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

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

No doubt. The sources for this story are probably generals or civilian GS-15s who are bent out of shape because they've spent their whole lives being careerist politicians but their silly little political games just aren't flying anymore under Rumsfeld.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Disgruntled ex-employees are usually very credible sources. /sarcasm

[reformedliberal]

W's poll numbers are high. There is no way they are going to undermine him until after the war, when they'll pile on, once again. Colin came in for his time as target #1, and then they caught Perle out and now it is Rummy's turn.

The enemy is just trying to divide & decimate our team; they don't care which member they attack, as long as it perceived as weakening the Administration.

I think they really believe that they can change American opinion if they just get rid of the Bush Administration. They are fools. (but we already know that)

I have received looks of pure venom from otherwise intelligent professionals when I tell them I adore Rumsfeld. They simply cannot believe it.

[truth_seeker]

Go read this Wash. Post story.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48265-2003Mar29.html

It sounds like we are in real trouble, and that Rumsfeld is the culprit.

According to the article, the war is now at a standoff, and our only hope is to wait for reinforcements.

Putting it in other words, I guess we are now "bogged down" in a "quagmire."

It must be the standard mantra, for Week Two of any military action. "Week Two: Quagmire"

Debka says Uday is unleashing his 800,000 strong militias on us with suicide tactics.

I'm thinking a nuke on Tikrit might even things up, at this critical time.

Fox News just announced we have been moving, now 15 miles from Baghdad. We made good progress, during the "Pause."

I wonder if we have a couple of divisions stashed secretly somewhere, out of media sight?

[San Jacinto]

Gee, a negative article by a frence source!

It's not really a French source, but it is about as bad. This article is referring to the edition of New Yorker magazine coming out next week. Seymour Hersh, who has strong ties to the DemocRats wrote it, and he quotes "former officials", which is probably code for "Clinton people."

Despite all that, I see no reason to doubt the basic premise of the article. Who would not think Rummy would overrule Pentagon generals who wanted a lot bigger force in Iraq? Nothing so far has proven Rummy wrong, assuming he did ordain going forward with a smaller, more mobile force than the old schoolers would have preferred.

Here is what is going on, IMHO. The anti-Bushers know this operation will succeed, but they fully intend to brand it as ill-conceived and mis-managed, no matter the success of the outcome. This bogus noise that we "underestimated" the enemy is the best they have come up with so far.

Saddam Hussein could jump off a building tonight live on Aljazeera TV, and there would be articles written that we thought he was goint to jump last week and our intelligence did not know what floor he would jump from.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Timing: The intel data that located Saddamn in a particular bunker at a particular time "may" have the trigger: which could likely be earlier than what Franks would have preferred. But taking Saddamn out/knocking him unconscious for weeks) is so crucial that moving up operations is worth the problems it causes.

If Rummy (at some point in time) said 1 div (and we've got much more than that in-country!) but somebody else said 4 div's; this writer can claim "everything is the truth" .....

Make sense? The writer is stretching some few small kernels of truth here into a full propaganda piece against Rummy.

[js1138]

The real joker in this is that (I'm willing to bet) this is all disinformation. The body count in this war is scarcely higher than that of doing nothing at all (Cole). I'm willing to bet the press has no idea where we are and what we are doing.

[Hoverbug]

I may be confused, but the link goes to:

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6210928%255E1702,00.html

who credits the original story to:

Agence France-Presse

I saw a thread about Seymour Hersh, but I think that's a different article.

I should have said "putting a negative spin" maybe.

"Saddam Hussein could jump off a building tonight live on Aljazeera TV, and there would be articles written that we thought he was goint to jump last week and our intelligence did not know what floor he would jump from."

With that paragraph and the prior paragraph you wrote, I think you've absolutely nailed it my friend! They're grasping at any straw available, including the ones they can manufacture.

Take care!
Hb

[Hugin]

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.

Then they would be fighting in 90+ degree heat and these guys would be b*tching that Rumsfeld waited too long.

