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Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Bing West on the possibility of sequestrations and the nomination of Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense.
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Brent oil strata -- wants life to relaunch Angela.
Gradually withdraw our senator Richard -- universe in Vietnam and as a member of the brain force reconnaissance unit initiated operations stingray.
Small unit attacks behind enemy lines in the jungles -- -- slot action.
The combined action to terms and revelations.
Whose works include the village of narrative of 485.
Days of combat in Vietnam.
That was done on marine commandant she reading list for forty years -- -- What rank where you're on his service.
-- -- I just like I just thought -- -- on our I was lieutenant and captain.
-- morning -- oil scenario.
Fine thanks so mom and start -- President -- by the end of 2014 name.
Going to low draw down loan to insurance from Afghanistan.
To 101000 troops -- issue.
It it makes a lot of sense to me -- Sometimes -- have differences with the president's policies but in this case of saying that we should start getting out of combat this spring.
I think that's the right deal because if you going to get out don't have your troops just -- they're going on patrol in getting killed for no good reason.
So we've decided to get out we're going to get out.
If we -- about 101000 troops I think we can continue would the only nation that should be our mission and that's going after these al-Qaeda terrorists and making sure they don't come back.
Afghanistan is going to be a mess it's going to be an economic mess political mess.
In a combat -- and Afghans are gonna kill each other over a pile of rocks for the next hundred years.
That's a shame -- away but it's it's not it's not -- problem we should just keep a focus on.
Stopping terrorists from attacking us and let the Afghans work out everything else from themselves.
Sonia do our involvement there -- -- if there are no.
In my view we went too far.
And I say we I mean the president the congress the American public the press.
We all bought into this thing with -- Afghanistan and Iraq.
That we can build nations in Islamic countries.
Like Afghanistan that are hurtling headlong into the ninth century.
We would -- filled words.
We will we look to -- would arrogance.
In the early 2000 some thought we could do everything we can't or on the world building other nations so I think we went too far both in Iraq and Afghanistan.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Well that the president who will have the person he wants up I have the Gray Davis reservations about it I think that.
Mr.
-- was going to have a very rocky road -- secretary of defense because she's on the wrong side of the two major issues be the first issue is the budget.
Mr.
Panetta who's the current secretary of defense a former chief of staff and a democratic White House basically said look I will not support these -- you can't cut 25% of the military without doing dramatic damage.
On customers -- -- and says well they're -- so he hasn't stood up for his troops.
And everyone in the cut everyone in the Pentagon no status he comes in.
The other thing.
He doesn't know who our enemies are.
So we said well these Republican guard in Iran we don't even have to have sanctuaries.
And we don't even have to sanctions against.
So in terms of knowing our enemies in in terms of knowing his own department.
He's on the wrong side of the issues I think he's gonna are very tough time as secretary of defense.
Arnold whilst.
Who served him of Vietnam -- Mormon and other.
-- -- Parts of the government who served him.
As more year old slaughter identified as a combat in Vietnam.
Some of Obama neutral memorable for but.
I forgot tell -- again.
Done about it and famous book.
While there were there where there were.
Twelve Marines who was sent -- to this village.
South of Danang in -- way out in the mountains and in the mission was to try to stop the Viet -- rockets that were coming from that village against the airport.
And the colonel rare marine colonel sent me down as -- what the heck was going on because we're in a -- every night.
And we fought.
Every single night we would go while we get into far fight and we are trying to take these farmers.
And and try to teach them how to be soldiers.
And I couldn't figure it out because the fighting just never stopped.
And it wasn't until I got to know -- very very well that turned out to be the most basic of all reasons that.
One of the head people in the village who was the Viet Cong was absolutely furious at twelve Americans would just come into his village of 5000 Vietnamese and think they could change things.
So we ended up about half field and -- McCoy feud that went on for over a year.
I don't know whatever happened -- But we kept fighting and fighting in fighting in neither side would give any ground and unfortunately.
Seven of the fifteen of us were in the village were killed before was over.
But I went back to the village are several years ago and it.
Did the villagers walked up to me and said and they've never commitment has -- -- we which is captain you've gotten old.
And I look at these -- little people much that I do not know what you should see you know who.
And they still remembered us and I -- to my interpreter I said in my interpreted this is amazing he said what's amazing about it.
He said each of them has a half an acre of rice and all -- -- for their entire life is checked out pieces of -- and you.
Fifteen Americans we're here for over a year and you wouldn't think that -- remember you.
And so we went to the house of the village chief and he had been a ten year old boy at our fort but he was a Communist.
And we're sitting there having T.
And he said hey he said now I have 101000 people were when -- here there were 5000.
What are my gonna do 101000 people.
And I said well you won the war what are you asking before he said don't give me that he said -- here with us he said you know the -- doesn't care about us.
So players it was really an eye opener going back and on going back -- in March.
-- -- -- drifting does against 5000 members and a bunch of little -- off the 5000 to 5000 what kind of kind of neutral how we ended up.
I -- that they.
When -- I went back in 2000 they had taken.
The graves of those who have been killed on our side in remove the bodies and brought in the Viet -- bodies of those we had killed.
And I was flabbergasted I'd say there were more than 200.
Head -- -- that very small cemetery so we -- quarter part of -- price one of the things that people don't realize when you're gonna fight that night -- you can't see the other guys is that.
Grenades make a huge difference.
And Americans are the only people in the world.
That troll like caulking their -- -- heating everyone else goes like this and we're the only ones I have that natural motion from playing baseball.
And so we always have this huge advantage in firefights at night because we can throw grenades father.
-- -- larger I don't.
I have quite had a great -- -- launch are gonna bay grasses are cordial and former assistant secretary of defence incidentally.
I'm talking about is the dominant generals in Vietnam his fortune in.
Ours ours and -- hotjobs an attempt to model them I got sick of that -- Drug to drum underwrote -- I don't tell people runaways or -- -- -- -- that.
On television little reason you can have your talk show number -- -- I was -- -- have been -- element -- And I say no are you weren't you -- mcdougals.
-- probably as well whatever.
-- -- -- Not a good thing then you missed career because the -- was right up there fighting at the frozen chosen its.
-- yeah did you.
