[cake_crumb]

"OTOH, the soldiers themselves involved may have not been out of line in that their three principle traditional duties have always been to kill people, break things, and belly ache about the CO."

Yep, that's pretty much their job description.

However, it should frighten everyone reading this that a reporter can so easily taint a military Q&A. Tarl had it exactly right by saying Pitt's eploit has caused devisiveness between command and the enlisted men.

A member of the brass can't walk in to reassure his men by answering their questions now without wondering whether a reporter is carrying a loaded question, to be fired at him by a soldier with HIS (officer rank and name here) name in it. Wich is exactly what Rummy was doing. IMO, that rift was Pitts' entire objective.

[expat_panama]

the brass can't walk in to reassure his men by answering their questions now without wondering ...  ...that rift was Pitts' entire objective.

Excellent point. 

OTOH, this whole caper is so shameless that it's going to be quite a while before anyone trusts an imbed again.  The rift between the MSM and the planet earth just got bigger too.