RETRO-GAGGLE: What Scott McClellan was saying 1 year ago today

MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon. The President looks forward to going to the Army War College this evening. Tonight's speech is focused on our strategy for success in Iraq. The President will update the American people about the clear strategy for the way forward to a free, democratic and peaceful Iraq for the Iraqi people. And he will talk about the specific steps we are taking to achieve our goals.

And with that, I will be glad to go straight to your questions.

Q Is there anything in tonight's speech, in terms of this clear strategy, that we haven't heard before? Will he be unveiling any kind of new initiative?

MR. McCLELLAN: John, I expect there will be some new aspects in it that you will hear. This is really an opportunity for the President to talk in more detail to the American people about the specific steps we are taking to achieve our goals, as I said a minute ago. The President will outline the five specific steps we are taking to build a free and democratic Iraq for the Iraqi people [yada yada yada]. . . .

Q I asked you about the possibility of new initiatives, just thinking about what retired General Anthony Zinni in recent days, where he said, to think that we're going to "stay the course ?- the course is headed over Niagra Falls. I think it's time to change course a little bit, or at least hold somebody responsible for putting you on this course, because it's been a failure."
This is a general who, as part of his duties as the leader of the Central Command, had drawn up contingency war plans for Iraq. It seems that he's suggesting the President needs to go further than what you're indicating he will.

MR. McCLELLAN: First of all, we have great respect for General Zinni, but the President looks to the active commanders who are under his command in implementing the strategy we have put forward for success in Iraq. And, certainly, when you are pursuing a strategy that is helping people transition from years of oppression to democracy, it's important to have flexibility within that strategy. You've got to be able to adjust and adapt to the circumstances on the ground, and that's what we have done throughout the process. You might recall -- [yada yada yada]. . . .

Q But if I could just ask you one more question, just based on what you said. General Zinni points out that part of the reason why these people were allowed to have escaped back into the population and form these militias and this resistance was the fact that the U.S. war plan did not have enough personnel involved and that he and General Shinseki and others have been saying that you can't do Iraq war light, that you've got to have more people. And so was this not --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I recognize he's a retired general who certainly stated his position on our efforts to go into Iraq beforehand, and his views were well known. But the President looks to those active commanders who are working to implement our policies and build a safer world to make America more secure. So those are the individuals he looks to [yada yada yada]. . . .

Q Even though it appears that people like Zinni and Shinseki were correct?

MR. McCLELLAN: John, I disagree with that view.


Time flies but wars drag on. -- Grace

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