Nige,
I agree with your point about military risk on ops. This is an area where a federation should work closely with the chain of command, making them aware at the highest levels of any issues at the coal face. With a pragmatic approach, this relationship could be a real asset to the top military commanders.
I would emphatically shy away from the federation publically criticising the decisions made by the operational commanders in theatres. This would begin to undermine discipline and would lead to an even more risk averse culture, with commanders having one eye on the battle and another on the views of the federation.
GB2