www.dailynews.com/entertainment/ci_3641046
What the hell is he talking about?

Yes, sadly he is.

Yeah right, like a career soldier and founding member of a military unit that the government denies exists would write a book about it and run his mouth on TV. He's full of shit.

Has he done anything else like this?  I mean geez, he's a freaking charter member of Delta Force, you'd t hink he actually knew what the fuck was going on.

Quoted: Yeah right, like a career soldier and founding member of a military unit that the government denies exists would write a book about it and run his mouth on TV. He's full of shit.

AFIK he is the real deal.

I stopped watching it after they let the asshat jump outa the plane...

Great way to secure a HVT.

That whole interview sounded like a review of talking points from the goons over at DUh....





ETA:  

doing some searching, I see it mentioned every now and then that Haney isn't well respected in the special forces community.  Any truth to this?

Quoted: Has he done anything else like this?  I mean geez, he's a freaking charter member of Delta Force, you'd t hink he actually knew what the fuck was going on.

archives.cnn.com/2002/US/South/10/24/sniper.bushmaster.rifle/index.html

Quoted: doing some searching, I see it mentioned every now and then that Haney isn't well respected in the special forces community.  Any truth to this?

Yes, there is truth to that remark.

Quoted: Quoted: doing some searching, I see it mentioned every now and then that Haney isn't well respected in the special forces community.  Any truth to this? Yes, there is truth to that remark.

Is it because of douchebag stunts like this? or are there other reasons?

If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU.

It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq.

Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . ..


Don't be afraid:  You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free . . .

Quoted: If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU. It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq. Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . .. Don't be afraid:  You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free . . .

So tell me, oh wise Buddha, has Eric Haney been to Iraq?  Eh?  Can't hear you...

Quoted: Quoted: If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU. It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq. Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . .. Don't be afraid:  You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free . . . So tell me, oh wise Buddha, has Eric Haney been to Iraq?  Eh?  Can't hear you...

Yes, when he was in . . . (and so have I).

Did you hear that, you dick-with-ears?

Quoted: So tell me, oh wise Buddha, has Eric Haney been to Iraq?  Eh?  Can't hear you Yes, when he was in . . . (and so have I). Did you hear that, you dick-with-ears?

Yep, that's how we win arguments over war issues... IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT IT... That is of course unless you agree.

Puleeze.  You think we can just say, go to Iraq, and we'll talk about it when its over?  Don't talk about while its happening, you have no idea... only people who claimed to have been over there can talk about it.  Or people who are veterans of other wars can talk about it.  But holy hell, if your not a veteran, you better keep your mouth shut.

Lighten up francis.   We're all a little smarter that the usual hero worshipers you're probably use to.

Damn Double Post

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU. It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq. Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . .. Don't be afraid:  You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free . . . So tell me, oh wise Buddha, has Eric Haney been to Iraq?  Eh?  Can't hear you... Yes, when he was in . . . (and so have I). Did you hear that, you dick-with-ears?

So, when was Haney last in Iraq? If it was prior to March 2003, he has not been there since the start of the current conflict.

BTW, personal attacks are a violation of the CoC here. They can get your account locked.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU. It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq. Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . .. Don't be afraid:  You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free . . . So tell me, oh wise Buddha, has Eric Haney been to Iraq?  Eh?  Can't hear you... Yes, when he was in . . . (and so have I). Did you hear that, you dick-with-ears?

Eric Haney was in Iraq when?  IIRC, he got out of the military before Desert Storm even, much less the Iraq War.

Quoted: If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU. It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq. Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . ..

I haven't been to Irag, so fuc#*%& what. I didn't serve in the Army to have some young punk come tell me I couldn't have an opinion. I didn't have friends die in service of this country so you could tell us to STFU. If you don't like that them ESAD mofo.

Quoted: BTW, personal attacks are a violation of the CoC here. They can get your account locked.

That's okay...he'll get another, if you know what I mean...  

Quoted: Quoted: BTW, personal attacks are a violation of the CoC here. They can get your account locked. That's okay...he'll get another, if you know what I mean...

That would never happen...

I've read Haneys book.  He never mentioned Iraq...  Didn't he get out prior to the first gulf war?

Quoted: I've read Haneys book.  He never mentioned Iraq...  Didn't he get out prior to the first gulf war?

