Takes Flight

01 Apr 2008
Retired Air Force generals urge Gates to defend the Air Force's selection
The Mobile Press-Register is reporting today that a group of 22 retired Air Force generals on Monday "urged Defense Secretary Robert Gates to defend the Air Force's selection of a new aerial refueling tanker against 'scurrilous and politically motivated attacks' by the losing bidder."

The Press-Register reported that the retired generals are "very troubled by the vitriolic attack on the Air Force by those who disagree with the outcome of the KC-45 tanker competition."

The letter to Secretary Gates, who has said he stands behind the Air Force's choice, said Boeing is "impugning the integrity" and "questioning the patriotism" of Air Force officials who decided Northrop Grumman's bid was superior to Boeing's.

In the letter, according to the Mobile newspaper, the generals said they "fully support the Air Force in its desire to provide the best and most capable tanker to our warfighters. Delays in the tanker program will only serve to put the lives of crews flying these aging systems in greater jeopardy."

To read the entire, article, go to: http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/
1207041345290180.xml&coll=3

What Others Are Saying:

Reuters reports that Northrop Grumman CEO Dr. Ronald Sugar warns that congressional interference in reversing the Air Force's tanker decision could bog down future weapons contracts and slow foreign purchases of U.S. weapons.

"If there is an arbitrary reversal of this, I think it has very, very serious consequences for all of our allies, who buy six times as much equipment from us as we buy from them," Sugar said in the interview.

Reuters also reported that Northrop Grumman has launched a counter-offensive against Boeing's disinformation campaign, including taking out ads in major Washington newspapers emphasizing the superiority of Northrop Grumman's bid, the fact the contract will support 48,000 American jobs, and how no jobs or military technology will be sent abroad.

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSWAT00922020080331

Yesterday, Boeing's apologists held a press conference in which they pushed their misinformation agenda about Northrop Grumman's win. Both liberal and moderate bloggers poked holes in the arguments of the Boeing front groups, particularly by focusing on the involvement of Boeing consultant Frank Gaffney.

The Huffington Post, a liberal blog, posted a piece by moderate Democrat Steve Clemons about Gaffney headlined: "Frank Gaffney: Boeing's Surprising Spear Carrier In The Middle East."

In the posting, Clemons quoted Gaffney as saying, "I do," when a reporter asked whether any of those criticizing Northrop Grumman's win were taking money from Boeing.

The posting also noted that Gaffney's "anti-Muslim attacks and work on behalf of Israel," could come back to haunt Boeing, which sells airplanes to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and other nations in the Middle East.

To read Clemons' entire posting on The Huffington Post, go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/frank-gaffney-boeings-_b_94367.html

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