Date: 11/12/2008
By ROCHELLE HINES
Associated Press Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Retired U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks, who developed and executed the Iraq invasion plan, said President-elect Obama will “do the right thing” when it comes to the war.
Franks, who spoke with reporters before being inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame, said that as a senator, Obama had limited access to those who conducted day-to-day military operations. As president, Franks said, Obama will gain a different perspective.
“I give him a lot of credit for being a very, very bright man,” Franks said Tuesday. “Nobody will have to give him instructions. He’ll figure it out all by himself. And at the end of the day, he’ll do the right thing.”
Obama pledged during the campaign to bring all combat troops home within 16 months of his inauguration Jan. 20.
Franks was commander in chief of the U.S. Central Command when the United States began military action in Afghanistan in 2001 and invaded Iraq in 2003. He retired in August 2003.
The Oklahoma-born, Texas-bred four-star general said the United States has 230 years of experience in changing administrations. “Sen. Barack Obama is going to be the next president of the United States and I’m going to support him.”
Franks said he would have to “wait and see” what a Democratic-controlled House and Senate would do to funding for the military, but hoped there wouldn’t be a decrease in money to upgrade equipment for the troops.
“What we need to do with our military is spend as necessary to get the right size force with the right kind of equipment,” he said.
“It seems to me it would be a little disingenuous for the Democrats on the one hand to complain that not all American soldiers have the very best body armor or the very best Humvees … and then all of a sudden decide they need even less than they have now.”
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.