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...

[HairOfTheDog]

Things go wrong in war, there are shortages, and you use what you have. All agreed, BUT we've been there years now, the story is not new, and this is the richest nation on Earth. There is no factory that wants to turn out more metal and bullet proof glass if Congress passes say $1 billion to do the job??

What's more, this isn't close to being over. We need stuff today, and we need to be ramping up in a much larger way to be in this for the long haul. We are only just starting, and there is a sentiment that we are low on men and metal. This is an excellent time to ask for whatever money they need. The people support better stuff, and the people support a larger army. Write the checks.

[Doctor Stochastic]

And what's wrong with this? Rumsfeld was just trying to dodge the press and he got outfoxed. ...only soldiers could ask question...

Of course, if the soldiers didn't like the questions proposed by the reporter, they didn't have to ask them.

[Tribune7]

The National Guard have no right to do this . ..

I guess that would depend on what ground rules were in place for the questions.

Rumsfeld did not have to do this in public, and orders certainly could have been issued concerning off-limit topics.

But if these guys were told that no topic was off limit, and the question was inappropriate, the fault lies with Rumsfeld.

And again it does not look like the soldiers were used by the reporter. It looks like a collaboration.

[Sprite518]

Look Pal! Study your military history and quit drinking the MSM Kool-Aid. If you look at the military history, then you will find out that Iraq is the biggest military success is the history of the United States. This is in the terms of a major war. We have lower casualties there than in WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. We have taken more land, and now are in the process of allowing for the first time the Iraq people freedom. Iraq is not going to be Japan over night. Its going to take years as it did for Germany, Japan, and our country. I am sure you remember the MSM preaching to us how tens of thousands would die. This was before the war. Well... well.... We have been there for some time now, and were just over 1000. Yes I do not like seeing our guys die, but that is a fact of war.
People die in War. This is not the A-Team where no one dies when you go to war. So quit demanding perfection!

Rummy is kicking butt. You just will not ever hear it from the quisling MSM and the press.

[cyncooper]

Because of the amount of time that has passed

"Passed"? To what are you referring?

[prairiebreeze]

Caller on Rush now reinforcing your good points about differences in design, purpose of military vehicles, FreedomCalls.

Joe, once again you're the head fruitcake on this thread.

Prairie

[cyncooper]

Huh?

Care to explain yourself?

[HairOfTheDog]

Yes and you can just hear the terrorists in their "mosques" cheering that they are going to be facing "scared" "underequiped" Americans.

Then they are fools. We can still kick their ass.

[superiorslots]

Quote: The "worried" soldier was a plant.


Then the 99% of the fellow soldiers that cheered him on were plants also????

I'm 100% for the troops but the military screws up at times and this is one of them times.

[justshutupandtakeit]

That is still miles above the A$$wipes here attacking the SecDef. Clueless to a man.

[cyncooper]

What pisses me off though is that this is being characterized as an embarrassment for Rumsfeld. From what I have seen and read, he is the type of guy who likes to mix it up like this. If Rumsfeld is "embarrassed", I am guessing it's news to Rumsfeld. This event really encapsulates everything that is wrong with the media.

Exactly.

[mhking]

And of course Qatie Al-Qoriq was almost orgasmic with delight over this on Today this morning....

[Joe Hadenuf]

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?

Where has he been????

WHY IN HELL DO YOU THINK THE TROOPS ERUPED IN CHEERS WHEN THE QUESTIONS WERE ASKED?

The idiot reporter isn't the story here, except for our intellegence allowing him in there.

[Palladin]

Agree about Rush.

Someone should tell him the election is over.

That e-mail PURPORTEDLY from the reporter could have been written by anyone.

Rummy's minions are in full-spin cycle today.

[cyncooper]

You really don't get it.

That is what is pathetic.

So sad.

[af_vet_rr]

Of course, if the soldiers didn't like the questions proposed by the reporter, they didn't have to ask them.

Nor did the large number of soldiers that began applauding and cheering have to applaud and cheer.

Regardless of the now well-known fact that there maybe a serious problem with certain units/vehicles, it was still a security breach. You do not discuss vulnerabilities in a forum where it can be sent out to the world.

[OXENinFLA]

April 30, 2004

Commanders in Iraq also requested 8,000 up-armor kits to reinforce "soft-skin" humvees, he said. Up-armored humvees are used in higher-threat areas, primarily to conduct patrols and provide convoy security. Vehicles that travel exclusively on military compounds and other low-threat areas don't require the additional armored protection, Sattler said.

Sattler said the military is supporting all commanders' requests as quickly as possible. "They made the call, and we supported them based on the situation at the time," he said.

[Antoninus]

And here we had some "freepers" on here yesterday claiming that Rumsfeld had all the questions in advance and that we shouldn't view the motives of the soldier who asked the question with any skepticism.

I wonder if those folks will show their faces around here today?

[marty60]

That is whats so bad about these media stunts. it makes the work our soldiers are doing that much harder. I don't want even one of them killed. These anti-military stunts really make me mad.