IIRC, he got out right after Panama.

Why do I think Haney and Kerry would be drinkin' buds? When is he going to throw someone else's medals over the White House fence?

Quoted: Quoted: If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU. It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq. Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . .. I haven't been to Irag, so fuc#*%& what. I didn't serve in the Army to have some young punk come tell me I couldn't have an opinion. I didn't have friends die in service of this country so you could tell us to STFU. If you don't like that them ESAD mofo.

I haven't been to Irag, so fuc#*%& what.

 ???  OK, let me spell it out for you.  If you base your opinion on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th hand filtered and sensored information (and you must be, because like you said, you ain't been there), how can you possibly think you have a competent opinion???  Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but some of the earlier posts were making personal attacks with no basis in fact.  You see, they first attacked Haney for his opinion . . . then these same posters attacked me for calling them on it.  

I am not a young punk.  In fact, I was around when most of you were nothing more than an itch in your daddy's pants

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU. It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq. Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . .. I haven't been to Irag, so fuc#*%& what. I didn't serve in the Army to have some young punk come tell me I couldn't have an opinion. I didn't have friends die in service of this country so you could tell us to STFU. If you don't like that them ESAD mofo. I haven't been to Irag, so fuc#*%& what.  ???  OK, let me spell it out for you.  If you base your opinion on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th hand filtered and sensored information (and you must be, because like you said, you ain't been there), how can you possibly think you have a competent opinion???  Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but some of the earlier posts were making personal attacks with no basis in fact.  You see, they first attacked Haney for his opinion . . . then these same posters attacked me for calling them on it.   I am not a young punk.  In fact, I was around when most of you were nothing more than an itch in your daddy's pants

Were you?  If so, then you're all the more piitiful.

BTW, personal attacks are a violation of the CoC here. They can get your account locked.

Oh, you mean a personal attack like calling someone a "douchebag" in the title of the post

Quoted: BTW, personal attacks are a violation of the CoC here. They can get your account locked. Oh, you mean a personal attack like calling someone a "douchebag" in the title of the post

Actually no, not unless Eric Haney were a member here.  You're free to call President Bush or John Kerry a douchebag as well.  Unless they start posting here.

Quoted: I am not a young punk.  In fact, I was around when most of you were nothing more than an itch in your daddy's pants

Unless you have either CSM stripes or Stars on your uniform I doubt you were in when I was. Maybe you were a twinkle in your daddies eye when I served my time in the Army. I have younger friends who are "in country" from whom I get my info. I trust their reports more than someone I don't know.

Someone here an anti-war protester?

Those are fucktard comments out of Haney's mouth.  STRAIGHT out of the Michael Moore Playbook.  Sounds like the same stuff that cunt Sheehan was saying.

Kerry, Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, Hillary, Fienstein....

It is nice to know who some people on here agree with....

It is also nice to know that some people here HAVE BEEN TO IRAQ and tell us the firsthand truth.

jesus, some people make me sick.  Just because someone is old and an opininated asshole DOES NOT MEAN HIS OPINIONS ARE CORRECT.  Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one.

Quoted: Quoted: I am not a young punk.  In fact, I was around when most of you were nothing more than an itch in your daddy's pants Unless you have either CSM stripes or Stars on your uniform I doubt you were in when I was. Maybe you were a twinkle in your daddies eye when I served my time in the Army. I have younger friends who are "in country" from whom I get my info. I trust their reports more than someone I don't know.

Roger that.  My nephew and my best friend both spent a year in Iraq, and I trust them a hell of a lot more than I do some 115 post big talker.  Not to mention we have quite a few well-known and trusted members here who've served in Iraq.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: doing some searching, I see it mentioned every now and then that Haney isn't well respected in the special forces community.  Any truth to this? Yes, there is truth to that remark. Is it because of douchebag stunts like this? or are there other reasons?

The people I know didn't elaborate, but I got the gist that the book didn't help much.

Hey, the guy served his country (and in one of the top CT/SO units) and he his a citizen, he's free to speak his mind and make money however he legally chooses, I'm not going to bad mouth him... I've never met him. I decided I didn't like his opinion during the whole Malvo/DC sniper stuff and his comments... Not that what I think is worth a cup of coffee.

I trust their reports more than someone I don't know.

