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...
Oh well, guess they weren't what I thought.
Once again we are amused at the implacable attempts by the RATmedia to undermine the President. Once again it will fail with all thoughtful people who understand perfection is not to be expected. However, it will be a complete success with the Liberals and faux-Conservatives.
This nonsense will continue as long as the RATmedia exists fortunately this maybe an extremely short time if it continues along the road to Treason. Americans are rejecting it and its stunts more and more.
What makes you think the will isn't there? CNN?
She got her 15 minutes. I wouldn't have appeared. but then that's me.
No, the leftists and the "Saddam was innocent, and not a threat crowd", on FR want to believe that Rumsfeld, and Bush, want soldiers to die, or don't care if they die, that they never talk to commanders on the ground, or ignore their requests.
It's called de-humanizing your political opponent.
Because of course, the war was for oil, or the jews, or revenge, and the war is not perfect like WWII was!
So those who disagree with the war, want it lost, and any way to give our enemies a PR victory is a good thing.
Logic is lacking is this discussion, as is any historic war supply situations.
By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2004 — The assembly lines are moving 24/7 to keep up with the demand for up-armored vehicles in Iraq and for conversion kits to add extra protection to vehicles already there.
DISPATCH Kuwait : ‘It’s real now, boys’ First soldiers of the 278 th on ground to begin yearlong deployment in Iraq By Edward Lee Pitts Military Affairs
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait — After about 15 hours in the air, three in-flight meals, seven in-flight movies and two refueling stops, a flight of 300 soldiers with Tennessee’s 278th Regimental Combat Team touched down late Sunday at Kuwait City International Airport.
It was Sunday evening local time but felt like early Sunday morning for the travel-fatigued members in the third flight of 278th soldiers to arrive in the Middle East.
"The time is ticking now," said Spc. John Doherty, 23, of Knoxville. "We will get out of here soon enough." The 278 th, Tennessee’s largest National Guard unit, is scheduled for a yearlong deployment in Iraq, primarily along the border with Iran. Despite getting off the plane, the soldiers had not ended their trek. They climbed out of the MD-11 aircraft and crammed themselves into the tighter confines of Mercedes-Benz buses with Arabic music drifting from the radios for a 2 1 /2-hour ride with no restrooms.
Officers told the troops that insurgents gathering intelligence on the movement of U.S. forces are attacking the bus convoys. A few soldiers loaded live ammunition into their weapons. The members of the 278th needed no more reminders they were now in a dangerous area. The enemy was not just in Iraq.
The soldiers fought back exhaustion and peeked past the drawn curtains of the buses, looking for suspicious vehicles as the convoy slowly moved down a road similar to a typical U.S. interstate.
More than two hours later, the caravan of more than two dozen buses had rolled down a long dirt road and entered Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The 278th soldiers sat down to eat about 23 hours after leaving Mississippi.
HOSTILE-FIRE PAY Before trudging off to sleep inside tents, the soldiers swiped their identification cards into a computer so they could begin receiving their extra $100 a month hazardous-duty pay and $225 a month hostile-fire pay. This came as a welcome relief to the soldiers, many of whom said they had spent $2,000-$3,000 of their own money to prepare for deployment, according to Sgt. Ken Kay, of Red Bank.
Reply#157 You'd never hear a Marine or REAL ARMY bitching like this out of the chain of command. The National Guard have no right to do this especially when they aren't even doing the heavy lifting. It's a slap in the face to all the other soldiers doing their job in harsh conditions without complaint.
Saying that once was enough. You must be tryign to start a war here. From your about page JBlain
21 year old Marketing student. Amateur photographer, music, and comic book nerd.
I don't think you have much experience in the military as a 21 year old marketing student. In my 32 + years in the guard, I have never gone out of my chain of command.
Oh. THAT "liberal media," you mean...? < /feigned innocence>
The matter they addressed has been fanned into a pseudo-problem by hysterical reporting on the part of the MSM.
Have jeeps ever been armored in any previous conflict? Have trucks ever been armored before? Did the "Red Ball Express" drive trucks with steel plate welded to the sides?
Where The F*** has Rumsfeld been?
They've know for a long time of this armor problem with our troops!
And here we have 8 up-armored vehicles sitting in D.C. protecting celebrity politicians?
This is so SAD.
and Rush is still crying and whining about this reporter. What a fruit cake!
P A T H E T I C !
Wonder if this reporter will report they went from 15% to 75% under Rumsfield. Why 15%? Clinton!
Yes and you can just hear the terrorists in their "mosques" cheering that they are going to be facing "scared" "underequiped" Americans.
No surprise, but I see at least one FReeper comment here who wants to give the MSM the benefit of the doubt! When do some of these types wake up and spell the pattern?
That's what Rumsfeld disagreed with. I don't think you understand what was said here.
Rumsfeld saw them stationed outside, thought to himself "we don't need these here as much as the troops do in Iraq" and off they were shipped. One would think you would be pleased.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.