There are a lot of ways to look at the "Revolt of the Generals" that reached its high point in the Tom Ricks book, "Fiasco." As I wrote on RCP last July, some of us, including me, can't understand how anyone can think them credible when none of the six generals involved raised their concerns, as they could have and should have, through the chain of command while they are on active duty. But however you judge these generals' credibility, you have to credit them for one thing: none of them publicly rebelled against civilian authority when on active duty. Which brings us to the outrageous conduct of Gen. Richard Dannatt, the chief of staff of the British Army.

In an interview with the UK's Daily Mail, Dannatt condemned the British presence in Iraq and suggested it end quickly. Here's the money quote:

He says with great clarity and honesty that "our presence exacerbates the security problems". "I think history will show that the planning for what happened after the initial successful war-fighting phase was poor, probably based more on optimism than sound planning.

"History will show that a vacuum was created and into the vacuum malign elements moved. The hope that we might have been able to get out of Iraq in 12, 18, 24 months after the initial start in 2003 has proved fallacious. Now hostile elements have got a hold it has made our life much more difficult in Baghdad and in Basra.

"The original intention was that we put in place a liberal democracy that was an exemplar for the region, was pro-West and might have a beneficial effect on the balance within the Middle East.

"That was the hope. Whether that was a sensible or naïve hope, history will judge. I don't think we are going to do that. I think we should aim for a lower ambition."

Sir Richard adds, strongly, that we should "get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems". "We are in a Muslim country and Muslims' views of foreigners in their country are quite clear. "As a foreigner, you can be welcomed by being invited into a country, but we weren't invited, certainly by those in Iraq at the time. Let's face it, the military campaign we fought in 2003 effectively kicked the door in.

"That is a fact. I don't say that the difficulties we are experiencing around the world are caused by our presence in Iraq, but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them."

The problem with what Dannatt said isn't whether he's right or wrong. Britain is a democracy and national policy is made by civilians, not military officers. Military officers aren't elected: for them to dictate policy - as every American officer learns from the first day he enters ROTC, one of the military academies or officer training school - is tantamount to dictatorship. Every one of us has sworn to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States even at the cost of our lives. Part of that is to preserve the subordination of the military to civilian command.

There is no compromise possible on civilian command. So far, British PM Tony Blair hasn't disciplined Dannatt. If he doesn't, the British general staff should resign en masse in protest. It's your duty, gentlemen.