The bottom line is that this has been a successful operation so far. We took the oil fields intact, and we soon will have Baghdad surrounded. At that point we will have won a strategic victory, and we can take all the time we need to bring up reinforcements and attrit Saddam's forces.

[Matchett-PI]

"Anyway, I expect to hear a lot of this: Rummy is the bad guy." ~ Wphile

That's what we get for keeping all these Clinton hold-overs in the State Department and the Pentagon.

Remember this nitwit? I wonder if she's still there:

November 13, 1997

Nicholson Calls On Assistant Army Secretary To Step Down
Lister Calls Marines "Dangerous," "Extremists"

Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson today called on Assistant Secretary of the Army Sara E. Lister to resign her position, following a speech in which she referred to U.S. Marines as "extremists," and "a little dangerous."

"It's astonishing that Secretary Lister has chosen to denigrate the Marine Corps, and it is absolutely unacceptable to have a person with this kind of mindset in a position of power at the Pentagon," Nicholson said. "For the good of the morale of America's Armed Forces, she should publicly apologize and resign immediately."

Lister, one of President Clinton's Pentagon appointees, told a panel of academics and military personnel at Harvard
University's Olin Institute in Baltimore on October 26, that "The Marines are extremists. Wherever you have extremists, you've got some risks of total disconnection with society. And that's a little dangerous."

"These 'extremists' have fought and died for our country for
more than two centuries," Nicholson said, noting that the Marine Corps celebrated its 222nd anniversary November 10. "Service secretaries are supposed to support our men and women in uniform, not publicly degrade their valor. Her remarks serve as evidence of her ignorance about what it takes to assemble and maintain an effective fighting unit."

Nicholson, a retired Army colonel, Army Ranger in Vietnam and West Point graduate, said Lister's comments are reflective of what he called the Clinton Administration's anti-military attitude.

"Bill Clinton wrote that he 'loathed' the military and he's
apparently appointed people who share his anti-military view," Nicholson said.

Rising tensions between the U.S. and Iraq also demonstrate
the need for effective military leadership. "A person with such a negative attitude toward the patriots who serve in uniform has no business in any military organization," Nicholson said.

"With this administration contemplating the use of military force in response to Saddam Hussein's lawless arrogance, it is inexcusable for the Assistant Secretary of the Army to insult the very men and women who would be on the front lines."

[Enemy Of The State]

I dont doubt the validity of this report. For one, the French would love the opportunity to rub something in our face and two, I heard the same report on the radio yesterday. It would not be the first time the suits haven't listened to the generals.

[San Jacinto]

You are absolutely right that this thread links to an article from a French magazine, but is is simply an article about the New Yorker article coming out next week. All of the quotes are from the New Yorker article, which apparently has been pre-distributed to certain other outlets for the purpose of advance publicity. I am sure the French publisher was more than willing to oblige. As you indicated, "spin" is the proper verb.

[San Jacinto]

The writer is stretching some few small kernels of truth here into a full propaganda piece against Rummy.

Surely, you are not suggesting Seymour Hersh would "spin" an article, are you? For shame.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Unfortunately, a lot of these clowns are still in government. Hell, we're still dealing with whacko activist judges that peanut-head Carter appointed. The U.S. Government needs a serious enema.

[VadeRetro]

Sky falling ... quagmire ... miscalculation ... film at 11.

[Hoverbug]

Thanks! You dug deeper than I did.

So now the french are getting their anti-American propaganda from our own publications.

Why am I not surprised! ;-)

Hb

[meyer]

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

France hates decision makers!

[auboy]

It would not be the first time the suits haven't listened to the generals.

The man in this suit (Rumsfeld) is brillant. Some generals are not. The name Shineski comes to mind. Remember his "beret" idea?

[Kevin Curry]

The name Shineski

You mean Shinseki?

The beret was a bad idea. Tha doesn't mean the man is stupid.

[auboy]

brillant should read brilliant… which I ain't.