TOO MUCH JOHN WAYNE….Alan Sharpe, a British brigadier general who helped write the coalition campaign plan for Iraq during a tour in Baghdad in 2004, has a few choice words about the U.S. military’s approach to war:
An important part to being a successful American officer was to be able to combine the “real and acted heroics” of Audie Murphy, the “newsreel antics” of Gen Douglas MacArthur and the “movie performances” of Hollywood actors, the brigadier wrote.
While this might look good on television at home, the brigadier suggested that “loud voices, full body armour, wrap-around sunglasses, air strikes and daily broadcasts from shoulder-holster wearing brigadier-generals proudly announcing how many Iraqis have been killed by US forces today” was no “hearts-and-minds winning tool”.
That should do wonders for the ‘ol special relationship, shouldn’t it?
