Walter Cronkite: Iraq War a “Disaster”
Walter Cronkite has seen it all. As part of the “Writing 69th” group of WWII journalists, he went ashore on D-Day, parachuted into Holland with the l0lst Airborne, and was in the first group of war correspondents to fly in a B-17 bombing raid over Germany.
Last week he was in San Jose. And, in an interview with Channel 5, the “most trusted man in America” was asked to weigh in on the Iraq War:
We should have gotten out a long time ago. This is a mistake, this entire war there, it’s a disaster. And the earlier we get out the better. It’s getting quite late now for that maneuver. We should have gotten out immediately. We should have never gotten in in the first place.
Isn’t “disaster” a pretty strong word?
That’s where it is. I don’t see how it can be described any other way. It’s a terrible disaster. Look at the loss of lives of our young Americans there and those who have been maimed for life, for what purpose? No purpose we can define…it’s a disaster.
Are Americans safer because of the Iraq war?
No, I don’t think so. I think we’re probably less safe. The entire Arab world has now put us down as an enemy. It’s going to be a long time for us to take back any suggestion of friendship with those nations. It’s very sad, I think.
Is the Iraq War winnable?
No, I think it’s already lost…we haven’t saved anybody from any worse existence than they had before. We’ve made it more difficult for all of them, and difficult for us. I think it’s a mistake from the beginning. We ought to get out sooner rather than later.
Does Cronkite think his opinion of the Iraq War might help end it?
I would like to think it would be helpful in getting us out of there. Anybody who can put another match to that fire, to get us out would be, I think, welcome.
Cronkite was the anchor for the CBS Evening News from 1962-1981. His 1968 statements claiming the Vietnam War was unwinnable influenced President Lyndon B. Johnson to forego a bid for reelection. Johnson reportedly remarked, “If I’ve lost Walter Cronkite, I’ve lost the country.”
When he left the anchor desk in 1981, he said: “Old anchormen, you see, don’t fade away; they just keep coming back for more.”
And that’s the way it is.
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We have become such an arrogant nation, that we would rather shoot ourselfs in the foot then take advice from anyone. A prime example would be the majority of our casualties in Iraq are inflicted by IED’s. A reporter’s simple solution to the problem, watch the children as you drive down the street, if they cover their ears, you have a problem.
He had many more simple and sound solutions to many problems faced in Iraq, yet none are implemented.
Yep. The arrogance is what’s killing us. I’m ready to be the nation of goodwill, the nation of nice guys again. Sure, the U.S. is still doing a LOT of good things around the world, but our arrogant screw ups are overshadowing any good by a long shot. Things wouldn’t be fixed, but I’m sure if we’d say, for instance, given Iraq a few billion dollars to rebuild the best dang museum in the world to replace the one we let get looted in Baghdad, and let THEM rebuild it as they see fit, instead of giving the money to KBR to build the biggest U.S. Embassy in the world there, only to have them “lose track” of a goodly percentage of the money…that sort of humble goodwill would go a long way as a salve to heal the gigantic festering wound we’ve created…that’s just my $0.02, of course…
If we peppered Iraq with books instead of bullets, all this nonsense would stop immediately.
It seems like Mr. Cronkite is not truly aware of the reasons why we are actually there. He is holding on to the premise that we are in Iraq to help Iraq. That was never the intention. The U.S. took control of Iraq’s oil during the first couple of days of that war. Now holding on to the fields is the mission not wining hearts, minds and democracy for Iraq. I would think an educated man like Mr. Cronkite would understand that but media types of both yesterday and today either refuse to see the reality of the situation and then ask the important questions accordingly or just aren’t up to snuff and actually don’t get it.
Bush at al shot those buildings down on 9/11. I’ve no doubt about that. The evidence is there yet none in the media, Cronkite included, dare to rock the boat and mumble so much as one word of doubt. It’s beyond despicable, it’s downright weird, strange, madness, cowardly, pathetic, unprofessional, bush-league and totally lame-ass.
The U.S. destroyed Iraq, then took control of the oil. That was the plan, that was the mission. We did it, so I guess we win. Mr. Cronkite talking about the U.S. not being liked. . .huh??? Not being liked by who? The country that we just bombed back to the stone age. No shit they don’t like us. But the same folks responsible for ordering that bombing bombed the U.S. too. So I don’t think they are all that concerned as to who likes them and who doesn’t.
Bush at al shot those buildings down on 9/11. I’ve no doubt about that. The evidence is there yet none in the media, Cronkite included, dare to rock the boat and mumble so much as one word of doubt. It’s beyond dispicable, it’s downright wierd, strange, madness, cowardly, pathetic, unprofessional, bush league.
The U.S. destroyed Iraq, then took control of the oil. That was the plan, that was the mission. We did it, so I guess we win. Mr. Cronkite talking about the U.S. not being liked. . .huh???
Walter Cronkite is a NWO Globalist schill who has taken the Lucifarian oath and publicly stated that he would be “glad to sit at the right hand of Satan”. Which is where he could very well be right now.
He may at one time acutally cared about freedom and independence and national soverignty but he gave that up long ago.
“the approximately 200 sovereigntys in our global village, all of which are going to need to give up some of that sovereignty to the better greater union and it’s not going to be easy.”
“Pat Robertson wrote in a book a few years ago saying that we should have “a world government but only when the Messiah arrives. Any attempt to achieve world order before that time must be the work of the devil.” Well, join me. I’m glad to sit here at the right hand of Satan. Let us hear the peal of a new international liberty bell that calls us all to the creation of a system of enforceable world law in which the universe’s desire for peace can place its hope and its prayers.”
Walter Cronkite