Rumsfeld Memo Proposed 'Major Adjustment' in Iraq

New York Times ^ | December 3, 2006 | MICHAEL R. GORDON and DAVID S. CLOUD

[Clara Lou]

I don't think that Rumsfeld would play that game. I don't think he leaked it.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

For those not familiar with the Dayton Process-
"U.S. Department of State
95/11/01 Fact Sheet--Bosnia: The Dayton Process
Bureau of Public Affairs



FACT SHEET


Bosnia
The Dayton Process


On November 1, the parties to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia began participating in high-level political talks at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton, Ohio. The purpose of the "proximity peace talks" is to encourage the parties to reach a comprehensive regional settlement.

The sessions are building on principles reached in Geneva September 8 and in New York September 26. These include:

o The preservation of Bosnia as a single state containing the Muslim- Croat Federation and a Bosnian Serb entity;

o The 51/49 percent formula as a basis for territorial arrangements;

o A constitutional structure establishing the institutions of a central government and specifying relations between the two territorial entities;

o The necessity of free and fair elections;

o Respect for human rights.

The parties to the conflict are represented in the Dayton negotiations by the Presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia.

Assistant Secretary Richard Holbrooke, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, and EU Negotiator Carl Bildt are co-chairing the talks. Other Contact Group countries (France, Germany and Britain) are represented at the political director level.

There is no agreed date for the conclusion of the talks, but if the talks are successful, they will be followed by a conference on implementation of the settlement in London and an international peace conference in Paris.

The substance of the current talks includes the range of territorial and constitutional matters. Among the outstanding issues are:

-- The location of the internal boundary between the Bosnian-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb entity;

-- The status of Sarajevo;

-- Practical steps for separating forces and establishing a permanent cessation of hostilities;

-- Procedures for free and fair elections under international supervision;

-- Procedures for the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes.

November 1995 (###)

http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/bureaus/eur/releases/951101BosniaDayton.html

[Txsleuth]

Hey guys...you need to read this article..AND the memo.

Like Bahbah says..this is a blatant example of irresponsible media.

[bnelson44]

That would be my guess to. By giving the memo to the NYTs he contributes to the national Iraq dialog.

[oceanview]

I don't know. for a while now, I haven't been able to figure out who is formulating strategy.

[oceanview]

yes, they are spinning some points in the memo about shifting deployments - into it being "the Dems plan".

[KDD]

The only branch of Government that is not full of leaker's when it helps their party's position is the Judicial Branch.

Every single Whitehouse has leaked such classified material to the Times...sometimes to gauge public reaction to a possible policy decision being considered.

That's why the Legislative and Executive never do anything about these leaks...They want to keep that avenue open.

That and the fallout from the Pentagon Papers make them too timid to challenge the press anyway.

[aculeus]

Two days before he resigned as defense secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld submitted a classified memo to the White House ...

But we're the New York Times and we publish anything we please.

[oceanview]

yes, there is alot in between. but to grab onto those ideas, there must first be an acknowledgement that this "phase 2" of the iraq war, the post-saddam-takedown phase, has not succeeded. It hasn't failed mind you, but it hasn't succeeded. it has left us in this "limbo", this murky middle ground where the iraq democracy, is standing in the way of using acute US military force, while that same democracy is unable (or agonzingly slow) to form the security and political institutions required to sustain it on their own. combine that with the daily pounding by the MSM, and the Dems, both who want the US (and specifically Bush) to fail in iraq.

something has to give.

[The Westerner]

You're probably right that the WH leaked this to take a poll. I don't know why Condor's post got pulled. He only said the truth about the political slime who run the world.

[Gator113]

Until we get a leader that is willing to STOP the LEAKS dead in their tracks, and send the 'enemy within' to prison or death, we will NEVER win this war or any other war.

I have supported President Bush and I have no regrets for this. I'm one of those Bushbots that many of the slobbering bugs like to bash.

BUT, President Bush has lost most of my respect and admiration for not going after the leakers of CLASSIFIED information. These leakers are no different than spies and should be dealt with accordingly....regardless of political party or status.

[smoketree]

I know what you mean.
Bush desperately needs to get out and "sell" the war.
Whatever he needs to change within himself or some ability he needs to learn to get out of his comfort zone.
But it almost seems too late. The rats have succeedes in getting a tremendous amount of domestic and world opinion against him without any shame or conscience or knowledge of history. They are acting purely political and transparent but they are winning because Bush is letting them.
The problem is we all lose not just Bush's presidency.

[Timbo64]

The DOJ is too busy going after pictures of girls in bikinis on the Internet to worry about "little" problems like this. If this report is true, I will wait and see, all I can say is WOW. This is a huge story if true.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

Read the memo. There is obviously nothing in it that damages national security. It does damage the credibility of the entire administration. Look at the #1 least desirable option-
"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."

The partisan hacks on BOTH sides of the aisle did far more damage than whoever leaked this memo. Notice that force reductions and withdrawals rank very high on the list. "Stay the course" was ill advised from the outset. Pursue, kill, and harass the enemy mercilessly and ruthlessly works every time. When it was decided to let Mookie live, that one seemingly inconsequential decision had far reaching impact. And nobody has owned up to that decision. Whoever does, should be summarily discharged from their duties.

[oceanview]

hell, if the choice is between:

- Baker's plan
- stay the course and do exactly the same thing we have been doing
- this Rumsfeld plan

sign me up for the Rumsfeld plan.

[Torie]

Why don't administration officials just have their own blog websites, and post their memos to POTUS there, so we all get them in real time, rather than having to wait for a day or two or three for them to "leak?" It is SO annoying.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

This sure does cast his decision making and recommendations in a much better light. Many on this forum blamed Rummy for the "stay the course" policy. This sure casts that into doubt. More likely the Neocons pressed for that absurd policy. Fact of the matter is that the President followed that policy advice. And all of us that questioned the wisdom of "stay the course" were excoriated in a vile and ruthless fashion.

And the majority of FRiends that have advocated US force reduction seem to be exonerated from the accusations of being traitors and terrorist supporters. Unless those cheerleaders are willing to come onto this thread and level those same accusations against the Secretary of Defense.

[Gator113]

I did read the memo and I don't disagree with most of what you have said. Rummy remains my hero.

But for me, I'm flat fed up with any and all leaks.....good or bad.

The American citizens deserve to be told things straight up...not through backdoors. And those that hurt this country, deserve no quarter, period.

[Timbo64]

They don't have the balls.

[prisoner6]

There is only one corse of action in Iraq.

BEAT THE PANTS OFF THEM!

The strategy from word go was to establish a US "friendly" covernment in Iraq. Draw the islamic terrorists into Iraq so we fight them there not here. Then use Iraq and Afghanistan to put pressure on Iran (especially) and other islamic nations. Hopefully that pressure would encourage the locals to rise up against Tehran and he mullahs.

I don't think I need to be obvious in being specific as to what the end result would be.

prisoner6