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...
Rummy may have been a little bit tricked, but if the Armor is not there he set himself up.
There were major miscalulations and our boys are dying because of that. We have to take the bad with the good and it must be aired even though it sounds like a democratic ploy.
Let's quit pussy footing around over there. This thing may hurt a little bit at first but hopefully embarrasing Rummy will get him kicking some ass.
In WWII My great aunt was working in a munitions factory. The workers were making bomb fuses and they knew that every fifth one was defective and not supposed to be. They were threatened with loss of their jobs, which they needed to survive. One woman said she didn't care, her son was a pilot in one of those bombers and she wasn't going to stay quiet. What/ if anything happened as a result, that part of the story was lost.
I support my president but I support the troops first. Abraham Lincoln carried the Union soldier vote because the troops had a saying about Lincoln: "If he finds out about it, it will stop."
If any are cubicle bound and don't have access to a radio, you can listen here:
http://www.kfi640.com/interactive/streaming.html or here http://www.wlsam.com/
Based on the email, the specialist wanted to talk about this and just used the reporter's phrasing of the question. I don't see the controversy.
You'd think the media would learn a lesson from ALL the other times they've been caught
That's NOT what Rummy said. this is what he said.
SEC. RUMSFELD: The other day, after there was a big threat alert in Washington, D.C. in connection with the elections, as I recall, I looked outside the Pentagon and there were six or eight up-armored humvees. They’re not there anymore. [Cheers] [Applause] They’re en route out here, I can assure you. Next. Way in the back. Yes.
Are you saying all of those cheering soldiers were in some kind of grand conspiracy to embarrass the sec of defense??
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
Have you read post #22?
That raised my suspicion immediately.
bingo - big time intel breach - now theyll be mining the dumps
8 special up-armored vehicles guarding DC?
Oh man, this does not look good.
Oh but I thought there is no bias in the MSM??? LOL!
The MSM is so mad that W won the election. They can't stand it!
Were the cheers from the media?
John Kerry talked about this all campaign long. The WH knew about this and they were dealing with it in a way of their choosing given the available options.
That's a very deep subject! (Sorry, I couldn't resist)
Thanks for posting the full transcript. After reading the question and the response, I have no problem with either. I thought the question was appropriate (whether pushed by a reporter or not) as was Mr. Rumsfield's response. The problem I see is in the presentation by the national press. The spin is "abandoned, disheartened soldiers" and "cavalier Rumsfield". The full response in context shows neither.
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