rescue his presidency. A week earlier, thousands of miles away from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., a major in the Marine Corps Reserves received a phone call. Daniel J. Rabil was told to leave Chandler and report to New Orleans the next day. He was about to be disciplined for an article he wrote a month ago that appeared in the Washington Times under the headline: "Please, impeach my commander in chief.". His concluding phrase may have irritated those superiors sitting in judgment of him: "I therefore risk my commission, as our generals will not, to urge this of Congress: Remove this stain from our White House." Rabil was told by Maj. Gen. David Mize, the commander of the Marine Reserves, that had he been on active duty he would have been court-martialed.."

Washington Times 12/15/98 Thomas Moorer ".The House Judiciary Committee approved four articles of impeachment in the light of what the New York Times has described as "the corrosive effects on the military's code of honor of having a commander in chief who has admitted misleading the nation" (Impeachment Panel Sets Hearing On the "Consequences of Perjury," Nov. 24, 1998). The president, by his own poor choices, created a crisis of constitutional proportion within the same Armed Forces he is duty- bound to lead. It is now up to Congress to solve this crisis by holding the president accountable. When I had the honor to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the early 1970s, I was the senior uniformed member of the United States Armed Forces. As such, like every other commissioned officer, I served "during the pleasure of the president." Like every other officer, I also swore to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic," and to "bear true faith and allegiance to the same.... So help me God." The subject matter of the hearings aptly described a critical problem within the Armed Forces that many civilians do not fully appreciate. The president is the commander in chief. Although he does not wear a military uniform, he is a military leader. In this regard, I have urged the committee to address two fundamental issues of military leadership: honor and accountability. Within the leadership of the United States Armed Forces, these virtues are indispensable. Without them, soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and civilians die unnecessarily..."

FoxNews 12/19/98 ".The military service of presidents from World War II to now. FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT: None. Assistant Navy secretary, a civilian post, before and during World War I. HARRY TRUMAN: Combat captain who led field artillery battery in campaigns during World War I. DWIGHT EISENHOWER: The war hero-turned-president was Supreme Allied Commander in the victory over Germany and five-star Army general. Before his presidency, a career-long soldier who graduated from West Point. JOHN KENNEDY: A Navy lieutenant assigned to a Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron, Kennedy was commanding the PT-109 when it was rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri while on patrol off the Solomon Islands in August 1943. He returned to the United States at the end of the year for treatment of wartime disabilities. LYNDON JOHNSON: A member of Congress and the Naval Reserve, Johnson asked to be called to active duty after Pearl Harbor attack. Said to have been first U.S. representative to don a uniform. Received Silver Star for gallantry under fire, after a patrol bomber he was in was crippled by Japanese bullets. RICHARD NIXON: Joined Navy in 1942 as lieutenant and went to South Pacific as ground officer for Combat Air Transport Command. GERALD FORD: Served on the aircraft carrier Monterey, engaged in almost all major Pacific battles in closing phases of World War II. Earned 10 battle stars. JIMMY CARTER: Graduated from U.S. Naval Academy in 1946, Carter served in Navy until 1953, on battleships, in submarine service and as a senior officer in precommissioning crew of Sea Wolf, the second nuclear submarine. RONALD REAGAN: Called to active Army duty in 1942, Reagan was disqualified from combat duty because he was nearsighted; he made Air Force training films. GEORGE BUSH: One of the youngest Navy pilots at the time, Bush was assigned to the aircraft carrier San Jacinto as a member of a torpedo bomber squadron. His Avenger was shot down in September 1944 as he was on his way to bomb a radio tower on Chichi Jima island. He parachuted into the sea, was rescued by a submarine and returned to the carrier two months later. BILL CLINTON: None."

