EFTA00013724

Gen. Franks mired in mid -2003 with perfect timing. Baghdad had fallen, and he left the mess from that "fundamental misunderstand- ing" for someone else to clean uμ The Army is supposed to publish

reports as soon as it can review them, to be sure that they don't contain sensitive mate- rial. More than 2 1 / 2 years later, the Army hasn't published the report and has done little to circulate the classified version to Pentagon leaders. Asked why, an Army to 'ouse and Pentagon was evident both before and after the 2005 Rand report — evident to everybody but the White House and Pentagon, apparently. Rather than censor the report the administra- tion could have acted on it two years before political and public pressure forced a change in strategy. Now, as Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged this week with his comments on troop levels, the next president will be responsible for ending what Mr. Bush secretly and recklessly started. Plan on it. Spare us the An 11 -month police investigation led to an indictment on one felony charge of solicitation of prostitution. That was in July 2006, and part-time Palm Beadier Jeffrey Epstein still has faced no repercussions for al- legedly preying on underage girls. So maybe Mr. Epstein is satisfied that he% get ting his money's worth from his large legal team, which includes Harvard Law School Pro- fessor Alan Dershowitz (remember OJ. Simpson?) and Kenneth Starr (remember Monica Lew insky?). Jack Goldberger of West Palm Beach, who's also on the team, told Post columnist Jose Lambiet in November "This case is absolutely • going to end without a trial within the next two months? He was wrong, but Mr. Gold- berger remains on Mr Epstein% • payroll, feigning moral outrage at two lawsuits filed this year against • the Manhattan money manager The lawsuits allege sexual exploita- tion of teenaged girls, one of them as young as 14. Said Mr. Goldberger + after the first lawsuit, seeking more outrage Lawyers for accused sex predator soundfoolish. than $50 million, was fi led on Jan. 24: "We think this shows what this case is all about money" Yes, it is — Mr Epstein% effort to buy his way out of prosecution. According to the lawyer of a 17- -old whose parents are suing him, Mr. Eptut masturbated in front of her (she was 14 at the time) and used a vibrator on her at his home in February 2005. Another Epstein attorney, Lilly Ann Sanchez disrnissed it "Jeffrey Epstein did not have sex with this woman." For those girls who claim that he did, ME Epstein's lawyers maintain that he did not know their ages, de- spite a police search of his home and garbage that found phone about the girls' school schedules and even a high school transcript. For all of his money Mr Epstein% best defense remains 1 didn't know that I was a criminal pervert"? wt . The C' Many on Ruth Lim Arm Coulter, others, have er vote for not wale at — for Sea M pointed spok vatism insist that Clinton is a ma Better to go one's convictions compromised 'lb be sure, makes for inte versation, but the starves to death. ft isn't thing Sen. McCain for him should he But it isn't posse there's no d McCain and Sen. Obama), as sane A fonn of irra has taken hold w oneself or to the more important over the country to to raise taxes and im health care. Principles ible that stria ad worse alternative Exactly which co cili tates the gars to pay for insurance Sea Clinton has p terview with ABC's nopoulos, Sea. Clinton government -ordered gram would require an mechanism that might know, going after peop Where are those when a Democratic pointing justices to Court? Given that five justices will be 70 or ye:ober, it's a near