VISITING THE TROOPS — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Myers poses for a picture with deployed U.S. soldiers at the Kabul, Afghanistan, Airport on March 16, 2005. Myers is in Afghanistan to meet with U.S. troops and talk directly with military leaders. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen

March 17, 2005 - Retired General Richard Myers. He's the one in the middle back row wearing the hat with five stars on it. He akinned the Iraq War to the most important military deployment since WWII. You know I just don't 'get it.' But, it could be because I'm an Independant and not a Republican Neocon. But, if we were to akin Hilter to Saddam which he wasn't, then Saddam is already dead and when Myers was with the Joint Chiefs the USA had already put Saddam in prison. So, what about Iraq was exactly like that of WWII. I mean the coalition didn't even remotely resemble the Allied Forces. I'm not being glib here. This is a five star general and leader of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. How can he so casually state there were any similarities between the war in Iraq and WWII. Not even close. He is thinking Bin Laden is Hilter like? You've got to be joking. Bin Laden doesn't even lead a sovereign government with resources and a military. Give me a break here.

At any rate, he is still another retired general under Bush. Adding up, huh? I think Boykin is still around in the military. Could be wrong about that. He isn't leading at Minot is he?

I found this interesting though. While our military was deployed in a Muslim country that was supposed to be accepting each other as equals in the face of ethnic differences, Myers decides to talk to the Saudis about military-military issues. Did he for one minute consider the fact these engagements had an effect on any insurgency in Iraq? These actions by the leader of the Joint Chiefs was no small measure when realizing the opposite border of Iraq was building nuclear capacity to defend Shi'ites, namely Iran. I don't think I appreciate the 'coziness' of USA generals or commander and chiefs with any one particular ethnicity outside Iraq when the miltiary soldiers were trying to build confidence in the people within Iraq, a majority Shi'ite country. Seems a little self defeating to me.

Myers Meets Saudis, Discusses Military Relationships (click here)

By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 17, 2005 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met here with his Saudi counterparts to discuss mutual issues March 16.
Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said the talks were good and furthered the U.S.-Saudi military-to-military relationship.
Myers met with Defense Ministry officials, including Defense Minister Prince Sultan. They discussed military exercises, U.S. training of Saudi forces, and Iraq. It was the chairman's first trip to Saudi Arabia since 2003.
Myers said in an interview following the meetings that the Saudis generally are pleased with the progress being made in Iraq. "A stable Iraq on their border is an advantage to them," he said.
But there is some Saudi trepidation about foreign terrorists being driven from Iraq and "looking for a home" in Saudi Arabia, the general said. There have been several terrorist attacks launched in the kingdom in the past year, and Osama bin Laden has established al Qaeda cells in the country. Saudi police and National Guard forces have been seeking out the al Qaeda cells and captured four suspected terrorists recently, said embassy officials.
Myers said the Saudis discussed what they could do to tighten their country's long border with Iraq and suggested some things the Americans can help the Iraqis do to control crossings on their side.
But normal military-to-military relations dominated the talks. Since the end of Operation Southern Watch, the relationship has been based on training and exercises, the general said. About 500 U.S. troops are in Saudi Arabia helping to train the Saudi National Guard and the regular Saudi armed forces.
The United States and Saudi Arabia will conduct regular exercises. "We have some air exercises scheduled in Saudi happening soon," the general said. Other exercises will be held in conjunction with other Persian Gulf countries, and still others will happen in the United States.
The exercises run the gamut from command post exercises involving few troops to larger ones featuring military forces. The Saudis said they would like to hold exercises featuring ground forces. Myers said the United States would like to do that also, but noted the Saudis understand U.S. ground forces are committed elsewhere right now.
He said he expects the Saudis will at least send military observers to the Bright Star '05 exercises in Egypt later this year.
The U.S.-Saudi military relationship goes back to a meeting between Saudi's King Abdul Aziz and President Franklin D. Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy in 1944. Since then, thousands of Saudis have trained in the United States.