Marine Shows Courage …

…  I know, that sounds about as newsworthy as “sun rises,” “tree has bark,” or “ice is cold.”

However, this particular Marine did something very few other people have done, and it’s noteworthy. General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has acknowledged recently that he made mistakes in terms of planning the war in Iraq. He confessed that he underestimated the number of troops we would need for the invasion, and believed that we would be welcomed by Iraqis. These errors, one recalls, were prominent features of selling the war plan in 2002 and 2003.

While it is commendable and noble of General Pace to take this hit, it’s very important to look at what it does and doesn’t mean.

One of the things it does mean is that the Bush administration is probably not guilty of one of the charges leveled against it — that it doesn’t listen to the military on issues relating to the military. Several years ago, a chorus of retired generals came out against then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld calling for his resignation. One of the reasons cited is that he didn’t take input from military commanders. This confession by Gen. Pace suggests that Secretary Rumsfeld, et. al.  did listen to commanders, at least some (or at least one) of them. Whether they ignored input from other generals is a different question. In any event, this is a general who says that he made the mistakes the administration made.

That sounds to me like they must have listened to him.

What his confession doesn’t mean, though, is that President Bush and other civilian leaders are off the hook. His was one of many voices giving advice to the President. The President’s ultimate orders, though, are his own. There is nothing that General Pace can say that will lessen President Bush’s responsibility for any mistakes. This is especially true since General Pace wasn’t chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2002 and the war-planning stages. He was vice-chairman, under General Richard Myers . He can take his share of the blame, but that’s well short of actually being at fault.

On the other hand … before anyone else makes this inane charge … it is inconceivable that General Pace has been asked or ordered to take this hit for the administration. This is a man who has freely and openly stated his opinions, sometimes in disagreement with the administration.  Rather famously, in November of 2005, he shared a press conference with Donald Rumsfeld. When Rumsfeld said that the US had no obligation to prevent torture by Iraqi officials, General Pace fervently disagreed, saying that any US service member had an obligation to intervene if he or she witnesses inhumane treatment. General Pace has questioned evidence with respect to the charge that Iran is arming Iraqi insurgents.

I don’t see him being a man who would surrender his own convictions.

General Pace will not be re-appointed as JCS Chairman, which is probably unfortunate. I commend him for his honesty, and his willingness to say that he made the mistake (unlike the usual “mistakes were made” line). This shows the courage and integrity that has served him well through his Marine Corps career. I would like to have seen some of that same courage among the civilian leaders.