Good point.  But just FYI, I was in Baghdad for most of 2005 . . . .

Consider this, in terms of death and destruction against US troops and Iraqi civilians, 2004 was worse than 2003; 2005 was worse than 2004; and . . . 2006 is shaping up to be worse than 2005.  In fact, so far in March, there have been 29 US/British deaths reported.  That is one per day . . .  

Quoted: jesus, some people make me sick.  Just because someone is old and an opininated asshole DOES NOT MEAN HIS OPINIONS ARE CORRECT.  Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one.

Just because someone is young and an opinionated asshole, DOESN'T MEAN HIS OPINIONS ARE CORRECT either! Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one.

Quoted: I trust their reports more than someone I don't know. Good point.  But just FYI, I was in Baghdad for most of 2005 . . . .

So you claim.  But to repeat:  none of us know you and none of us know if you're telling the truth.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU. It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq. Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . .. I haven't been to Irag, so fuc#*%& what. I didn't serve in the Army to have some young punk come tell me I couldn't have an opinion. I didn't have friends die in service of this country so you could tell us to STFU. If you don't like that them ESAD mofo. I haven't been to Irag, so fuc#*%& what.  ???  OK, let me spell it out for you.  If you base your opinion on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th hand filtered and sensored information (and you must be, because like you said, you ain't been there), how can you possibly think you have a competent opinion???  Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but some of the earlier posts were making personal attacks with no basis in fact.  You see, they first attacked Haney for his opinion . . . then these same posters attacked me for calling them on it.   I am not a young punk.  In fact, I was around when most of you were nothing more than an itch in your daddy's pants

WOW for someone as old and wise as you, I would think you would have a better way to express yourself.

after reading his book it seemed like he was a good guy.  always talking about hunting and fishing, never bragged. not like that ass clown in the book shooter who was full of all kinds of shit. To say hes a piece of shit or what ever is really harsh i think. Served his country many years in very elite units doing very dangerouse jobs. Cause he made a bone head statement or doesnt share the same view as you on a topic i hardly think is enough to discredit his service to this country.

Quoted: I trust their reports more than someone I don't know. Good point.  But just FYI, I was in Baghdad for most of 2005 . . . . Consider this, in terms of death and destruction against US troops and Iraqi civilians, 2004 was worse than 2003; 2005 was worse than 2004; and . . . 2006 is shaping up to be worse than 2005.  In fact, so far in March, there have been 29 US/British deaths reported.  That is one per day . . .

Seems this graph of US deaths disagrees with you.



There were fewer US deaths in 2005 than 2004, and we are currently on pace to have even fewer in 2006.

this is fucking rediculous. calling Haney a douchebag!!!! let me tell you limpdicks something. whatever his opinion, even if its wrong..he fucking earned it. Delta plank owner, retired as the CSM of the unit. speaks arabic. he has spent years in the arab world if you add up his deployments. this thread brings out the worst of the internet wannabe commandos.  WTF cares if someone is PNG at Bragg, or on tacticalforums or anywhere else. the man did 30years in the US army at signifigant risk to his person. he isnt a General, he is an enlisted man and he can say whatever the fuck he wants as long as it doesnt cross line into sensitive or secret information. the same applies to me, or anyone else who completed their service honorably the difference is we dont have a voice. no one wants to print my bitching about fucked up polocy or times i almost got creamed. so what if he happens to be cashing in on a life he dedicated to his country. good for him.

well said man. i dont see how you can debate that.

Haney did good things while under the command of the presidents he served.

Read this again: Haney did good things while under the command of the presidents he served.


He was an honorable soldier and did his duty as a part of the US Military.

This DOES NOT excuse that his views are IDENTICAL to those posted on www.Michaelmoore.com; www.antiwar.com, www.internationalanswer.org, etc.

Prior military service, NO MATTER HOW GOOD OR HOW BRAVE can excuse behavior.

John McCain, John Kerry, John Murtha are PRIME examples.

The coffee grinding buy from Blackhawk Down, (the actual soldier not the actor) was later convicted of CHILD MOLESTATION.   Was he brave and did his job as a soldier?  Yes!  Were his personal choices and ideas afterwards wrong and amoral?  YES!

Military personnel are STILL people with all the flaws and free will of everyone else once they are out of the military.

