Why I Think Rumsfeld Must Go

Time. ^ | Posted Sunday, Apr. 09, 2006 | LIEUT. GENERAL GREG NEWBOLD (RET.)

[j35jazz]

What's wrong with the military being in charge of itself and calling the shots?

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Not sure but I think I read something about it in the U.S. Constitution.

[RobbyS]

Maybe Rumsfeld is counting the number he actually needs in Iraq with those he does not need. Pardon me, maybe the generals have already done this. My guess is that there will be a drawdown sometime this year.

[Yasotay]

and the U.S. Constitution says something like? ....

I want to approve all troop deployments ....

I want this HVT bombed but leave that cafe open....

I want the JCS to "discuss" with CENTCOM requested troop levels needed to invade Iraq ....

I don't want the word occupy to be said ....

I want this battalion here and that company there.... OK I made that one up (I hope)

I fully understand that the President is Commander and Chief and what the Constitution says ... if only Rumsfeld would start taking the advice of professionals verse the voices in his head. The President should have accepted his resignation.

[Yasotay]

A draw down with Iran next door? I guess we can continue to think that....

[Leatherneck_MT]

I am not privy to all of the Intel that our "leaders" had in Washington DC. Like most of you, I have the information I was given.

However, I do fault our leaders with one thing.

There was no Declaration of War by the Congress of the United States. Therefore troops should not have been sent into harms way.

and no, a resolution doesn't cut the mustard. Congress did it in 1941, they should have done it in 2001.

[j35jazz]

Your points are dead on and the comment was tongue in cheek. I think we all agree that this thing works best when everyone is rowing in the same direction. What really bothers me is your point about the micromanaging issue. I have worked with him long enough to know that that is not his style. Replacing him does not guarantee that the micromanaging stops.

[Yasotay]

Ok I'll back off the micro managing comments ... I do like his 'hands on' approach ... his work ethic .... and his heart is in the right spot. Rumsfeld has been given a very difficult mission with the resources on hand. I hope and pray it works.

[RobbyS]

If the balloom goes up, all bets are off.

[Yasotay]

Well I hope Rumsfeld has "covered" his bets well .... we have the second longest and most exposed supply lines in military history with Iraq (which Iran can do alot to cut) and the longest and most exposed supply lines in Afghanistan (which Iran can make miserable) ... I can't see a draw down without the Iranian problem solved. We are just fooling ourselves to think otherwise. I know the President will extend the national emergency in September and I just hope whatever plan they have that they are doing it ..... I've always favored the "Bull Simons" option in Iran. I don't see much else working.

[RobbyS]

Well, the navy and air force haven't been doing much recently. If necessary, they can make them keep their heads down.

[BombHollywood]

Basically, he's just regurgitating the same over-used anti-war talking points you hear in the MSM every day. Nothing new here. Notice he doesn't even cite any examples of what's going on in Iraq. We're not supposed to even question whether or not his cynical view is even the slightest bit accurate! I notice he fails to mention the daily progress we have been making in the once completely lawless Ramadi, the 30,000 new businesses that are starting up this year, the new police forces, new government, the incredible work being done at ibn Sina hospital, Iraq GDP per capita has doubled in one year. Yet another ignorant liberal with an agenda. Why am I not suprised that this story originated in TIME?

[RHINO369]

I thought Won't Get Fooled Again was about youth being really excited about a revolution only to realize that their revolution was a fraud and nothing changed.

Who's Next was the first Album I ever bought, in 1998 from Amazon.com so maybe I don't have the correct prospective on it.

[RHINO369]

Yes I looked it, and Won't Get Fooled Again is definitely not a Vietnam song, and its not even an anti war song. Its about how the Labor party in Britain got students all relied up and they rioted, but nothing changed, the party just used them for their political gain.

In fact its a pretty insightful song, especially coming from teenagers, "Old Boss, same as the New Boss", weird how that happens everywhere.

[RightWingAtheist]

Won't Get Fooled Again" was actually a bitingly cynical song which said, "if you hippies ever actually got your revolution, you'd probably f*** it up through naivety, and end up with the same kind of oppressive government you bitch about now, because the power-hungry are a lot smarter than you starry-eyed unrealistic dopes."

Sounds like Massacre at Central High.

[RobbyS]

Journalists always give a distorted view of life. Just look at the 10 O'clock news, in which sensational acts are about the only things that are seen. Undramatic, mundane events are simply ignored because they are not "news."

[centurion316]

What really bothers me is your point about the micromanaging issue.

I'm worried about this too, but not for the same reason. I accept your observation that he is not a micromanager, which leads me to really wonder what he was doing knobdicking the TPFDL - if not a micromanager then he must have had some other objective for his behavior. Many suspect that he was trying to make a point, to wit: the U.S. did not need large ground forces for the transformed military. Many suspect that's why 1AD's deployment was delayed and 1st Cav's was cancelled.

[j35jazz]

Many suspect that he was trying to make a point, to wit: the U.S. did not need large ground forces for the transformed military. Many suspect that's why 1AD's deployment was delayed and 1st Cav's was cancelled.

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Yup. I also think that while he is very loyal, he would not have stuck around if he didn't buy into the program, this assuming he didn't come up with it. But the reality of the decision to go into Iraq in the first place with France, Germany and Russia watching our back (or perhaps us turning our back on them allowing them to stick it to us is a better phrase!) is what has come back to haunt us. While it is great have England and our other great allies:
Monaco, Nauru,Tuvalu,San Marino,Liechtenstein,The Marshall Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, Maldives, Malta and too many other great nations to count, it's still us versus the world. Rummy didn't make that decision and that one hurts.

I would like to track down the genius that based a policy on The pie in the sky belief that no overwhelmingly superior occupational force would be needed or the world would help if such a force was in fact was needed. Again, a political decision and one I do not know if he was in on. Worst of all? if it wasn't him, it was someone further up the ladder. No help is on the way.