Rumsfeld Blasts Top Brass

ny daily news ^ | 3.29.2 | RICHARD SISK

[Pancho13]

Why is it so wrong for these top officers, responsible for the lives of so many to tell the truth as they see it to Congress? Has the administration finally gone around the bend in its attempt to stifle any honest examination of their conduct? What do y'all think?

[wardaddy]

I think I would avoid pissing off Rummy.

[Naspino]

I think loose lips sink ships and an officer in the military should FREAKING know better. Also I think there is a chain of command and military officers should honor that. Also I think there are people in this world that are consistently pessimistic. In my business I come across lots of people who say "Thats impossible, we can't do that." Then -- amazingly we do it.

[DSHambone]

Top officers clear stuff with their superior before shooting off at the lip...if that is a burden they cannot stand they can become civilians.

[Iris7]

The higher up the brass, the less they know about what is really going on. Political appointees included.

[RetiredArmy]

Because you don't GIVE AWAY TATICAL INFORMATION! Not how many people we have there, how many tanks, planes or bullets. You don't let the bad guys know this publically!. This could have been put out in some type of security briefing in private without TELLING THE BAD GUYS what OUR STATUS IS!

[sissyjane]

Mary Jo paging Mary Jo!

[cajungirl]

Well I don't know if we ought to be broadcasting shortages, real or imagined. I was surprised Rummy dressed them down in public but he was asked about it and Rummy always answers if it isn't about secret stuff.

[dljordan]

The government hides behind lies. If people start telling the truth what would happen to the government?

[thinktwice]

"we are busier than we have ever been."

The U.S. Army has had some busy moments over the past 200+ years.

[Poohbah]

Because one does NOT broadcast information like this to the enemy, that's why.

Also, re US troops needing rest: I'm closer to the troops than Kernan is, and they're saying "LET'S ROLL," not "let's rest."

[reflecting]

In war time, you do not say publicly "we are tired, and we are running out of bullets." When the generals have concerns the appropriate channel of communication does not include C-span.

[fogarty]

By all means, avoid telling the truth about military readiness, especially in front of the duly elected, constitutionally mandated representatives in Congress. Just in case most people forgot, it is the US Congress, that retains the power to wage war. I would say that Rummy was out of line on this one. And he was definitely out of line for doing this in public, rather than taking these officers in private and chewing their ass. As it is right now, this will now attract ever more media scrutiny.

And I guess we'll find out soon enough whether these officers were telling us true about our readiness. (Hmm seems to me Bush and Rummy were singing a different tune about readiness 14 months ago....maybe they actually think they solved a decade worth of deterioration in only a year?)

[Eugene Tackleberry]

Retired Rear Adm. Eugene Carroll

Is this the guy who is always critical of the US military and used to have that show "America's Defense Monitor," or am I confusing him with someone else?

[Poohbah]

Same guy. Thinks he's a military genius and everyone else is stupid.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

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[Freedom'sWorthIt]

I think we are in a war. Would American Generals have said such during World War II to the Nazi's????

I would like to find out if these guys - Army Gen. William Kernan and Adm. Robert Natter - were appointed by Clintonistas......just curious.

Interesting that when Clinton had our people spread out over the entire world, never one word from the press or the Demoncreeps in Congress about our service men and women being tired or overtaxed or spread out too thin.....but plenty of conservative critics said so.

[fogarty]

And what would you suggest the good general do when questioned by a House panel, including members of the Armed Services committee? Lie to them? The dressing down of these officers should have been done in private - away from media scrutiny. As it is now, Rummy has just increased the media coverage of this issue.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

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