Rumsfeld, Myers Praise Progress in War on Terror [Press lies hurt troops more than missions!]

DoD - American Forces Press Service ^ | Aug. 5, 2003 | Jim Garamone

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Rumsfeld, Myers Praise Progress in War on Terror

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2003 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld stressed the progress the coalition is making in Iraq in the security, political and economic spheres.

Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers spoke at a Pentagon press conference today. Myers reported on his recent trip to the region – including stops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rumsfeld said the security situation in Iraq has improved. The deaths of Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay have served as a catalyst to convince average Iraqis that the Baathist regime is not coming back. "As a result, more Iraqis are coming forward to help as the coalition works to get the country back on a path to stability and self-government," Rumsfeld said.

As more Iraqis deliver information, coalition forces follow with raids that have netted hundreds of Baath Party supporters, ammunition and weapons, he said. Coalition forces have also captured or killed 38 of the 55 "most wanted" leaders of the former regime and "the forces have confiscated millions of dollars – money that could have been used … to pay dead-enders to ambush American and British troops."

There have been impressive strides on the political side as well, Rumsfeld noted. Many cities and towns have set up councils that work with coalition forces to govern the areas. At the national level, the Iraqi Governing Council has met and is taking charge. It is working to find and appoint people to lead the various ministries in a reconstituted Iraq and will soon begin the process for a new Iraqi constitution.

Economically, the coalition has started the flow of oil out of Iraq, he continued. This promises to ensure the future well being of the country.

Myers also spoke about conditions in the region. He traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, India, Pakistan and Oman in late July. He said he wanted to get a "feel for the pulse of the coalition operations" in the region.

The general said the most important "takeaway" in Iraq was that coalition forces are making "incredible, remarkable strides toward the security and stability of Iraq."

He stated that U.S. soldiers "understand the mission, understand why they are in Iraq and they understand the greater mission in which the war in Iraq is just one part."

"I couldn't be more impressed with our forces or with their progress in Iraq," he said. He acknowledged that more needs to be done and that the conditions for American forces are still dangerous and primitive.

Myers said that in India he met with his counterpart and discussed improving military-to-military ties. In Pakistan, he discussed operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. These operations are designed to track down the remnants of the Taliban and al Qaeda still in the area.

In Afghanistan, Myers visited a provincial reconstruction team in the outpost of Gardez. The area was the heart of the al Qaeda-Taliban movement. "The PRTs not only create a positive effect on how the Afghan people view the coalition, but in how the people view their government," he said. "As in Iraq, I was impressed with the mission accomplishments that we're making.

"In general, the biggest shortcoming from Iraq to Afghanistan is not the accomplishment of the mission as much as it is getting the word out about the successes we're achieving every day."

8 DoD News Briefing - Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers - DoD | 8/05/03 | Rumsfeld, Myers, media

[Poohbah]

Raed the posts over at DU lamenting the fact that no US soldiers have been killed in combat the last 5 days.

YGBSM!

[TEXOKIE]

BUMP!!

Thank you so much for your work and holding the torch in this matter for our troops!

Please add me to the ping list.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The Existential Poetry of Donald H. Rumsfeld

Lol! Playing with the minds feelings of the French left?

It's on my Christmas wish list. Thanks for the reminder. (^:

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Done. Thanks, dixie!

[PhiKapMom]

My son saw it in the bookstore and said he chose that over Lying History by H. Clinton. He knew if he wanted any more food from this house that Rumsfeld would be the choice!

It is great! Gives me a laugh when I get irritated!

[PhiKapMom]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it!

[The UnVeiled Lady]

read some good stories in Human Events:
a soldier said more the Iraqis see that our soldiers don't start any violence, and try to be friendly and compassionate to children and the elderly, the more their hostility dissolves. "I saw a bunch of 19 year olds from the 82nd Airborne not return fire coming from a mosque until they got a group of elderly civilians out of harm's way. So did the Iraqis"

When some enemy combatants rounded up women and children as human shields, the soldiers negotiated their release. When a young girl was discovered thrown down the stairs after the standoff, " the G.I.'s called in a MedVac helicopter to take her and her mother to the nearest field hospital. the Iraqis watched it all and there hasn't been a problem in that neighborhood since.

How many such stories and there are hndreds of them ever get reported in the fair and balanced press? You know, NADA.

End of HE,
but my question is WHY ISN'T FOXNEWS TELLING THESE STORIES?????

[Aaron0617]

Are there more stories like that? What is this Human Events website?

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

#15, lol! Thanks!

Our little helper (was) in Iraq: So-called "Voice Of Free Iraq" is a clymer [repeated airing 9-11 film called "pornographic"] ^

[The UnVeiled Lady]

Human Events is a Conservative weekly newspaper since 1944 (When in the course of Human Events) GREAT paper!!!

they do have a site, I haven't been there
www.HumanEventsOnline.com

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Done. Thank you for the kind words, TEXOKIE...and for your very important efforts on behalf of the troops...and Freepers.

In case you heard about the 'propaganda war' on Fox & Friends this morning - the coalition media person quitting - we covered that at #29.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Good question. On good days I excuse post-embed FN by saying it's difficult being the only one. After the war coverage, FN was pilloried by the international press pack. They are many, and very mean. I asked an AP reporter once about a nasty and unwarrented line of questioning from an AP reporter in Europe before the war. His response, "You have no idea how much we're hated over there!" Gee, I think we know now who taught them to hate us.

Click on my Freepname and check out my homepage - pro-Coalition news stories and links.

Please keep sharing the stories with others. Thanks. Freepers working together can win elections - and can preserve the truth about our troops in Iraq.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Click on 'It Ain't Necessarily So'

[dixiechick2000]

Thank you for the book recommendation. I've always enjoyed Bill Sammon's writing, so I'll be sure to read "Fighting Back". If you haven't already read it, I recommend "The Hunt for bin Laden." It's an engrossing account of Special Ops on the ground in Afghanistan beginning shortly after 9/11.

BTW, I ROTFLOL at SNL's Rummy briefing! It was a hoot! At the end of the season, they had a Bush briefing that ended with Helen Thomas taking a blow dart in the neck from a Secret Service Agent. It wasn't quite as funny as the Rummy briefing, but I LOLed at that one, too.

SNL may not be as good as it once was, but they have their moments.

[gatorbait]

Ping me on this , too

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Count me in.

RRRRrruff RRRRRRRuufff

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Done. Army, huh? Thank you!

[Let's Roll]

I pray for our brave military every day. God bless them!

[Coop]

God bless them indeed!

[TEXOKIE]

LOL! Thanks for YOUR kind words, Ms Ragtime!

I would like to let you know that I have posted a Prayer Warrior Field trip to this thread from the Troop Prayer Thread 6. (Post number 271.) I have notified our thread participants that you are tracking the press covereage of our military and have urged them to consider signing up for your ping list.

I invite all who are interested in working with other FReepers in supporting our troops at a spiritual level, to please check out the Troop Prayer Threads. (LURKERS ARE WELCOME!!)

http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/917197/posts?page=270