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...
Who me politicize the situation? I didn't make that comparioson someone else did. Whatever.
Funny, sent my husband to Afghanistan and he had body armour. So, I guess I'm a little confused as to why the soldiers families need to buy them armour. Do explain.
Media Believability.
*chuckle*
Sounds like a new operational effectiveness factor.
(And it may be. :-/ hmm.)
What is interesting is that there is only one place capable of making the steel that is used in that armor addon.
Was an article on that somewhere.
But Destro mentioned that fact, as did a few others.
Not sure what Rumsfeld can do about that.
Not without revamping and retooling a bunch of factories, or basically refurbishing and rebuilding the ones that were shut down.
And that takes time and funding.
/ random ponderment.
I did answer the question.
"Those I knew and served with would have.."
Understood?
Same reporter.
Of course. Which is why they have to create stories like with with Rumsfeld.
Prairie
You are wrong.
It IS about money.
We send Africa $15 billion and we do not equip our Army properly. We have a $2 trillion plus budget and we spend so much on domestic and global welfare that we do not have enough money to spend on our military. Russia has developed ICBMs with maneuverable warheads and final stages using scramjet technology and we are not seriously developing an ABM system.
You are so wrong. It is about money. It is about the money we waste. It is the fact we spend less on our military in 2005 as a percent of total spending than we spent in 1993! The world is getting much more dangerous, and we are spending less on Defense (as a percent of total spending) than we did 12 years ago!
It IS about money.
Did you site a link? I did not see it in reading this drudge article.. unless I missed it.
""Otheriwse, he didn't give a s**t?""
Exactly. His is the only ass he is worried about.
Thanks. I checked it out and it sure is an unfortunate use of a terribly tired tirade!!!
It's my right to publically celebrate Christmas and state my faith in Christ. At least for now
Read that.. Did you hear about Macy's? Boycott those bastards!
"If it was bogus then why didn't the newspaper that ran it simply deny it was legitimate? Instead they simply said "no comment""
I didn't say it was bogus. I said it looked suspicious and that I'd wait for confirmation before commenting. Big difference.
Con artist.
Same reporter .. but different story then what was reported yesterday
For as much as that says, yes.
See post 34.
They are going to use the armored vehicles of the relieved unit.
It does seem strange that they are bringing their new vehicles at all. I guess the new vehicles they bring are going to be armored in time, or armor from the old ones transferred to them when the old ones are taken out of service.
Welcome.
Couldn't place my finger on where I'd heard that line before until I saw your post and Grandpa Dave's discussing it.
Well, obviously the media was biased toward Clinton, so even if it was occurring, no reporter would go to these lengths to 'expose' it.
"Also I know for a fact that folks have been buying kevlar vests and sending to their kids who are serving over there, (we sent 2 to our nephews at a cost of $1.500 bucks) Kinda unheard of in my lifetime."
Again, no media outlet talked about such things under Clinton. It may well have been happening. . .we just don't know.
"I think its rather cheap of you to try and politicize the situation."
It's not 'politicizing' the situation to state the truth - the military was sorely neglected under Clinton.
Did the reporter also manufacture all the cheering from the other troops when the question was asked? Clearly, this armament problem is on the minds of these troops. Rush and other Rumsfeld apologists want to change the subject. They don't support the troops, they support Rumsfeld and whatever steps or missteps he makes.
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