What Newbold says now:

“I retired from the military four months before the invasion, in part because of my opposition to those who had used 9/11’s tragedy to hijack our security policy.”

But, in May of 2002, in an article headlined, “General With a Key Pentagon Role to Retire” (WaPo archives) he told the Washington Post’s Thomas Ricks:

–”he never had an ambition to be a four-star general, and simply was tired of the intensity of his post”

–”I’m looking forward to a job that doesn’t have the intensity and lack the quality of life that this one has,” he said. “This is a crucible job.”

–”Newbold, 53, said he decided several months ago to retire,”

Uh, “several months ago” would put probably put his decision to retire into February of 2002, if not earlier, well before the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. Just another curious turn in Newbold’s tale.

FYI to the WaPo and Gen. Newbold: We have Lexis-Nexus AlaCarte

In May of 2002, Ricks wrote:

“Some in the Pentagon speculated that Newbold was fatigued by Rumsfeld’s management style, which has been variously described by Pentagon officials as “hands-on,” “brutally honest” and even “abusive.”

“It is a completely different atmosphere from the previous administration, where our opinions weren’t challenged,” said one officer, who added that he considers the new skepticism to be healthy for the military.

But Newbold rejected that interpretation of his decision, saying he was leaving for two reasons: He owes it to his family, and he thinks it is time to let younger Marine generals move up in the ranks.”

So, back then it was his family and making room for a younger general, now he says it was:

“because of my opposition to those who had used 9/11’s tragedy to hijack our security policy.”

The legal eagles of America’s Majority are asking: “General, which time were you lying?”

Newbold also said:

–“If he could have a more active command, Newbold said, he would be inclined to stick around. He said, for example, that he would much prefer being in Afghanistan, where the ground commander is his former deputy, Army Maj. Gen. Franklin L. “Buster” Hagenbeck.”

Newbold was criticized by liberals and especially liberal bloggers:

–“when he said at a Pentagon briefing that the Taliban militia then ruling Afghanistan had been “eviscerated” by U.S. bombing. His choice of words was subsequently mocked by Rumsfeld and by Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Newbold stopped appearing at Pentagon briefings.”

So, roughly four years after he decides to retire, a decision made well before the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, he comes out saying he retired because of his opposition to the war.

Really, General, which time were you lying?

A ‘cut-and-paste’ of the article is here.

And about this quote from an un-named source:

“It is a completely different atmosphere from the previous administration, where our opinions weren’t challenged,”
Uh, FYI: The situation changed on 9/11 when we woke up to a hot war against global jihad. Unless of course, this un-named source’s advice was to take on global jihad by only lobbing cruise missiles at empty buildings.

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