ETA:  He is a citizen, he does have the right to say what he wants.  BUT GUESS THE FUCK WHAT!!!!  I am a citizen too and I have the right to call him a PANDERING DUMBFUCK who is doing damage to morale of troops in harms way.

Quoted: PANDERING DUMBFUCK

Now that is an awesome lexical addition right there.

I've read Haney's book, and a number of articles written about him by others.
He would not be welcomed on any discussion forum hosted by the DU.

This man believes that we should be cutting terrorist's throats in the middle
of the night while they sleep, without fanfare or second thoughts, wherever we find them.

Quoted: I've read Haney's book, and a number of articles written about him by others. He would not be welcomed on any discussion forum hosted by the DU. This man believes that we should be cutting terrorist's throats in the middle of the night while they sleep, without fanfare or second thoughts, wherever we find them.

So his OWN words saying we are wrong to be there and that American's don't care about innocent Iraqis means LESS then a book he wrote years ago about wholly different situations and articles written by OTHER people?


We ARE over there killing terrorists where we find them without fanfare or second thoughts AND HE IS DISAGREEING with that.

ETA:  I too have read Haney's book.  It was a good book, but I can't agree with his CURRENT , up to the minute viewpoint that he has.  

Oh yeah, he is a Producer on the TV show "The Unit"   Do you think his viewpoint may have changed do to his association with Hollywood?


ETA:  He changes his tune too: This is from the Creative Loafing rag here in Atlanta.  It is damn near a communist paper full of leftist clap-trap which I will highlight.  Notice how they LOVE Haney.

The philosopher-centurion
Eric Haney's gentle wisdom defies the stereotype of old soldiers.

BY JOHN SUGG

Hanging around a gaggle-of-authors-signing-books schmoozer last week, I hardly noticed the shy guy in the black turtleneck. About three dozen Atlanta authors were jostling for attention at the King Plow Center. Many of the writers were lapel grabbers -- "read mine," "no, read mine," their eyes pleaded. Others were coy, waiting for the throngs to throng them.

Nearby, the fellow in the black turtleneck shuffled his feet, smiled hopefully when someone slowed in front of his stack of books.

Eric Haney is one of those people who defines the term "not what you expect." He's quiet, unimposing, affable. He could be a teacher, a counselor, a bureaucrat.

Actually, he's a killer, now retired.

It was his chosen occupation, and he was good at it. Moreover, he knows that society needs killers. Don't get me wrong. Haney is no homicidal sociopath. He was a soldier, and a damn good one, one of the special cadre trained to fight terrorism.

Haney's book, Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit, hit my desk a few months ago. I gave it a glance, expecting to read "Rambo to the Rescue," and I was prepared to dispatch it to a quick exile on my bookshelf. Twenty pages into the book and I said, "Whoa, this isn't Rambo."

The book so penetrated my jaded, over-the-top, left-wing cynicism, I picked up the phone and asked Haney to lunch.

Haney eschews military image. He's stylish -- heck, he'd look more at home in a Beemer than a Hummer. There's not even a martial bark in his voice. It's sort of hard imagining this soft, Floyd County bred drawl turning in a klaxon horn ordering, "TEN-SHUN!"

More important than style was Haney's substance. What I had discovered was a soldier with a social conscience. Tough guys in uniform spouting philosophy aren't unheard of, but they're a rarity, and Haney knows it. "Most soldiers become brutes, partisans who don't question their own actions, because it's easier that way," he told me. "If you think too much about what you do and why, it's bound to make you uncomfortable."
Haney rose to the Army rank of command sergeant major -- there are a lot fewer of them than generals. You don't get all of those stripes on your sleeve by being a loose cannon. And it would be a mistake to think that Haney's pensiveness is a signal that he's a rebel.

He isn't. As you might expect from a man who for more than two decades earned a paycheck by assassinating terrorists in Beirut, rescuing missionaries in the Sudan, helping lead the assault on Grenada, and fighting down-and-dirty guerilla warfare in several banana republics, Haney's solutions are tough ones.

When he was assigned in 1983 to Beirut, his job as a sniper was to kill several militia terrorists who liked to shoot at U.S. Marines and who then hid in crowds of children. Illustrating the complexity of the man, Haney recalls he had no problem pulling the trigger. "It dang sure wasn't a pleasant thing to do, though. Shooting these shooters was necessary, but they're human beings. I couldn't forget that."

