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...
Look Neville,we all know exactly who you are and where you're coming from.Even Murray Mom hasn't posted as many anti-GOP/Conservative threads and replies as you have.
Doesnt' really matter. We won the damn election. We have a solid blessed year when we can ignore les batardes. But let's keep their feet to the fire anyway. Don't let them get away with a thing.
I agree that it's not the role of reporters 1) to put questions in the mouths of their subjects, or even 2) to refine the wording of questions that their subjects have come up with on their own (which, according to the memo that's causing all the comotion, is what happened here). But that doesn't take away from the armament issue. It seems that's not an issue that Rush wants to talk about. How is that supporting the troops?
I understand. There are people on this thread that heard it, I didn't. I read the trans., and believe the people on this thread (the ones that weren't yanked at least!)
Indeed, so lets get the troops the armament they need.
The armoire shortage is no secret.
Wrong! They cheered before Rumsfeld actually HEARD the question, and asked for it to be repeated.
They cheered because one of their main problems was FINALLY being addressed in public.
"The only "armor" I ever saw on wheeled vehicles in 67-68 was a layer of sandbags on the floorboards."
A prime example of how our military wins battles and wars with "Can Do attitudes instead of Whining like lefties!"
Freepmail.
*sorry if I wasn't so clear*
Exactly.
I was just going by what I read in the transcript and pulled for post 625...
If there was cheering prior to that i missed it in the transcript.
He was an embedded reporter for Businessweek during the Iraq war in 2003. He wrote personal essays about his harrowing experience. He was with that NBC reporter David Bloom when he died and accompanied his body on a helicopter to the morgue.
There was too much going on during the war for him to be feeding soldiers questions. Sounds like this Pitts guy has been with his division for a lot longer and has a bigger agenda than my brother,who was just trying not to get killed and report the facts !
What reaction of the media? Reporting the positive reactions of the troops when the question was asked to Rumsfeld?
It is good thing that these whiners weren't around in WWII.
Any survivors on our side would be speaking German on the East Coast and Japanese on the West Coast with the fly over country bombed to kill those who refused to speak German or Japanese.
I'm beginning to think it is choreographed.
And THAT IS the singular, one and only point of this whole story. The rest is pretty typical of the military.
My first born son was in the airforce and came home and complained that they had to canabalize the avionics from some helicopters to keep others flying during peacetime. That's why the military has the saying "Situation NORMAL... All Futzed Up!!!" (as in SNAFU). Stuff HAPPENS!
But we have no knowledge that any of the "some" unarmored vehicles would have been occupied.
If over half of the unit was flying in, obviously some of the vehicles were planned to be trucked in, not driven.
http://209.215.156.25/Pressrel/04Dec/04-61%20Statement%20on%20Rumsfeld%20question%2008%20Dec%2004.htm
Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett, Adjutant General of Tennessee
Statement on questions by 278th Soldier to Secretary Rumsfeld
...I have been assured that no 278th soldier will go forward in a vehicle without at least “level 3” armor.
According to my information, 278th Vehicles that are not armored will be trucked forward and will not be occupied by soldiers... "
it's always ego that leads to a fall ... this feller was so proud of himself he just HAD to send an e-paper trail that led back to him ... i'm glad these people can't keep their mouths shut
Does that change ANYTHING regarding what Rumsfeld was asked? And the fact that the questioner was cheered?
BTTT
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