Wall Street Journal 12/23/98 Lawrence Kaplan ".The first clue that Operation Desert Fox would pay tribute less to the military style of Erwin Rommel than Robert McNamara came when Defense Secretary William Cohen advised that the U.S. did not intend to target Iraqi chemical and biological weapons facilities. Rather, it would strike runways, air defense sites, radio towers--strike, that is, before Ramadan, and between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. What the president had billed as a "strong, sustained series of air strikes" was, finally, to be neither strong nor sustained. The finely calibrated four-day bombing campaign would instead be what Mr. Clinton termed a "message to Saddam." And, indeed, in purpose, scope, and duration, the sporadic fusillade directed at Iraq neatly exemplified the president's tendency to employ strictly controlled violence as a means to deliver precision- guided messages. Discarding the Powell Doctrine of overwhelming force that not long ago dominated American thinking about military power, the Clinton team has, from the day it entered office, shown a clear preference for wielding military power neither to subdue nor even to punish, but to prod adversaries to see the error of their ways. Not surprisingly, then, the administration has revived terms like "signals" and "messages," presumed after Vietnam to have been eliminated from the glossary of military affairs. Even if Saddam were guided by purely rational deliberation, why would he fear an air campaign calculated to hurt things, not people? Especially when, if willing to sacrifice a building here, an airfield there, the Iraqi dictator might forever rid himself of UN weapons inspectors? The absence of any intent to link punishment to offense merely encourages America's adversaries to conclude they enjoy more room to maneuver than Oval Office speechifying would suggest--as in fact they do."

The New York Times 12/24/98 William Safire ".Not since the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Teheran has American territory been so egregiously invaded as last week -- and nobody in the distracted Clinton Administration seems to care. In Damascus, where the Syrian dictator Hafez al-Assad rigidly controls the populace, tens of thousands massed in protest, ostensibly about our bombing of Iraq. A selected part of the mob -- about 1,000 drawn from the ruling Baath Party -- was permitted to march at night where demonstrators are never allowed to go: through the upscale al-Rawdha neighborhood, where the United States Embassy and the Ambassador's residence are located.."

Congressional Quarterly Weekly 1/5/99 ".The disclosure of Clinton's affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and his attempts to conceal it have provoked unusual public criticism of the president by some in uniform, in some ways a reflection of the difficult relationship Clinton has had with the armed forces he tried so hard to stay out of during the Vietnam War. On Dec. 5, for instance, the Marine Corps effectively ended the career of a major in the reserves who in a newspaper commentary had called Clinton "a lying draft dodger" and "a moral coward" who has "always had contempt for the American military." The case is one of several in which officers have at least come close to violating a provision of military law barring use of "contemptuous speech" in referring to the president or certain other high government officials. (Code, p. 26) Some conservatives say these incidents are evidence that Clinton's personal conduct is undermining the armed services he leads as commander in chief. Though many officers say they are able to separate Clinton's personal life from his official role, the scandal highlights a stark contrast between the services' rigid norms of conduct and broader society's more flexible standards. "It's frustrating that, since we put 'integrity' so high, the polls are suggesting this is no big thing," a senior Army officer mused. "Something that is so fundamental to the military is being soundly rejected by the American people." There is a growing gap between military and civilian life that worries some top military officers and defense analysts. More than a quarter-century after the end of the draft in 1973, relatively few Americans have any military experience, or know any relatives or role models such as teachers who have been in uniform. Those who set defense policy have little direct experience. Neither Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, National Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger nor Defense Secretary Williams S. Cohen has been in uniform. Only Vice President Al Gore, who was an Army journalist in Vietnam, has served in the military. The proportion of members of Congress with military service has dropped from more than 75 percent in 1971 to less than 34 percent in the incoming 106th..."

Wall Street Journal 1/5/99 James Webb ".It has now been almost three weeks since the otherworldly spectacle of a House impeachment debate taking place at the same time the politically threatened president rained down missiles and bombs on Iraq. Few who follow national-defense issues could restrain their cynicism as a parade of heretofore antimilitary legislators praised the reliability of our military forces and attempted to shame the Republicans for voting to impeach a busy commander-in-chief. But memories are short in Washington. January brings forth the budget from the administration to Congress. And these same legislators are unlikely to be as supportive of our men and women in uniform when it comes to appropriating funds for military spending..."

Wall Street Journal 1/5/99 ".If the New Year is the time for resolutions, we can't think of one we'd like more than a determination to provide America with a system to protect us from the increasing likelihood of a missile strike, whether from a rogue state like North Korea or a terrorist such as Osama bin Laden. Though Rep