CBS' 'No plan in Iraq' allegation not true
Media Matters
Nov. 14, 2006
A CBS news report that quotes an outgoing military commander as saying there was no plan for Phase IV in Iraq – the time period after the military goals had been reached – isn't supported by the network's own interview, which shows Gen. Mike Hagee of the U.S. Marines saying that wasn't the Marines' responsibility.

"That was not our job, as you know," the commander told interviewer David Martin. "Once major combat operations were over, the Marines were to leave the theater. And, in fact, we left the theater in June or July of '03, and security was handed over to coalition forces that came into the southern part (of Iraq)."

The CBS report was described by Martin this way: "So I asked him about one of the enduring mysteries of the invasion — why there was no real plan for running the country once Saddam Hussein fell from power. Unfortunately, Hagee's comments only deepen the mystery. He says he was deeply concerned about who would take charge of major Iraqi cities, like Najaf, as the Marines pushed through them on their way to Baghdad."

Hagee, instead, made it clear that he never had any doubts the U.S. military would achieve its goals, and while he was not told of every plan, he also was not on the level of command that would need to know.

"We executed that part, the march from Kuwait to north of Baghdad, that was done brilliantly," Hagee told CBS. "Obviously we've had some challenges in the Phase IV portions. I think there were several plans out there, obviously not conducted by the U.S. military at that time."

He cited the decisions by Ambassador Paul Bremer as one influence on those events and noted there were others.

Hagee said during Phase IV, there are multiple factors that have to come together, not just a military resolution. He cited the military – or the security portion of the equation – as well as economic, social and political structures.

"I think over the last few years we have done a very difficult mission. We have actually done a pretty good job in standing up Iraqi security forces in order to turn that over to them," Hagee said.

In Fallujah, for example, a year ago 3,000 Marines were required to provide security; now that's down to 300, he said.

"Where's the rest of that security coming from? It's coming from the Iraqi security forces," Hagee told CBS. "We have Iraqi security forces that have their own battle space and are providing security."

"This is a very dangerous, very difficult mission, requiring the appropriate patience and resources to do it," he warned, echoing similar statements over the years by President Bush. "This attempt to go black-and-white is very difficult in this type of environment."

According to the CBS report, said one critic on PowerLineBlog.com, "Hagee states that there was 'No Plan for Post-Saddam Iraq.' Unfortunately, you have to watch the video of the interview that is posted with the story to see that Hagee says nothing of the kind. That's David Martin doing the testifying, doing his damndest to put words in Hagee's mouth through repetitive leading questions. Martin doesn't succeed, but he has nevertheless written the story he set out to get."

"Did you think that CBS could be trusted just because Rather is gone? Not a chance! They are what they are – still libs. As a retired Naval officer, I knew the Commandant would not be making negative comments in public about his chain of command," a reader told WND.

CBS said it interviewed Hagee because he is being succeeded by Gen. James Conway.

Hagee was commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and in charge of planning for the Marines' original push to Baghdad.

"CBS wants to play fast and loose with their 'fast facts.' Readers should slow down and listen to Hagee rather than Martin's misleading characterization of the interview," said "Captain Ed" at CaptainsQuartersBlog.com.

Hagee readily admitted he did not expect the conflict to go on as long as it was.

"I was obviously wrong in that analysis," he said. "My sense now is that it's going to go on for some time. We as a nation have to be prepared for a long war."

He did confirm he was concerned about what would happen when the military strategy was victorious.

"As a commander of an operation force there was no doubt in my mind we were going to be successful," he said.

But his concerns were over issues such as whether the Iraqi army would continue to fight, change sides or simply disappear.

He raised the questions he didn't feel had been fully explained, "at least at my level," and was told the responsibilities would be turned over to someone later.

In any war, he said there will be "circumstances that you do not plan for. You have to have flexibility and adaptability to respond to them," he said.