wayne downing

General Wayne Downing was a 4-star General who basically took over Richard Clarke's job after 911 and also worked for ahmed chalabi and the INC.

first, here's the fluff piece from Nov 01 when he was going to Save America:

"Wayne Downing is the most famous terrorism fighter you've never heard of. Less than a month after the Sept. 11 attacks, he shelved his semi-retirement to coordinate the nation's far-flung campaign "to detect, disrupt and destroy global terrorist organizations and those who support them," as the White House put it.
[snip]
In 34 years he rose through the ranks to command all special operations troops, including the clandestine Delta Force commandos whose close-quarter tactics are vital in places like Afghanistan. Battle-tested in Vietnam, Panama and the Persian Gulf, Downing is revered among the elite soldiers who call themselves "the quiet professionals."
[snip]
Downing once was courted for the job of White House drug czar, but friends say he felt that was an unwinnable war.
[snip]
Downing has supported an insurrection in Iraq for several years, arguing that Hussein's regime could be toppled if only America had the guts to arm and support the Iraqi National Congress, a rebel coalition based in London. Calling on influential lawmakers, Downing helped win passage in 1998 of the Iraq Liberation Act, which set aside nearly $100 million for military weaponry and training for anti-Hussein warriors.

The idea of overthrowing Hussein had wide political support and endorsements from people like Donald Rumsfeld, but was never fully embraced by the Clinton White House. Some national security experts and military analysts consider Downing's military plan half-baked: a potential replay of the Bay of Pigs bloodbath in Cuba.

"I have had visits from the opposition groups, trying to convince me that 1,000 men, armed, placed into Iraq, would have the entire regime toppled; the regular army would fold," retired Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni, former commander of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf, told a Senate hearing last year. Zinni clearly didn't buy it.

"Be careful," he said. "Bay of Pigs could turn into Bay of Goats."
[snip]
Downing, at least publicly, hasn't used the word dirty. Aggressive, yes. Relentless, yes. "Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," he vowed the day he took the job, "we intend to give these people and those who support them no place to hide.""

given his chalabi connection, you might wonder what his 'get osama' plan looked like

"By early November (2001), Wayne Downing, a retired Army general who headed counterterrorism in the White House, on his own initiative began working up plans for an attack of Iraq, keeping his superiors informed of his progress. A Pentagon planning group also kept hard at work on possible options." (link)

and

"Although his official duties focused on the al Qaeda threat, Downing was one of the loudest voices in the debate over the necessity and methods for destroying the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Downing played a key role in this debate. He had advised the opposition Iraqi National Congress since 1998 and helped the group refine a plan for overthrowing Hussein. That plan, drawn up before Sept. 11, looked quite similar to the later U.S. campaign against the Taliban: Special
Operations troops would advise and train local fighters, who would seize a deserted air base in southern Iraq under U.S. air cover. Any Iraqi units massed to attack the airfield would be destroyed from the air while isolated units would be encouraged to defect." (link)

unfortunately, his 24/7/365 dedication fell short about 300 days later:

" (CNN) -- The White House announced Thursday that retired Army Gen. Wayne Downing is resigning his post as deputy national security adviser for counterterrorism.

Downing took the newly created post last October as part of the White House response to the September 11 attacks. His main responsibility, according to a White House release, was to organize and staff the National Security Council's office focused on combating terrorism, and an office of intelligence detection within the Office of Homeland Security.

A senior administration official told CNN that Downing is not stepping down due to any frustration with the White House or any concern he did not have enough influence within the West Wing. This official told CNN that such suggestions are "Washington hooey."" (link)

not that his resignation stopped his war-lust - in Nov02 he was a founding member of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq with a bunch of PNAC'ers who happened to be well-connected (wikipedia entry)

"With the administration's blessing, a new group is forming to press the case in the United States and Europe for ejecting Hussein from power. Called the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq...
While the Iraq committee is an independent entity, committee officers said they expect to work closely with the administration. They already have met with Hadley and Bush political adviser Karl Rove. Committee officers and a White House spokesman said Rice, Hadley and Cheney will soon meet with the group."" (link)

and in case you thought that maybe Rumsfeld's iraq plan was light on forces, our friend wayne downing thought that perhaps 1,000 people would be sufficient:

"Chalabi then talked to Ritter about doing intelligence work for the I.N.C. In a demonstration of his seriousness, he showed Ritter two studies advocating Saddam’s overthrow. One was a military plan, written, in part, by a conservative friend, retired General Wayne Downing, who had commanded the Special Forces in the first Gulf War. The study suggested that Iraqi insurgents would be able to topple Saddam almost by themselves. Since the plan required few American troops, it could be easily sold to Congress. Ritter, a former marine, told me that he wasn’t impressed. He recalled, “I said, ‘I don’t think the small units could do the jobs you’re saying. It’s a ploy’ ” to get the Americans involved. Chalabi, he said, did not deny it. “So how come the fact that you’d need more American assistance is not in the plan?” Ritter asked. “Because it’s too sensitive,” Chalabi replied." (link)

this post is one of a four-part series - see the set-up piece here, thenfrancis brooke here, duane clarridge here and wayne downing here