Posted on 12/02/2006 1:20:05 PM PST by Sub-Driver
correct. and many of the ideas are good:
Significantly increase U.S. trainers and embeds, and transfer more U.S. equipment to Iraqi Security forces (ISF), to further accelerate their capabilities by refocusing the assignment of some significant portion of the U.S. troops currently in Iraq.
Conduct an accelerated draw-down of U.S. bases. We have already reduced from 110 to 55 bases. Plan to get down to 10 to 15 bases by April 2007, and to 5 bases by July 2007.
Retain high-end SOF capability and necessary support structure to target Al Qaeda, death squads, and Iranians in Iraq, while drawing down all other Coalition forces, except those necessary to provide certain key enablers for the ISF.
Position substantial U.S. forces near the Iranian and Syrian borders to reduce infiltration and, importantly, reduce Iranian influence on the Iraqi Government.
read the memo.
As soon as I saw this was a NYT report I stopped reading.
Perhaps the only reason NYT is not "belly up" is because the NY citizens are using the paper for bird cages, toilet paper and such.
If you read the actual memo, Rummy has got some pretty darn good ideas. And I don't think they contradict anything anyone is saying.
Interesting.
"go minimalist"
Sounds like Rumsfeld.
unless we see him make a specific public denial this week - I think this is legit.
Dana Priest, one of the most feted recipients of leaks at the DC Bureau of Pravda, was on CSPAN yesterday, speaking to an assembly of lawyers. I listened for the first few minutes then had to change the channel. During that time, her key point was that newspapers must cover leaks because it is "essential to democracy."
So now you know. Ms. Priest sees herself not as a mere reporter, but as an essential cog in the wheel of democracy.
You were both right...I should have read the memo.
But, I was right to not trust the NY Times...what they wrote about the memo was totally wrong about it.
Am I right about that?/
Since when does the First Amendment protect publication of classified material? I'd be willing to bet that no one at the Slimes has the scurity clearance necessary to see that memo at all, let alone reveal its content for anyone to see.
You are totally right about that. We have an absolutely irresponsible media that has no intention of sticking with the truth. Very dangerous situation.
Just read the memo.
I hope folks here and elsewhere quit saying it's either 'cut and run' or 'stay the course.' There is a lot in between.
I agree - - Rummy's camp leaked it.
Why wasn't saying these things, in public, six months ago?
A Congressional "probe" of the New York Slimes is way overdue. It's time to find out the names of the pedophiles and drug addicts working in the U.S. government who are leaking "classified" information to America's enemies employed at the NY Slimes.
And the Xlimes comparison of his suggestion of redeployment of some of the troops to outside of Baghdad or Kuwait was "Exactly what rep Murtha was proposing!!!"
What a full of crap distortion that is, a true gag alert. Sec Rumsfeld's memo is totally twisted by The Slimes as usual as they head further down the toilet.
No kidding!
I would cringe everytime I would hear Bush/Rumsfeld use the "stay the course" line.
Conduct an accelerated draw-down of U.S. bases. We have already reduced from 110 to 55 bases. Plan to get down to 10 to 15 bases by April 2007, and to 5 bases by July 2007....
That is very interesting...
Nov. 6, 2006
SUBJECT: Iraq — Illustrative New Courses of Action
The situation in Iraq has been evolving, and U.S. forces have adjusted, over time, from major combat operations to counterterrorism, to counterinsurgency, to dealing with death squads and sectarian violence. In my view it is time for a major adjustment. Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough. Following is a range of options:
ILLUSTRATIVE OPTIONS
Above the Line: (Many of these options could and, in a number of cases, should be done in combination with others)
¶Publicly announce a set of benchmarks agreed to by the Iraqi Government and the U.S. — political, economic and security goals — to chart a path ahead for the Iraqi government and Iraqi people (to get them moving) and for the U.S. public (to reassure them that progress can and is being made).
¶Significantly increase U.S. trainers and embeds, and transfer more U.S. equipment to Iraqi Security forces (ISF), to further accelerate their capabilities by refocusing the assignment of some significant portion of the U.S. troops currently in Iraq.
¶Initiate a reverse embeds program, like the Korean Katusas, by putting one or more Iraqi soldiers with every U.S. and possibly Coalition squad, to improve our units’ language capabilities and cultural awareness and to give the Iraqis experience and training with professional U.S. troops.
¶Aggressively beef up the Iraqi MOD and MOI, and other Iraqi ministries critical to the success of the ISF — the Iraqi Ministries of Finance, Planning, Health, Criminal Justice, Prisons, etc. — by reaching out to U.S. military retirees and Reserve/National Guard volunteers (i.e., give up on trying to get other USG Departments to do it.)
¶Conduct an accelerated draw-down of U.S. bases. We have already reduced from 110 to 55 bases. Plan to get down to 10 to 15 bases by April 2007, and to 5 bases by July 2007.
¶Retain high-end SOF capability and necessary support structure to target Al Qaeda, death squads, and Iranians in Iraq, while drawing down all other Coalition forces, except those necessary to provide certain key enablers for the ISF.
¶Initiate an approach where U.S. forces provide security only for those provinces or cities that openly request U.S. help and that actively cooperate, with the stipulation being that unless they cooperate fully, U.S. forces would leave their province.
¶Stop rewarding bad behavior, as was done in Fallujah when they pushed in reconstruction funds, and start rewarding good behavior. Put our reconstruction efforts in those parts of Iraq that are behaving, and invest and create havens of opportunity to reward them for their good behavior. As the old saying goes, “If you want more of something, reward it; if you want less of something, penalize it.” No more reconstruction assistance in areas where there is violence.
¶Position substantial U.S. forces near the Iranian and Syrian borders to reduce infiltration and, importantly, reduce Iranian influence on the Iraqi Government.
¶Withdraw U.S. forces from vulnerable positions — cities, patrolling, etc. — and move U.S. forces to a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) status, operating from within Iraq and Kuwait, to be available when Iraqi security forces need assistance.
¶Begin modest withdrawals of U.S. and Coalition forces (start “taking our hand off the bicycle seat”), so Iraqis know they have to pull up their socks, step up and take responsibility for their country.
¶Provide money to key political and religious leaders (as Saddam Hussein did), to get them to help us get through this difficult period.
¶Initiate a massive program for unemployed youth. It would have to be run by U.S. forces, since no other organization could do it.
¶Announce that whatever new approach the U.S. decides on, the U.S. is doing so on a trial basis. 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.
Below the Line (less attractive options):
¶Continue on the current path.
¶Move a large fraction of all U.S. Forces into Baghdad to attempt to control it.
¶Increase Brigade Combat Teams and U.S. forces in Iraq substantially.
¶Set a firm withdrawal date to leave. Declare that with Saddam gone and Iraq a sovereign nation, the Iraqi people can govern themselves. Tell Iran and Syria to stay out.
¶Assist in accelerating an aggressive federalism plan, moving towards three separate states — Sunni, Shia, and Kurd.
¶Try a Dayton-like process.
Agreed, but don't expect it to happen with a 'Rat Congress coming in if it didn't happen while the GOP had the opportunity.
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