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In Rumsfeld's defense, by Newt Gingrich
BaltimoreSun.com ^ | December 22, 2004 | Newt Gingrich

Posted on 12/22/2004 11:47:17 AM PST by OESY

...Even during ongoing military campaigns, Mr. Rumsfeld never wavered from his transformational objectives.... Mr. Rumsfeld, with the brilliant leadership of General Schoomaker, was able to move personnel from noncombat to combat units, enabling them with additional reorganization to create 15 newly restructured combat brigades.

Also, because of Mr. Rumsfeld's successful plan, our military is more flexible, more agile and better able to fight unconventional enemies.

A new civilian personnel system was designed to reward merit, reduce force stress and replace a bureaucratic culture of risk aversion with one of innovation.

Moreover, he was able to move military personnel out of jobs that should be and are now held by civilians....

At the same time, Mr. Rumsfeld directed the global war on terrorism through the Special Operations Command.... [which] resulted in three-fourths of al-Qaida's senior leadership being killed or captured, while... Osama... remains... powerless....

Finally, there is the question of Iraq. The military performed brilliantly in the 23-day campaign led by Gen. Tommy Franks that defeated the dangerous Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein.

Today, Mr. Rumsfeld is working closely with the ambassador to Iraq, John D. Negroponte, to help create an interim government, build up the Iraq military and help Iraqis regain control over their own country.

Yet Mr. Rumsfeld is being used as a target by those who either oppose American military involvement in Iraq or lack the ability to understand or communicate the difficulty and the importance of defeating the insurgency inside Iraq and creating a stable elected government.

Mr. Rumsfeld, standing on his remarkable record of achievement, is far too effective a defense secretary for any serious student of recent American history to think that he should be replaced....

Mr. Rumsfeld's critics are off the mark. The military, under Mr. Rumsfeld's leadership, is our finest example of what works.

(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; armorflap; army; bush; bushdoctrineunfolds; coldwar; defense; geraldford; gingrich; iraq; malaysia; military; negroponte; newtadulterer; osama; pakistan; pentagon; philippines; qaeda; qaida; rumsfeld; saddam; schoomaker; specialoperations; taaliban; thailand; thyrodtothystaff; tommyfranks; transformation; warsawpact; women; yemen
Newt Gingrich, a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is author of the forthcoming book Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract with America.
1 posted on 12/22/2004 11:47:23 AM PST by OESY
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To: OESY

Rumsfeld now briefing at the Pentagon on Fox, MSNBC, CNN.


2 posted on 12/22/2004 12:01:24 PM PST by OESY
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To: OESY; Grampa Dave

Excellent answer to the Leftists......


3 posted on 12/22/2004 12:02:33 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: OESY

The left will do anything to undermine or leadership and our country.


4 posted on 12/22/2004 12:04:04 PM PST by Conspiracy Guy (For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, ... Remember this.)
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To: OESY
Yet Mr. Rumsfeld is being used as a target by those who either oppose American military involvement in Iraq or lack the ability to understand or communicate the difficulty and the importance of defeating the insurgency inside Iraq and creating a stable elected government.

Wrong as usual NEWT

They are trying to take Rumy down to get at Bush
5 posted on 12/22/2004 12:22:26 PM PST by uncbob
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To: uncbob
They are trying to take Rumy down to get at Bush

Not entirely. While it is true that they are trying to get Bush, neither mediots not Congressional brahmins can stand being treated as the traitorous idiots that they so often are. Rumsfeld pulls no punches in that regard. This is payback and it's personal.

6 posted on 12/22/2004 12:45:47 PM PST by Carry_Okie (There are people in power who are truly evil.)
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To: OESY
I don't suppose the idiot Leftist swine will compare this war to any other conflict. If they did, they would have to admit that this war has been relatively bloodless.

At the height of WWII we lost 5,000 a day. We didn't whine. We didn't complain. We didn't talk about "bringing the troops home." We didn't say it was an unwinnable war. We kept on.

Without the global socialist media, the Islamic fascists would be seen to be the most inept warriors in human history. And that's what they are. It only appears otherwise because idiot liberals think it's trendy to talk down the war.

7 posted on 12/22/2004 1:24:14 PM PST by Reactionary
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To: Reactionary

Words of wisdom!! Talk about losing perspective from wars of the past. Thats what the lefties do, though. The sad part is we probably would have crushed the insurgency by now if it wasnt for the MSM scum giving press, aid & comfort to the enemy every time they behead a hostage, blow up a humvee, kill innocent civilians, etc.


8 posted on 12/22/2004 1:53:33 PM PST by wingsof liberty (Marines - the few, the proud, the best!!)
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To: Carry_Okie
Not entirely. While it is true that they are trying to get Bush, neither mediots not Congressional brahmins can stand being treated as the traitorous idiots that they so often are. Rumsfeld pulls no punches in that regard. This is payback and it's personal.

Probably so
9 posted on 12/22/2004 5:52:13 PM PST by uncbob
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To: OESY



Support Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

President Bush has reaffirmed his faith in Donald Rumsfeld by asking him to remain in his cabinet for his second term. We stand with our president and the leadership of the Republican Party who have expressed their confidence in Secretary Rumsfeld.

We express our steadfast support for Sec. Rumsfeld, and we urge President Bush to reject any efforts by the media, liberal detractors, or disloyal Republicans to push for Rumsfeld's resignation or ouster. In times of war, there is no place for playing politics with the Department of Defense.

>> Sign the Petition!


10 posted on 12/22/2004 8:17:59 PM PST by danamco
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To: OESY

www.gopusa.com/activist/petitions

Online Activist -- Rumsfeld Petition



Support Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

President Bush has reaffirmed his faith in Donald Rumsfeld by asking him to remain in his cabinet for his second term. We stand with our president and the leadership of the Republican Party who have expressed their confidence in Secretary Rumsfeld.

We express our steadfast support for Sec. Rumsfeld, and we urge President Bush to reject any efforts by the media, liberal detractors, or disloyal Republicans to push for Rumsfeld's resignation or ouster. In times of war, there is no place for playing politics with the Department of Defense.

>> Sign the Petition!



11 posted on 12/22/2004 8:40:26 PM PST by danamco
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