Posted on 12/09/2004 9:22:17 AM PST by Nascardude
Edited on 12/09/2004 10:05:10 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
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...
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. From post 18
If it's a fake, we can be sure the Chattanooga Rag Whatever paper will scream bloody murder, real quick like.
Hurry up, MAKE YOUR TIME! HA HA HA HA
The way that the media was editing the entire encounter down to a VERY brief soundbite from Rumsfeld was evidence enough that this was a media hit.
Just like the press corps kept pushing for President Bush to use the words "it was a mistake" during the election.
Since the election is OVER, the only thing that can be concluded is that the press are a bunch of traitors. Such tactics only serve to sour morale and provide aid and comfort to the enemy (there is nothing else to be gained from sinking President Bush's "poll" numbers now, he is in his second elected term).
Exactly.
Of course everyone knew this.
This whole thing is ludicrous. And now they are attempting to blame all this on some idiot reporter running around, while our intelligence sits around stoned asking for his autograph.
My brother was an embedded reporter during the Iraq war for a mainstream magazine.I can't imagine him feeding questions to a soldier for a conference. From where I stand, what this reporter did was a clear violation of journalistic ethics. That's the trouble with having embedded reporters - the boundaries between the press and the solders become blurred. My brother talked about this but I know he tried to keep some distance between himself and the soldiers.
I imagine the soldier will have some 'splaining to do as well.
The opposite of a liquider.
Point well taken.
We couldn't attack Iraq in an election year and you know that. We had to go in March 2003 or wait until 2005.
I'm not taking the reporter's side or defending him in any way. I think what he did was deplorable, and I believe the soldier to be complicit in the action as well. However, I do have to ask that we clarify the definition of the MSM. The reporter came from the "Chattanooga Times Free Press." I'd hardly consider that mainstream. The MSM certainly jumped all over it as usual, but I'd hardly call this a vast MSM conspiracy.
:-)
Oxymoron
It is correct that the soldiers improvised with what they had but you are not correct to say that soldiers did not complain about crappy machines and conditions. They complained bitterly but there was nothing of that in press because of of WW2 era censorship.
What's Un F'n REAL is our intelligence letting this sh*t happen.
If this isn't enough, the questions were basically valid, thats why all the troops where cheering when they were asked.
What stunt? He was a fake soldier?
Either would be cool sci-fi weapons. Those and the transmogrifier.
There was nothing wrong with Rumsfeld's response.
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