RUMSFELD SET UP; REPORTER PLANTED QUESTIONS WITH SOLDIER (DRUDGE SIREN)

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[Nascardude]

RUMSFELD SET UP; REPORTER PLANTED QUESTIONS WITH SOLIDER
Thu Dec 09 2004 11:49:38 ET

Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Edward Lee Pitts is embedded with the 278th Regimental Combat Team, now in Kuwait preparing to enter Iraq, and is filing articles for his newspaper. Pitts claims in a purported email that he coached soldiers to ask Defense Secretary Rumsfeld questions!

From: EDWARD LEE PITTS, Chattanooga Times Free Press military reporter
Sent: Wednesday, December 8, 2004 4:44 PM
To: Staffers

Subject: RE: Way to go

I just had one of my best days as a journalist today. As luck would have it, our journey North was delayed just long enough see I could attend a visit today here by Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. I was told yesterday that only soldiers could ask questions so I brought two of them along with me as my escorts. Before hand we worked on questions to ask Rumsfeld about the appalling lack of armor their vehicles going into combat have. While waiting for the VIP, I went and found the Sgt. in charge of the microphone for the question and answer session and made sure he knew to get my guys out of the crowd.

So during the Q&A session, one of my guys was the second person called on. When he asked Rumsfeld why after two years here soldiers are still having to dig through trash bins to find rusted scrap metal and cracked ballistic windows for their Humvees, the place erupted in cheers so loud that Rumsfeld had to ask the guy to repeat his question. Then Rumsfeld answered something about it being "not a lack of desire or money but a logistics/physics problem." He said he recently saw about 8 of the special up-armored Humvees guarding Washington, DC, and he promised that they would no longer be used for that and that he would send them over here. Then he asked a three star general standing behind him, the commander of all ground forces here, to also answer the question. The general said it was a problem he is working on.

The great part was that after the event was over the throng of national media following Rumsfeld- The New York Times, AP, all the major networks -- swarmed to the two soldiers I brought from the unit I am embedded with. Out of the 1,000 or so troops at the event there were only a handful of guys from my unit b/c the rest were too busy prepping for our trip north. The national media asked if they were the guys with the armor problem and then stuck cameras in their faces. The NY Times reporter asked me to email him the stories I had already done on it, but I said he could search for them himself on the Internet and he better not steal any of my lines. I have been trying to get this story out for weeks- as soon as I foud out I would be on an unarmored truck- and my paper published two stories on it. But it felt good to hand it off to the national press. I believe lives are at stake with so many soldiers going across the border riding with scrap metal as protection. It may be to late for the unit I am with, but hopefully not for those who come after.

The press officer in charge of my regiment, the 278th, came up to me afterwords and asked if my story would be positive. I replied that I would write the truth. Then I pointed at the horde of national media pointing cameras and mics at the 278th guys and said he had bigger problems on his hands than the Chattanooga Times Free Press. This is what this job is all about - people need to know. The solider who asked the question said he felt good b/c he took his complaints to the top. When he got back to his unit most of the guys patted him on the back but a few of the officers were upset b/c they thought it would make them look bad. From what I understand this is all over the news back home.

Thanks,

Lee

EDWARD LEE PITTS FILED STORY ABOUT THE TROOPS BEFORE THE POW-WOW WITH RUMSFELD

Developing...

[Enlightiator]

So now...when they have to live up to ALL of their obligations as a "Citizen Soldier"...they act more like whining citizens than they do principled soldiers. And that is grist for the MSM Anti-Bush/Iraq mill.

I could accept that, were we talking about a minority of the Guardsmen. But the crowd at the Rumsfeld town hall errupted in applause and whoops when the question of the lack of armor was brought up by the soldier. I don't believe that we have that many whiners, I think the problem is real and needs to be addressed - I have read too many articles quoting soldiers and even their commanders. I think that Rummy was wrong in his response and that the National Guard does NOT get an equal amount of the better armored vehicles.

[jpsb]

What I don't understand is why this is such a big deal? So some trooper complained in a town hall type meeting about lack of armor. What is the Big Deal, troops ALWAYS complain, I did. His wording was not the best, as a Marine I would NEVER address the Secretary of State in that fashion, but he's Army so no telling. Anyway this is a big to do about NOTHING. I just don't get why some want to string up the soldier and others want to string up Rumsfield.

The real problem is the mission is more difficult in Sunni cities then anticipated. I guess with 20/20 hind sight we could bash Rumsfield, he was warned, but I won't, not in this case. Let's get the job done, I say flatten any Sunnis city that resists then we won't need any damn armor.

[gringo_in_Akita]

Why is everything on Freerepublic "us" versus "them"? Just because you disagree with something doesn't make it some big Democrat conspiracy. God forbid somebody questions our precious Defence Secretary or our beloved president. Sure, the administration is mostly made up of good guys doing a good job, but they aren't perfect. They aren't the guys getting shot at, and they need to hear first-hand what's going on over there. We aren't over there, either. It's so easy to sit here in our living rooms eating Doritos and plugging away at our computers about how those soldiers should suck it up and stop whining, but we aren't there.
I don't give a damn if the reporter in question is a conservative or a damned communist. The question he 'planted' obviously stuck a nerve, because all the other soldiers cheered. There is no excuse for us to send America's bravest into harms way ill-equiped. "It's difficult to arm a Hummer, blah blah blah blah...The armor isn't perfect anyway, yadda yadda yadda.."
I don't buy any of that crap. Something is better than nothing, and if those trucks have nothing, than damnit, they better get something. Hard-earned American tax dollars go to giving friggin' Egypt billion$ every year. That being the case, I don't EVER want to hear another account like that of my buddy who just got back from Iraq and had to buy his own damn boots.
If a person can't bear to look into the weaknesses of their leaders whom they support, that person is weak himself.

