Barstow Article in New York Times Sun. Nov. 30 Not Supported by Facts of Gen. McCaffrey's Focus on Improving National Security -

WASHINGTON , Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Statement by BR McCaffrey Associates , LLC in response to New York Times article Sunday, November 30 by reporter David Barstow .

Here are the facts:

1st: General McCaffrey has been absolutely committed to objective, non-partisan public commentary on national security issues since "911". He is proud of his association with NBC. His on-air commentary is based solely on his personal convictions and experience.

2nd: Check Google for the association of Rumsfeld and McCaffrey. You will find 14,000 hits nearly all hostile to the arrogance and mismanagement of the Rumsfeld War on Terror.

Hardly the stuff of someone "shilling" for the Pentagon. Hardly the actions of someone trying to ingratiate himself with DOD contracting authorities on behalf of his business interests.

General McCaffrey is not a lobbyist. His focus in business is on understanding and explaining the national policy environment. When he sees a concept that would support military interests - he does, of course, recommend it to national defense leaders.

3rd: General McCaffrey was not part of the Pentagon spin machine. He was persona non grata with the Pentagon public affairs effort:

-- His April 2003 OP-ED in the Wall Street Journal argued that, "Defense Secretary Rumsfeld has put us in a ....risky position."

-- McCaffrey's critical OP-ED's continued. On 29 July 2003 in the Wall Street Journal he noted, "We risk breaking the back of the US Army and Marine Corps in the coming 24 months."

-- On 29 November 2003 his OP-ED in WSJ was titled, "Rumsfeld in Denial."

-- On 13 December in the Washington Post his OP-ED noted that, "We are in a very difficult position created by a micro-managed Rumsfeld war team that has been incompetent, arrogant, and in denial."

-- His 28 June 2006 West Point Academic Report:

-- During the first 18 months of the war on terror there were widespread, systematic abuses of detainees under US control in Iraq , Afghanistan , and Guantanamo. Some were murdered and hundreds tortured or abused. This caused enormous damage to U.S. military operations and created significant and enduring damage to US international standing. We have been routinely condemned by the international community.

4th: The New York Times itself noted his criticism of the war in at least ten major stories over the years. Why now the change in tone from Barstow?

-- Is it related to General McCaffrey's 18 December 2007 West Point academic report from Iraq that praised a brilliant new commander General David Petraeus and the enormous experience and skill of US Ambassador Ryan Crocker ?

-- The leadership of Secretary Bob Gates in DOD has produced a dramatic transformation of our national security effort which under the Rumsfeld leadership was characterized by: a failing under-resourced counter-insurgency strategy; illegal DOD orders on the abuse of human rights; disrespect for the media and the Congress and the other departments of government; massive self-denial on wartime intelligence; and an internal civilian-imposed integrity problem in the Armed Forces -that punished candor, de-centralized operations, and commanders initiative.

-- Is it related to his objective and hard hitting West Point academic report of 4 November 2008 which suggested that we have now started the successful withdrawal from Iraq ?

-- Is it related to his public expression of admiration for the dramatic change in leadership in national security from the moment Secretary of Defense Bob Gates replaced Rumsfeld?

-- Is that why the first New York Times article reacting to McCaffrey's changed public stance in 2008 on the Iraq War insultingly noted his "gushing" praise for General Petraeus?

5th: Visit www.mccaffreyassociates.com and read General McCaffrey's West Point academic After Action Reports from his trips to Iraq , Afghanistan , Saudi Arabia , Colombia , Cuba and other hot spots over the years. This is straight talk from a soldier and national security scholar.

6th: General McCaffrey is an expert on national security. He is not a reporter. He is an American war hero from Vietnam (where he was wounded in combat three times) - and the first war with Iraq during Desert Storm. Both his son and daughter served as Army officers.

He routinely is invited to testify to Congress on national security issues. He interacts with the intelligence community, foreign governments, academia, the defense industry, and all elements of the US Armed Forces. He is widely respected as a public commentator of great integrity and balanced views.

Mr. Barstow has tried to create a false picture. The real General McCaffrey is explained by his 37 years of public service to include four combat tours - which he continues now as a businessman, academic lecturer and writer, and media national security expert.

ADDITIONAL PERSONAL STATEMENT BY GEN. BARRY MCCAFFREY :

My public media commentary on the war labeled me as an early and serious critic of Rumsfeld arrogance and mismanagement of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan . The New York Times noted my strong on-air criticism as an NBC commentator. My OP-ED objections to the execution of the war were published in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the LA Times, USA Today and other media. Hardly the stuff of someone shilling a war for the Administration - or privately pushing his business interests with the Pentagon. Thirty-seven years of public service. Four combat tours. Wounded three times. I would hope that the country knows me as a non-partisan and objective national security expert with solid integrity.

Contact: Robert Weiner Associates ATTN Bob Weiner

Email [email protected]

Tel. 301-283-0821 or Cell 202-329-1700

SOURCE BR McCaffrey Associates , LLC and Robert Weiner Associates