Don Rumsfeld at Princeton
Posted on 11/13/2006 3:10:19 PM PST by neverdem
The outgoing defense secretary was too focused on transforming the military, and failed to plan for achieving political goals in Iraq.
DONALD RUMSFELD had the chance to be one of the great American heroes of all time. He held office at a moment of enormous danger. He had many admirable qualities necessary for success. But like the tragic heroes of old, hubris and inflexibility made vices of his virtues, leading to his own fall and the collapse of his life's work.
Rumsfeld was in many ways ideally suited to be secretary of Defense in the wake of 9/11. His experience in the same position under President Ford and as ambassador to NATO seemed to fit him to the task of overseeing a complex military coalition. His determination and self-confidence were essential in a wartime secretary — and unusual in recent times. When he showed, early in his tenure, that he meant to take positive control of the Pentagon's sprawling bureaucracy, many observers cheered. This was precisely the sort of man the nation needed at the military's helm at a time of crisis.
As former CIA Director Robert Gates prepares to succeed Rumsfeld, the chorus is already rising to declare that Gates must be more open to advice from the military, more of a consensus-builder than a tyrant. Perhaps. It isn't clear how a more open secretary of Defense would have fared given the advice the military gave Rumsfeld.
Belief in the value of technology and the need for light, swift ground forces pervaded the senior military leadership in the 1990s. Then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki had launched an ambitious program to "lighten" the Army and equip it with advanced precision weapons. Shinseki certainly warned that more troops would be needed to secure Iraq in the wake of major...
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Don Rumsfeld at Princeton
This author is an idiot....thank you...
wow, what a hunk.
movie star handsome...
I don't agree with the author. Rummie got knifed in the back by the entrenched bureaucracy at the Pentagon, aided and abetted by the the M$M. Contrary to popular belief, we won the war - handily. And we have won the peace. Sadaam is going to be executed soon and an elected government friendly to the US is in power. Reconstruction has reached the point where more oil is pumped and more electric power generated than before the war. Yes casualties are still ocurring. One way or another US troops are a target. Personally I prefer to fight Al-queda and their ilk overseas, rather than here in the CONUS. Did anybody think that Iraq was going to look like Kansas when this was done? They've been killing each other for millenia over there.
M$M
I prefer emedia
I can't be bothered to read the link - I've read more than I ever intended about Rummy over the last week. I'd be surpised if it is a serious article and it doesn't allude to the following self evident truths in the post rummy era:
He was bang on right about the flexible lightweight army as a machine to beat an a nation state army. None of this Powell doctrine crap: he had Iraq's dictators out via the wonders of technology, determination and cajones with about a quarter of the numbers and cost CP would want.
He was wrong about the lightweight army model for low intensity guerilla resistance and winning a spurious 'peace'. It will never work. You gotta have a dirty, brutal, unconventional war against terrorist fruitcakes nutters - or admit defeat. They're the only choices in these situations. Sadly not too many see that at the moment.
See US operations in the Phillipines and the Brits in Malaysia for how its done. LONG term commitment is required and years of patient action to get success.
The jerk that wrote the article couldn't shine Rummy's shoes.
frederick is so far up himself he deserves honorable mention. How, just how did he do it?
I agree..I think Rummy tried very hard to clean the Pentagon up when he took over..and get rid of some of the career liberal plutocrats who constantly threw anything they could into the mix to make things go wrong. He was cut off at the knees and sadly is the last of the old school true warriers who could do the job. He accepted responsibility..it will be interesting to see just what is left to stop the madness the DIMS have going on now..veto power?? Probably all there is.
I agree..I think Rummy tried very hard to clean the Pentagon up when he took over..and get rid of some of the career liberal plutocrats who constantly threw anything they could into the mix to make things go wrong. He was cut off at the knees and sadly is the last of the old school true warriers who could do the job. He accepted responsibility..it will be interesting to see just what is left to stop the madness the DIMS have going on now..veto power?? Probably all there is.
Why isn't the Department of State taking more heat (hello, Fmr. Secetrary Powell) for the political failures in Iraq?
Politics is State's domain, breaking things is Defense's.
You mean he is another Dincon lurching for the tar-pit of historic failures. YEAH, we should have rebuilt the Cold War Military to face a new threat. That would of been really "smart"
NOT.
The problem as usual is the Dincons are far too arrogant to realize all their pat dogmas are nonsense in dealing with a Counter Insurgency. The top brass and Rummy KNEW this. The Dinocon "think tanks" and the Defense Contractors LOATH them for it.
The DC Old Boy's Club wanted to use 09-11-01 as and excuse to rebuild the SAME Cold War Military machine that faced the Sovs across the Fulda Gap. Rummy said no. And he was right to say no. That is why the DC Old Boy's Club hates him. All the rest of this is nonsese from the Establishement noise machine to make sure his successors know to play ball next time.
This is a policy song of total ignorance sung by Defense spending pork barrel whores is without even a touch of contact with current military needs.
The force they advocate building is designed for ONE mission. Fight another heavy armor force. We face no such threat. Even the Chinese cannot field such an army. It is trying to go back to WW 2 to determine what doctrine to use for the War on Islamic Fascism. It is a doctrine of total and utter stupidity. It would be like Patton looking to World War 1 to decide how to fight World War 2.
This policy is designed for ONE thing. To make Defense Contractors and corrupt Congress critters rich.
The Russian tried this Dincon doctrine in Afghanistan. How did that work out for them? We sent 500,000 troops to Vietnam. How did that work?
The Dincons are too ignorant to admit they have NO idea how to fight an Counter Insurgency and too arrogant to get out of the way of the team that all ready have won two. Afghanistan and Iraq.
READ the data ONE time Please? Could the Dinocons quit clinging to their emotion based faith in their own infallibility and actually READ the facts?
Counter Insurgency is not the same mission as a Conventional War. Way past time the Dincons stop screaming the same song over and over and over and learn the FACTS on Iraq.
http://icasualties.org/oif/
http://icasualties.org/oif/IraqiDeaths.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Security_Forces
Fixed
Now if it were Secretary of Defense Frederick W. Kagan, we would be living in utopia....
Bastards!! More like "Rumsfeld's mediaWHORE-inflicted wounds"! God forgive me for what I am thinking right now of the mediaCLYMERS!!
Although it's close to a tie, Rummy is the 2nd best Defense Secretary we ever had!
Next to Dick Cheney. : )
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