[CaptainAwesome2]

we should have gone to war with iraq. we also should be attacking iran and syria. you are lumping in the war with the rebuilding and i think that like myself many conservatives dont feel that the war should obligate us to hundreds of billions of dollars, thousands of lives and years in building up those nations and giving them things they never had before.

[TaxRelief]

The NY Times reporter asked me to email him the stories I had already done on it, but I said he could search for them himself on the Internet and he better not steal any of my lines.

This comment is so priceless, it almost makes his actions today forgivable...

[Enlightiator]

I agree with your sentiments about this being a serious issue of armor for our troops - what matters is that we give them all the support we can against the whacko bombers in Iraq. But Dobbs comment was very biased and loaded:

DOBBS: You know, Jamie, to hear the words "taking an issue seriously and addressing it aggressively" 19 months after the end of major combat operations in Iraq says something either about the public relations center or the Pentagon's command structure itself.

[EverOnward]

48% Guard and Reserve fighting in Iraq -- might as well say 50%, but as you say it's the regulars that are equipped and treated more favorably. The regulars serve a 6 month tour of duty while there are Guard units that are on their 4th rotation. The Pentagon finds it cheaper to have the Guard and Reserves in Iraq than the Regular Army -- the Guard and Reserves don't get the benefits of the Regs, aren't equipped like the Regs and aren't allowed the 6 month tour of duty like the Regs. Those of us with loved ones in the Guard and Reseves know that -- we've known it long before now. And there is no excuse for treating one soldier with more concern and care than another. It's all about $$$.

[txradioguy]

"and aren't allowed the 6 month tour of duty like the Regs."


SIX MONTHS??? Ok I'm pi$$ed. I'm a "reg" and I got stuck over there for 12 MONTHS!!! Who can I complain to? /sarcasm

[Doctor Raoul]

The NY Times is to journalism what a snuff film is to cinema...

[Doctor Raoul]

You're talking out your butt about the length of a tour. In terms of equipment, there's a preference for equipment to those "First To Fight" but that's equal opportunity for whoever that is, Guard, regular or Reserve.

[rlmorel]

Enlightiator,
This thread is NOT about accountability at the top.

This thread is about the appropriateness of a civilian (in it for himself for fame, advancement and money) to be slinking around in an active military unit in a war zone, encouraging the soldiers to question their superiors (in a not so respectful way, in my opinion), basically corroding troop morale and unit cohesiveness.

That is what this is about. I suggest you go to one of the other threads if you want to discuss that issue, there are plenty. Nothing personal there, but this is an important issue that doesn't deserve hijacking.

[Steel Wolf]

Waaah....waaah...I'm a supply clerk in a REMF unit and I'm gonna whine cause I don't have the same highspeed toys that the guys in an SF ODA have! IT'S NOT FAIR!!!

Not to be a dick about it, but that's basically what's going on here.

There's a difference between not having the tools to do your job, and not having everything on your wish list. I could easily come up with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of reasonable equipment requests that my team could really use. So could every team, squad, and section in the military. You have to be able to make due with reasonable limits, because it's unreasonable to expect otherwise.

Everyone can come up with 'If I don't have this I might die' scenarios for every piece of desired equipment under the sun. So what? You have adopt the mindset of 'We'll make this work, to the best of our ability, with the tools we have', or you're setting yourself up for failure.

[txradioguy]

You and I are in complete agreement on this.

[rlmorel]

Enlightiator,
Ahh. Never mind. I re-read that after I posted it-it sounded excessively harsh, and...the thread has already gone anyway. Sorry bout the tone.

[rlmorel]

And I agree with you guys. Well put.

[Doctor Raoul]

PNTR = Permanent Normal Trade Relations?

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

I just popped in for a minute to read my mail, and I saw this thread. I went right to the last few pages of posts, and decided I had to step up on my box.

IMO, this ja(&@$$ reporter had one objective, and that was to create a scenario where the SoD would look like a fool. The beauty, once again, is that our Lord doesn't look so favorably upon those whose actions aren't very nice. Once again, the curtain has been raised so the snakes can retreat & slither back under their rocks.

What the socialist experiment-makers don't seem to understand is that our military has been one of the government programs in our nation that has actually worked. The hierarchy that is set up for the troops should not be tampered with outside its ranks. I just wish these freakin' socialist "reporterettes" would all be sent packing. They are such a distraction.

Flame me if you want, but I am going to bed.

[Doctor Raoul]

There's no difference in MTOE for a type of unit regardless of RA, Guard or Reserve, right?

[cyncooper]

What did you think of President Bush's defense of the soldier's question?

I observed he echoed and amplied what Rumsfeld said.

[txradioguy]

"There's no difference in MTOE for a type of unit regardless of RA, Guard or Reserve, right?"

It depends on how you look at it.

Let's say you have three general aviation units that fly ash and trash missions w/the UH-60 Black Hawk. One unit is from the Guard, one is from the Reserve and one is Active Duty.

The NG unit will have the "A" Model of the UH-60

the Reserve unit might have the "B" or early "C" models of the UH-60

the Active unit will be flying the "D" model with all the newest shiny stuff that's been added.

All the UH-60's are essentially the same. All can perform the same mission.