The 50-year-old Marietta resident has a habit of precisely answering questions. It's a military thing. If the colonel asks the sergeant, "How bad is it?" the correct response is a hard assessment -- not sociological musings. So, ask Haney: How would you handle Saddam Hussein? He responds: "Kill him." Or, what would you do about al-Qaeda and the Taliban? Answer: "Wipe 'em off the face of the Earth."

Nothing surprising there, considering the source was one of the founders of the elite Delta Force. But the real -- and surprising -- Haney materializes when you ask the very unmilitary question: Why?

With Saddam, for example, Haney doesn't cite all of the Bushie rubbish about weapons of mass destruction. Rather, he gives an exceptional lecture on Saudi Arabia. "The Saudis are so complicit" in harboring terrorists, Haney concludes. "When Iraq is in the western fold, when we knock off Saddam, we'll use that example and turn to the Saudis and say, 'Straighten up your monarchy or it will disappear.'

"If the monarchy is overthrown," he continues, "it will be by Islamic radicals who make the Iranian ayatollahs look like Boy Scouts, and we don't want that. I think the monarchy probably will disappear in less than five years, and what we want to see is something more democratic take its place. That's the lesson we can create in Iraq."

I express skepticism that American intervention results in more democracy. I ask about Latin America, where U.S. involvement generally bolstered right-wing thugs, death squads and the like.

"No argument," he says, and then argues: "You flip a coin to decide which side was worse" in Latin America. But, with an intentional jab at my liberal reflexes, he says: "Before we make a final judgment, think about this. A few years ago, the place was full of dictators. Now they're all gone. They're holding elections [in Central American countries].

"Sure," he adds, "I knew what we were doing was to benefit American companies or for other reasons that weren't so noble. But as it turned out, things are a lot better there now."

Breaking with the traditional military catechism about Vietnam -- that politicians were the reason we lost the war and that it was a worthy cause -- Haney provides another example of his wild card-ism. "We were supporting a corrupt regime in Vietnam," he says. "It never could have stood with the U.S. propping it up. We never should have been there."

If you've watched CNN during the last few months, you've probably seen Haney. He was one of the regular "profilers" during October when two snipers terrorized Maryland and Virginia.
Haney scored hits with his dispassionate, almost monotone description of the assault weapon used by John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo. Haney correctly crystal-balled the likely armed forces background of at least one of the snipers; and, his accuracy was heightened by predicting that the military experience did not include special forces.

On the other hand, Haney also "stated firmly that the snipers would turn out to be white. "That was a mistake," he laughs. "No dispute. I'm not the sort who is afraid to admit that I make mistakes."

Haney also has been steadfastly asserting that Osama bin Laden is long dead, despite Bush administration claims to the contrary. A long shot guess?

"Look, two points on terrorism," he says. "First, it's a real war and a different war than we've fought in the past. To win the war, we not only have to defeat the terrorists but we have to defeat the causes of terrorism. Muslims want our Army off their sacred Saudi soil. So we clean up Iraq, get the Saudis to clean up their support of terrorism, and we get the hell out and remove the irritation that has fed bin Laden. We drag the Israelis and Palestinians to the table, bang their heads and tell them, 'You're both going to live here in peace.'"

He pauses, thinking about how to criticize the commander in chief. "The second point is that the people in Washington know that if the noise about a 'war on terrorism' is kept at the right pitch, you win elections and sell a lot of armaments."

Amen.

Senior Editor John Sugg has not been arrested by John Ashcroft's Thought Police. He has merely been on vacation, and has dispatched this column to alleviate his readers' hunger for his wisdom. If you're good boys and girls, he'll deliver more literary holiday presents to you from his redoubt in the Georgia mountains. E-mail him at

Quoted: If you haven't been to Iraq, then STFU.  If you have been to Iraq, but never left the FOB, then you too STFU. It amazes me how some of you limp-dick, armchair, jerk-offs, who get all of your information from the Internet, hearsay, or the biased media (i.e. CNN to the left/FOX to the right) actually think you know what is going on. You really have know FU$#%ng idea what is going on in Iraq. Whatever you young punks think of Haney, he IS an American hero, and he IS right about one thing: This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues . . .. Don't be afraid:  You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free . . .

