Editor:
The media, at loose ends since the end of election season, has now devoted its attention to two new sources of diversion: Benghazi and Petraeus. Despite repeated attempts to assign blame for Benghazi, to almost anyone, a "pin the tail on the donkey," the salient fact is that an Ambassador in-country is the ultimate authority, the decider, who is privy to all of the latest evidence on security and all other relevant issues. Ambassador Stevens made his own decision concerning his visit. He did not obtain nor did he need anyone's clearance or permission; he was the man in charge. That the visit turned out badly, led to his unfortunate and regrettable demise should not now become a political football.
We have Ambassadors serving in 285 embassies and missions. Some of them hot spots, a dangerous posts. In 1975 Graham Martin, our Ambassador to South Vietnam, held up the evacuation of Saigon for several weeks in the mistaken belief that the North wanted to negotiate, when he finally relented, the evacuation by helicopter from the embassy roof was the result, with thousands of friends left behind.
We cannot however have a rescue force on standby to execute an immediate rescue should things go critical. It is the risk every Foreign Service Officer takes. Who knew what - when is irrelevant ,more distraction.
The Petraeus legend is also a creation of our media. Promoting him as the creator of surgeology" a tactic rivaling the military skills of Patton, Eisenhower and MacArthur, to the point that Senator Lindsey Graham once announced "I regret that I cannot award you your fifth star." This either demonstrates Graham's total lack of understanding history or his addiction to hyperbole. A more appropriate comparison might have been to General McClelland, rather than U.S. Grant, who invented the surge at Vicksburg. A quiet inquiry among senior commanders discloses Patraeus was regarded as an academician, rather than a field commander, but what the hell, the press wanted a hero. He was a divisional commander, a two-star, jumped over many, more senior officers. Alexander Haig set the model for this in Vietnam.
A lukewarm choice for CIA, his performance as spy boss did not make any waves. His current problems should he viewed for what they are. His prior record is for current purposes, irrelevant. His resignation regretful but the Republic will survive. Comparisons to Icarus, while it may attract more "ink" is manifestly absurd. Let's hope his girl friend is as unimportant as they claim rather than a 21st century Mata Hari.
Randy Ludacer
Lake Placid
Sunday, December 02, 2012 - www.newssun.com/ltr-120212-ludacer