PAST GENERALS AT ODDS
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Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf’s purported disagreement with President Bush on how to end the Gulf War has produced a minor tempest within the Washington leadership. Here’s a look at how some American generals in the past crossed swords with their commanders:
GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON JR.
In 1945, Patton was relieved of command of the 3rd Army when he differed with Allied commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower on his program to “de-Nazify” Germany. In widely reported statements, Patton said some Nazis in Bavaria should remain in office because they were good administrators, a contradiction of Eisenhower’s policy of immediate elimination of Nazis from office.
GEN. DOUGLAS MacARTHUR
In 1951, President Truman recalled MacArthur as commander of U.N. forces in Korea after the general took issue with Truman’s handling of the Korean War. MacArthur not only publicly criticized what he called Truman’s “no-win” policy, but he forcefully advocated, in a departure from the Administration position, an invasion of China.
MAJ. GEN. JOHN K. SINGLAUB
In 1977, President Carter removed Singlaub as chief of staff at U.S. Forces headquarters in South Korea for publicly criticizing the President’s decision to phase U.S. ground troops out of Korea. The plan was never carried out.
GEN. MICHAEL DUGAN
Last Sept. 17, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney fired Gen. Dugan as Air Force chief of staff after Dugan spoke to the news media about contingency plans to unleash massive air raids on Iraq and target President Saddam Hussein personally. Cheney said the Air Force chief violated Pentagon rules by publicly discussing likely military targets.
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