Your mother should have taught you some manners young man.

Quoted: Quoted: I've read Haney's book, and a number of articles written about him by others. He would not be welcomed on any discussion forum hosted by the DU. This man believes that we should be cutting terrorist's throats in the middle of the night while they sleep, without fanfare or second thoughts, wherever we find them. So his OWN words saying we are wrong to be there and that American's don't care about innocent Iraqis means LESS then a book he wrote years ago about wholly different situations and articles written by OTHER people? We ARE over there killing terrorists where we find them without fanfare or second thoughts AND HE IS DISAGREEING with that. ETA:  I too have read Haney's book.  It was a good book, but I can't agree with his CURRENT , up to the minute viewpoint that he has.   Oh yeah, he is a Producer on the TV show "The Unit"   Do you think his viewpoint may have changed do to his association with Hollywood? ETA:  He changes his tune too: This is from the Creative Loafing rag here in Atlanta.  It is damn near a communist paper full of leftist clap-trap which I will highlight.  Notice how they LOVE Haney. The philosopher-centurion Eric Haney's gentle wisdom defies the stereotype of old soldiers. BY JOHN SUGG Hanging around a gaggle-of-authors-signing-books schmoozer last week, I hardly noticed the shy guy in the black turtleneck. About three dozen Atlanta authors were jostling for attention at the King Plow Center. Many of the writers were lapel grabbers -- "read mine," "no, read mine," their eyes pleaded. Others were coy, waiting for the throngs to throng them. Nearby, the fellow in the black turtleneck shuffled his feet, smiled hopefully when someone slowed in front of his stack of books. Eric Haney is one of those people who defines the term "not what you expect." He's quiet, unimposing, affable. He could be a teacher, a counselor, a bureaucrat. Actually, he's a killer, now retired. It was his chosen occupation, and he was good at it. Moreover, he knows that society needs killers. Don't get me wrong. Haney is no homicidal sociopath. He was a soldier, and a damn good one, one of the special cadre trained to fight terrorism. Haney's book, Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit, hit my desk a few months ago. I gave it a glance, expecting to read "Rambo to the Rescue," and I was prepared to dispatch it to a quick exile on my bookshelf. Twenty pages into the book and I said, "Whoa, this isn't Rambo." The book so penetrated my jaded, over-the-top, left-wing cynicism, I picked up the phone and asked Haney to lunch. Haney eschews military image. He's stylish -- heck, he'd look more at home in a Beemer than a Hummer. There's not even a martial bark in his voice. It's sort of hard imagining this soft, Floyd County bred drawl turning in a klaxon horn ordering, "TEN-SHUN!" More important than style was Haney's substance. What I had discovered was a soldier with a social conscience. Tough guys in uniform spouting philosophy aren't unheard of, but they're a rarity, and Haney knows it. "Most soldiers become brutes, partisans who don't question their own actions, because it's easier that way," he told me. "If you think too much about what you do and why, it's bound to make you uncomfortable." Haney rose to the Army rank of command sergeant major -- there are a lot fewer of them than generals. You don't get all of those stripes on your sleeve by being a loose cannon. And it would be a mistake to think that Haney's pensiveness is a signal that he's a rebel. He isn't. As you might expect from a man who for more than two decades earned a paycheck by assassinating terrorists in Beirut, rescuing missionaries in the Sudan, helping lead the assault on Grenada, and fighting down-and-dirty guerilla warfare in several banana republics, Haney's solutions are tough ones. When he was assigned in 1983 to Beirut, his job as a sniper was to kill several militia terrorists who liked to shoot at U.S. Marines and who then hid in crowds of children. Illustrating the complexity of the man, Haney recalls he had no problem pulling the trigger. "It dang sure wasn't a pleasant thing to do, though. Shooting these shooters was necessary, but they're human beings. I couldn't forget that." The 50-year-old Marietta resident has a habit of precisely answering questions. It's a military thing. If the colonel asks the sergeant, "How bad is it?" the correct response is a hard assessment -- not sociological musings. So, ask Haney: How would you handle Saddam Hussein? He responds: "Kill him." Or, what would you do about al-Qaeda and the Taliban? Answer: "Wipe 'em off the face of the Earth." Nothing surprising there, considering the source was one of the founders of the elite Delta Force. But the real -- and surprising -- Haney materializes when you ask the very unmilitary question: Why? With Saddam, for example, Haney doesn't cite all of the Bushie rubbish about weapons of mass