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Franks defends Bush in visit to Searcy, HU
By Tim Bousquet
The Daily Citizen
Friday, April 23, 2004 12:43 AM CST
Retired Army General Tommy Franks expressed no doubts Thursday about the war in Iraq, or about the Bush administration's handling of the war.
"Both sides - the Democrats and the Republicans - agree that we have to stay the course," he said. "We have to continue to have a very firm resolve."
Franks, who was responsible for all U.S. military operations for 25 countries in the Middle East, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, was in Searcy to give a lecture at Harding University last night. In the afternoon he appeared at a short press conference and answered questions about the war.
"The President was right on May 1st," said Franks, referring to Bush's statement on that date last year that "major combat operations" in Iraq had ended. More U.S. soldiers in Iraq have died since Bush made that statement than before.
"Of course, all of us hoped that things would go quickly," Franks said. "But the grip of the previous regime had on the people and on the nation was tremendous, and it will take time to loosen it.
"Every war has its expectations, and those expectations don't always come out the way we hope they will. That's why they call it war rather than golf or bowling.
"I'm not surprised by what's happening," he continued. "I'm disappointed."
Franks said he had given much thought to Bush's plan to hand over sovereignty to a temporary Iraqi government on June 30.
"I'd wake up one day and think one way, and wake up the next day and think another way," he said. "But one day I had an epiphany: the difficulty we're having in Iraq is not likely to be over next week, or next month, or maybe not next year. Ultimately, it's the people of Iraq who will settle that country down."
The Iraqi insurgents, Franks said, are "a small group of people tolerated by the Iraqi people.
"The people of Iraq want instant gratification, just like I would. They want a share of the wealth, better education, better health care and so forth. But they see the same sensationalist reporting that we see in this country; 24 hours a day they're fed information that leads them to believe the insurgents are having some effect.
The insurgents appear to be more carefully organized in recent months than previously, Franks said.
"But the more exposure they have, the better it is for us."
One reporter asked Franks about journalist Bob Woodward's new book, "Plan of Attack," which says that Franks was upset when asked to draw up plans for the war against Iraq.
"Franks was incredulous," wrote Woodward. "They were in the midst of one war, Afghanistan, and now they wanted detailed planning for another, Iraq? '[Expletive],' Franks said, 'what the [expletive] are they talking about?'"
"Do I look like the kind of guy who would utter obscenities?" said Franks Thursday. "Well, I've been known to utter obscenities now and then."
The general said that Woodward is "a fine journalist, but that doesn't mean I'd agree with everything he wrote. I have my own memories, and my own notes, and I'm writing my own book. That will come out in a few months.
"Let me give you some context," Franks continued. "There were an awful lot of people who thought that a global war on terrorism was necessary, and I was one of them. We had to decide where and when to go to war, but it's not logical that I would have uttered obscenities about how to do that."
Franks acknowledged that large numbers of National Guard troops have been deployed to Iraq and many have had their tour extended beyond a year, while regular Army troops in Germany have not been deployed to the combat zone.
"Yes, the 39th Brigade from Arkansas, and God bless them," said Franks. "This whole question is about the plans to modernize the armed forces. That's part of the balance that we're trying to get between regular troops, the National Guard and reservists. That balance just isn't right now.
"But it's awful hard to sit here in Searcy and say there has to be some other way. This has been carried out pretty thoughtfully."
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