[goldstategop]

Don Rumsfeld goes the bum's rush because he sought to transform the U.S military into a post-Cold War institution. Actually a small force did a magnificient in Iraq. We accomplished in three weeks of the war with a force less than a third the size we deployed in Desert Storm. The Democrats opposed that war too just like they opposed Operation Iraqi Freedom. The war's aftermath is not Rumsfeld's fault. We had to strike a balance between doing too much and doing too little. None of Rumsfeld's critics have ever stated how they would have done things there differently. I think in retrospect, Rumsfeld fell because he was just too honest. Its not a quality that commands much respect in contemporary Washington.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Gondring]

Don Rumsfeld goes the bum's rush because he sought to transform the U.S military into a post-Cold War institution. Actually a small force did a magnificient in Iraq. We accomplished in three weeks of the war with a force less than a third the size we deployed in Desert Storm.

Bingo. But then, we entered another phase. Just like swift panzer spearheads were not appropriate for occupation of urban areas, a small force is unable to conduct effective counterinsurgency against a skilled opponent who can pop up where you aren't. Successes in counterinsurgency have illustrated the need for holding ground, not just striking here and there and playing defense for convoys.

[truth_seeker]

"The war's aftermath is not Rumsfeld's fault."

Correct.

But all who failed to correctly anticipate the aftermath, screwed up.

The analyst that told decision makers: "arab muslims are constitutionally incapable of peaceful, civil, democratic, self-government"--was correct.

But that was not the answer anybody wanted to hear-least of all Bush, so the analyst probably got pushed out of the way.

[xzins]

I think Rumsfeld was a successful and insightful SecDef. I do not think he received a bum's rush. In fact, he is the longest serving SecDef in history. There is no military commander who is irreplaceable. It is the same with Rumsfeld. His time was simply up. The political situation had seriously changed.

And that is what I personally think the truth is.

If the Repubs had held back the Dems and retained even the Senate, I think Rummie would have stayed.

They lost both houses and the political landscape called for his departure.

The outcome of the election was the deciding factor.

[7thson]

I also think that people fail to look at the troops we wanted to swing down from Turkey, but not allowed to because Turkey voted no. I remember how the Dems and Bush critics praised the "democratic" vote but now they do not want Iraq to be a democracy. I also believe that this was a major failure of the State Department - Powell's State Department.