Rumsfeld 'micromanaging': report

Agence France-Presse (AFP) ^ | 3-30-03

[Oldeconomybuyer]

SENIOR US war planners have accused Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld of "micromanaging" operations in Iraq and ignoring recommendations from military officials, The New Yorker magazine has reported.

"He thought he knew better. He was the decision-maker at every turn," one senior planner told the magazine, in its edition to be released on Monday.

Planners with the Joint Chiefs of Staff had recommended deploying four or more Army divisions, which Rumsfeld rejected, the report said.

Their plan also called for shipping by sea hundreds of tanks and other heavy vehicles - enough for three or four divisions - in advance, but Rumsfeld chose to rely on equipment already in Kuwait, which was enough for one division, the report said.

After Turkey's parliament shocked war planners by refusing to allow tens of thousands of US troops to enter Iraq from Turkish soil, General Tommy Franks, head of US Central Command, had argued for delaying the war until those forces could enter from another route, it said.

But a former intelligence official said Rumsfeld "overruled him".

"This is tragic. American lives are being lost," one senior planner told the magazine.

Another former intelligence official accused Syria and Turkey of working together "to screw us in the north -- to cause us problems ... Syria and the Iranians agreed that they could not let an American occupation of Iraq stand".

Agence France-Presse

[Oldeconomybuyer]

He was the decision-maker at every turn...

And this is a bad thing? Bun'cha whiners in the Pentagon.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Based on the demonstrated credibility of France, I see no reason whatsoever to believe a word of this report.

[bert]

The long knives of the displaced Clintonites are out in full view.

Life as a Clinton guy really sucks

[goldstategop]

A report from Agence France Presse is as credible as a report from Reuters.

[billorites]

Some colonel or general has his nose out of joint so he whines to the press.

Probably got snubbed in the Officer's Mess.

[Rome2000]

Who would have thought the Secretary of Defense would be making decisions about how to fight a war?

Next thing you know the Commander in Chief will be calling the shots.

[Hoverbug]

Gee, a negative article by a frence source! This is very series! NOT

BAWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[txzman]

All that is happening is that the press is so looking for a "disaster" story on Iraq that it is printing all the whining comments from those at the Pentagon who have had their feathers ruffled by Rummy.

They know it, the press knows it and I think alot of the public knows it.

[steplock]

I was about to really start cussing our side for micromanaging (after Johnson/mcnamara/clark disasters) until I say WHO the report came from.

I didn't bother reading past that point.

[Wphile]

Well, actually this is based on a report that is going to be published in the New Yorker Magazine on Monday. Anyway, I expect to hear a lot of this: Rummy is the bad guy.

I'm not sure if it will be a full court press but this sort of thing seems to be popping up with greater frequency and will probably build some steam. The press need to have a bad guy and if the consensus is it's Rummy, then they will all go for it. They have already started with their peppering of questions concerning the length of the war and the assertion that we don't have enough troops.

The ones who really piss me off are the arm-chair generals - all retired - who come out of nowhere and lambaste Rummy for not having enough troops or some such thing. Rummy is trying to shake things up in the Pentagon and we all know that most people do not like change and that is particularly so in an organization such as the Pentagon I would think.

[RobbyS]

"This is tragic. American lives are being lost," one senior planner told the magazine Why are they ignoring the successes? As for waiting, it was waiting that lost the battle for the Germans at Kurst salient during WWII. Hitler delayed the attack fot two months to reinforce the two armies carryin out the attack. Meanwhile the Ruussian brought up enough guns to out weigh the additional German armor that had been added. Timing is everything.

[TC Rider]

SENIOR US war planners - Clintonoids
one senior planner - Clinton Appointee
a former intelligence official - James Carville
one senior planner - Warren Christoper
Another former intelligence official - Janet Reno

[magua]

cowards no name cowards put your name on the info cowards.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Rumsfeld has a love/hate relationship with many in the Pentagon press corps and a handful of whiners at the Pentagon. They have been taken to the woodshed so many times by Rummy that any minor bump in the road leads to articles like this.

As an example of press corp bi%ch-slapping, Rumsfeld told CNN's Jamie McIntyre that the answer to his question was "self-evident". Ouch!

[chgomac]

It's the Clinton General Shineski yapping and snapping....he ought to join his pal Clark on the CNN campaign trail.

[guitfiddlist]

Agence France-Presse (AFP) ^ | 3-30-03

SENIOR US war planners have accused Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld of "micromanaging" operations in Iraq and ignoring recommendations from military officials, The New Yorker magazine has reported.

Three wrong things with this article. The first two obvious - and the third - no names for these "senior war planners". Could be the writer's cousins for all we know. The Left is getting sloppily transparent with its propaganda.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

This is hugh!!

[ejdrapes]

It's Rumsfeld's turn to be taken to the woodshed. In the diplomatic phase in the run up to the war it was Powell who took the pot shots. Now it's Rummy's turn. It's really sad because most of these critics don't know what the hell they're talking about but yet think they're smarter than Rumsfeld and the commanders prosecuting the war.

[Dog Gone]

But a former intelligence official said Rumsfeld "overruled him".

Aw, I guess Rumsfeld fired his butt.

[Anticommie]

Rumsfeld 'micromanaging': report

I love Rumsfeld's statement he made yeasterday at press conf, quote: "If they (Iraquis) want to fight and die for Saddam Hussein we are going to accomodate them" unquote. This guy is shurely not infected with PC!