destruction. Rather, he gives an exceptional lecture on Saudi Arabia. "The Saudis are so complicit" in harboring terrorists, Haney concludes. "When Iraq is in the western fold, when we knock off Saddam, we'll use that example and turn to the Saudis and say, 'Straighten up your monarchy or it will disappear.' "If the monarchy is overthrown," he continues, "it will be by Islamic radicals who make the Iranian ayatollahs look like Boy Scouts, and we don't want that. I think the monarchy probably will disappear in less than five years, and what we want to see is something more democratic take its place. That's the lesson we can create in Iraq." I express skepticism that American intervention results in more democracy. I ask about Latin America, where U.S. involvement generally bolstered right-wing thugs, death squads and the like. "No argument," he says, and then argues: "You flip a coin to decide which side was worse" in Latin America. But, with an intentional jab at my liberal reflexes, he says: "Before we make a final judgment, think about this. A few years ago, the place was full of dictators. Now they're all gone. They're holding elections [in Central American countries]. "Sure," he adds, "I knew what we were doing was to benefit American companies or for other reasons that weren't so noble. But as it turned out, things are a lot better there now." Breaking with the traditional military catechism about Vietnam -- that politicians were the reason we lost the war and that it was a worthy cause -- Haney provides another example of his wild card-ism. "We were supporting a corrupt regime in Vietnam," he says. "It never could have stood with the U.S. propping it up. We never should have been there." If you've watched CNN during the last few months, you've probably seen Haney. He was one of the regular "profilers" during October when two snipers terrorized Maryland and Virginia. Haney scored hits with his dispassionate, almost monotone description of the assault weapon used by John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo. Haney correctly crystal-balled the likely armed forces background of at least one of the snipers; and, his accuracy was heightened by predicting that the military experience did not include special forces. On the other hand, Haney also "stated firmly that the snipers would turn out to be white. "That was a mistake," he laughs. "No dispute. I'm not the sort who is afraid to admit that I make mistakes." Haney also has been steadfastly asserting that Osama bin Laden is long dead, despite Bush administration claims to the contrary. A long shot guess? "Look, two points on terrorism," he says. "First, it's a real war and a different war than we've fought in the past. To win the war, we not only have to defeat the terrorists but we have to defeat the causes of terrorism. Muslims want our Army off their sacred Saudi soil. So we clean up Iraq, get the Saudis to clean up their support of terrorism, and we get the hell out and remove the irritation that has fed bin Laden. We drag the Israelis and Palestinians to the table, bang their heads and tell them, 'You're both going to live here in peace.'" He pauses, thinking about how to criticize the commander in chief. "The second point is that the people in Washington know that if the noise about a 'war on terrorism' is kept at the right pitch, you win elections and sell a lot of armaments." Amen. Senior Editor John Sugg has not been arrested by John Ashcroft's Thought Police. He has merely been on vacation, and has dispatched this column to alleviate his readers' hunger for his wisdom. If you're good boys and girls, he'll deliver more literary holiday presents to you from his redoubt in the Georgia mountains. E-mail him at

phatmax please slow down, everytime the page reloads your post gets longer.

I do not share Haney's opinion, however I believe that he means

cutting terrorist's throats in the middle of the night while they sleep, without fanfare or second thoughts, wherever we find them

in an SF sort of operation, not a 3d ID sort of operation.

I think that Haney is now just looking out for number one.  He is married to some writer, they live out in LA and he works in TV.  He is saying things that MOST of the "illuminati" he is around, believe in.

I don't know Mr. Haney, but I respect ANYONE who has been willing to serve their country. But, I wonder if he really consulted on "The Unit", because that is probably the cheesiest show I have ever seen. I was hoping it would be good, but it's just a copy of "Ultimate Force" (except somehow worse), even down to all the SAS-style "missions". And then there's the same friggin A-Team Mini-14 that has been in every single episode of "The Unit".

funny when i was watching the show i kept saying aaaaaa i remember that from his book. we all have our views and openions, i think hes a hell of a guy who did great things for this nation and i like his show. lots of other people dont share that but hey i dont start throwing insults at them.