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

Drudge Report ^

[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...

[Old Sarge]

Meow.

[1Old Pro]

Left-Wing Activist Journalists......and they deny liberal media bias.

[Palladin]

Disgusting? Then why did Rummy's men set up the conference the way they did? They could have pre-screened the questions.

Maybe they wanted this info to come out about the lack of armor? Or maybe they didn't do their job right to "save" embarrassment for Rumsfeld?

Or maybe someone "higher up" set up Rummy, because he/she wants to force Rumsfeld to retire, while not igniting the wrath of the Rumsfeld coalition.

Think about it.

[Antoninus]

But there is no excuse for the greatest and wealthiest country in the world to send its men and women off to war ill-equipped and ill-supplied.

There is absolutely no evidence that our troops are "ill-equipped and ill-supplied." You will now cite for me an armed force in the history of the world that was better equipped and supplied than our current army in Iraq.

You're being alarmist and a water-boy for our enemies in the media. Knock it off.

[Destro]

Pawn? Why did the SoD initiate a question and answer session then? I agree - the military is not a democracy so why this?

I had no problem with the question or the answer - right question toask and Rumsfeld answered it correctly.

[Old Sarge]

I'd be curious as to when/where/for whom, your bro reported? Sounds like he did okay for us. And not a little integrity, here.

[OXENinFLA]

media deception, manipulation and dirty tricks.

Yeah, this is being blow (pardon the pun) way out of proportion. Just take a look at the stories I've posted in this thread. The subject of up-arming these Humvees has been in the news and on the minds of the DoD for months if not a year or more.

In fact the funding for the up-armor was put into the $87.5B Package for Iraq, Afghanistan

The press is just salivating at the "red meat" of this story, "Rumsfeld asked tough questions".

Get a load of this.

Rumsfeld Not Surprised at Tough Questions From Soldiers

[niteowl77]

Logic is lacking is this discussion, as is any historic war supply situations

Got that right. FR has been overrun with "large L Libertarians" and underground 'rats, and it sure shows.

[darkwing104]

You'd never see a Marine or anyone in the real Army go out of the chain of command like that. The National Guard should pay for their bitching.

As an Active Duty Air Force SNCO I would never say that about my National Guard brethren. Most folks in the military don't jump the chain and complain like that, unless leadership asks for it. I believe that the soldier was coached by the reporter. I also believe that units made make field modifications first and then complain. By broadcasting this the press made are troops more vulnerable to attacks by terrorist who now believe we are week.

My kudos to the reporter for being the newest traitor to the American military (That's including the Guard and Reservists).

[fooman]

I love it when a plan come together.

[kcvl]

E-mail Lee Pitts at lpitts@timesfreepress.com

Edward Lee Pitts 423-757-6415

[prairiebreeze]

There are some here that think you are so full of it that it leaks out of your eyeballs too.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I heard wind whistle through the thread.

[aliquis]

I don't think he was set up. He was, in the best traditions of "impersonal and unbiased" media, quoted wildly out of context, they took not just sentences but parts of them out of context - like Michael Moore does.

The reporter is not an issue in this case, the issue is the way MSM presents the story. They've become so arrogant, sloppy and biased in their reporting that, as far as the accuracy's concerned, they are just as "objective" as North Korean press.

And note: even if confronted with the full transcript of the meeting, they will not admit that they have, in fact, made up a story where there wasn't one, or, to put it simply, lied.

[OXENinFLA]

But there is no excuse for the greatest and wealthiest country in the world to send its men and women off to war ill-equipped and ill-supplied.

---

There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is, "To use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wounds, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."

That was said by General Patton. Sounds alot like Rummy wouldn't you say?

[Peach]

I listened to this story with interest on Rush while in the car. The reporter said something like it was the best day he'd ever had as a reporter.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" Sometimes it's the faster vehicle that makes you survive."

" Speed is security " was the operative phrase in many areas of Iraq , during the height of the insurgency.
Everyone that needs to know and is in a position to affect change, is well aware that some troops are cannibalizing old tanks and taking scrap metal to up armor their vehicles.
This is not news.
My brother had a conversation with a very high ranking member of this administration about the situation he and his men encountered in Iraq.
The conversation included the good and the bad.
It was done in private-not in a public forum , with the slavering media ready to pounce.
The welfare of the troops and the operational situation on the ground, is paramount to the Bush administration .
The situation is being dealt with through the appropriate chain of command-which does not include Maureen Dowd and Peter Jennings.

[fooman]

Thread. I dont understand this. We for most of the armor to be UNDERNEATH the hummer.

Kevlear blankets for me, until we can make the whole vehicle plated in kevlar and steal. (in the right proportions)

[roses of sharon]

Years ago I used to come here for information, facts, 1st hand experiences from freepers, and could read debates on what is good policy for the right as a whole.

Now I have to go elsewhere for facts without all of the hysteria and conspiracies.

Assigning a vile, criminal, and sinister, motive to each and every problem, disagreement, personalities in DC, is shallow.

And it worries me that people can live their lives that way.

I guess it accounts for all the lawsuits, Oprah victimhood, and tragedy TV.

I seems to be a way of life now.