Posted on 12/02/2006 1:20:05 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Rumsfeld Memo Proposed ‘Major Adjustment’ in Iraq By MICHAEL R. GORDON and DAVID S. CLOUD WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 — Two days before he resigned as defense secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld submitted a classified memo to the White House that acknowledged that the Bush administration’s strategy in Iraq was not working and called for a major course correction.
“In my view it is time for a major adjustment,” wrote Mr. Rumsfeld, who has been a symbol of a dogged stay-the-course policy. “Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough.”
Nor did Mr. Rumsfeld seem confident that the administration would readily develop an effective alternative. To limit the political fallout from shifting course he suggested the administration consider a campaign to lower public expectations.
“Announce that whatever new approach the U.S. decides on, the U.S. is doing so on a trial basis,” he wrote. “This will give us the ability to readjust and move to another course, if necessary, and therefore not ‘lose.’ ”
“Recast the U.S. military mission and the U.S. goals (how we talk about them) — go minimalist,” he added. Mr. Rumsfeld’s memo suggests frustration with the pace of turning over responsibility to the Iraqi authorities; in fact, the memo calls for examination of ideas that roughly parallel troop withdrawal proposals presented by some of the White House’s sharpest Democratic critics. (Text of the Memo)
The memo’s discussion of possible troop reduction options offers a counterpoint to Mr. Rumsfeld’s frequent public suggestions that discussions about force levels are driven by requests from American military commanders.
Instead, the memo puts on the table several ideas for troop redeployments or withdrawals that appear to conflict with recent public pronouncements from commanders in Iraq emphasizing the need to maintain troop levels.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
As usual liberals targeted the wrong person.
Another freaking leak, probably twisted out of context in a fashion reminiscent of the Treason Media - please, Hank Greenberg, speed up your takeover bid for the NY Slimes.
let's see what (if) Rumsfeld says about this publicly.
they actually have what they claim is the text of the memo.
Are we ever going to prosecute leakers? The Dept. of Justice needs to haul these reporters in and throw them in jail if they don't reveal their sources.
Apparently, "classified" just doesn't mean anything at all anymore.
my guess - Rumsfeld leaked it.
read the text of the actual memo (as opposed to the interpretation).
the ideas presented are not that bad. and we sure as hell need some new ideas over there.
To the MSM it means "We can make up anything, attribute it to a classified memo and you can't disprove it".
Time for lie detector tests for everybody high enough up to have seen this classified memo!
this memo reveals nothing of a secret nature - its not like "outing" an intelligence operation or spying program.
At least this classsified stuff gets in the paper,Its the unclassified stuff I worry about ...if its common knowledge we never hear about it
'Are we ever going to prosecute leakers"?
Only when it is bad for the rats.
Otherwise the leakers are doing what is right for the country revealing the evil doings of the unelected, fascist, imperialistic, warmongering, totalitarian Bush regime and should be given medals as soon as the real Americans return to power using whatever means they can....for the country.
But for now the resistance will undermine wherever they can.
Read the actual memo, it reads nothing like how the Times describes it.
No. Expect two years of "more of the same".
NYTIMES.....LEAK of a memo.
I am not paying attention.
"As usual liberals targeted the wrong person."
This doesn't mean they're all going to love Rumsfeld now. Or does it?
What, read the actual memo instead of making a shoot from the hip response based on a biased MSM article?
18 USC 792, 793, 794.
It's for everybody but liberal politicians and reporters.
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